Walmart Introduces New Agent Gateway to Allow Approved Artificial Intelligence Shopping Assistants for Customers

Walmart announced a new Agent Gateway to manage transactions and features for customers using artificial intelligence agents. The move contrasts with competitor Amazon, which recently began blocking AI tools from purchasing on behalf of shoppers. Speaking at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, Walmart CEO John Furner stated that the technology supports agentic shopping for both Walmart and Sam’s Club.

The Agent Gateway uses an MCP server based on the Model Context Protocol created by Anthropic. This protocol allows approved AI agents to connect to Walmart, search inventory, and buy items for users. Walmart reports that the gateway lets customers buy usual items without sharing personal details or purchase history directly with the agent.

To manage security, Walmart developed Agent Profiles, rolling out next month. Customers can authorize AI agents, set spending limits, or require approval for each transaction. These profiles function similarly to adding an authorized user to a credit card. Regular Walmart accounts support the feature without requiring a paid Walmart+ membership.

Additionally, Walmart introduced specific terms for AI agents governing their operation and transaction rights.

The retailer stated that standard return policies apply if an agent misbehaves.

Agents are restricted from accessing payment details, exceeding