Google has introduced the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open standard designed for purchases initiated by AI agents. Backed by more than 60 merchants and financial institutions — including Mastercard, American Express, and PayPal — AP2 is built to ensure interoperability across AI platforms, payment systems, and vendors, while creating a verifiable audit trail for every transaction.
The protocol envisions a future where AI agents routinely shop and negotiate on behalf of users, handling everything from travel bookings to retail bundles. To safeguard users, AP2 requires layered approvals known as “intent mandates” and “cart mandates,” while also supporting fully automated purchases under strict conditions.
Google has published the full AP2 specification on GitHub and emphasized its commitment to an open, collaborative standards process. The company also partnered with Coinbase, Metamask, and the Ethereum Foundation to extend AP2 for cryptocurrency transactions, further broadening its reach in the emerging agentic commerce ecosystem.
