Global payments fintech Getnet shared its agentic commerce strategy with the public at a time when artificial intelligence was expected to influence a significant portion of global e-commerce transactions by the end of the decade. The company stated that autonomous artificial intelligence agents would take an active role in purchasing and payment decisions and that this would require fundamental changes in payment infrastructures.

According to Deloitte-based market estimates cited by Getnet, which operates under UK-based Santander, up to 30 percent of global e-commerce transaction volume would be directed by agentic artificial intelligence by 2030. It was stated that this ratio corresponded to approximately 17.5 trillion US dollars in gross merchandise value. This transformation meant a transition from transactions initiated by humans to systems managed end to end by autonomous software agents.

Preparing Payment Infrastructure for Agent Commerce-Focused Transactions

Getnet emphasized that agentic commerce would have direct effects on the payments sector and that infrastructures needed to become capable of securely processing transactions initiated by artificial intelligence agents rather than individual users. The company’s strategy was based on adapting its existing global acquiring platform to these new requirements.

At the center of this approach was the unified API solution Single Entry Point (SEP), which enabled integration across multiple countries and supported built-in security and regulatory compliance. While Getnet stated that SEP already supported agent-initiated transactions, it announced that it was developing new capabilities specifically for agentic commerce on top of this.

Within this scope, it was stated that work was being carried out on mechanisms for the identification and validation of artificial intelligence agents, standardized APIs for capturing agent-originated payments, and interoperability solutions with industry protocols. Getnet conveyed that these steps aimed to ensure trust, traceability, and control in the agentic commerce ecosystem.

Transition to Agentic Commerce for Merchants

Getnet positioned itself as a strategic business partner rather than an experimental technology provider for merchants preparing for agentic commerce. The company stated that its platform was designed to support both large-scale companies with advanced digital infrastructures and SMEs seeking ready-to-use solutions.

It was stated that by offering standard tools and APIs, the goal was to enable merchants to participate in the agentic commerce ecosystem without the need for complex internal technology projects. According to Getnet, this approach offered a structure that could increase adoption speed as artificial intelligence agents began to take on product discovery, negotiation, and payment processes.

Getnet Global CEO Juan Franco described agentic commerce as “a turning point in terms of digital transactions.” Franco said that artificial intelligence had moved beyond observing the customer journey and had begun to direct this journey through autonomous agents; and that product discovery, deal-making, and payment transactions were carried out on behalf of customers. Franco stated that Getnet’s vision was to transform its merchant acquisition, risk management, and data capabilities into an open and intelligent platform, enabling merchants to manage artificial intelligence agents as easily as they manage human customers today.

Getnet Ranked Among the World’s Top 10 Merchant Acquirers

Getnet emphasized that it supported its focus on agentic commerce with its scale and position in the global payments sector. According to The Nilson Report, the company ranked among the world’s top 10 merchant acquirers and positioned itself as the number one acquirer in Latin America in terms of transaction volume.

Getnet attributed this position to the trust of millions of merchants, its payment and financing solutions for SMEs, and its infrastructure that brought large-scale companies together with multiple payment methods on a single and secure platform. Operating across Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula, the company stated that it offered a structure strengthened by Santander’s scale, technology, and expertise.

At a time when agentic artificial intelligence continued to assume a more central role in commerce, Getnet positioned its strategy as a long-term investment aimed at adapting payment infrastructure to a future in which autonomous systems were decisive in global trade.

Glass, a Silicon Valley-based GovTech company, has introduced the next generation of its G-Commerce platform, designed to revolutionize how government agencies purchase products, services, and software. This new platform aims to modernize the traditionally fragmented government procurement processes by utilizing AI and automation, thus accelerating purchasing workflows.

Unlike traditional procurement platforms, G-Commerce moves beyond mimicking consumer e-commerce models that require buyers to manually search for and validate purchases. Instead, it integrates intelligence and automation throughout the entire procurement lifecycle. The AI-first platform supports government buyers by providing guided, decision-ready recommendations while ensuring full compliance with government regulations.

Through the Intelligent Guided Buying feature, government buyers can simply describe their requirements—such as budget limits, delivery timelines, and policy mandates—and G-Commerce’s AI delivers tailored product recommendations. This approach eliminates manual searches or navigating static product catalogs, enabling agencies to process purchases more efficiently and confidently.

Seamless Access to Orders, Shipments, and Financial Documents

G-Commerce also provides real-time, conversational access to order status, shipment tracking, and purchase history. Buyers can instantly retrieve past or current order details without needing to log into multiple systems or sift through emails. Additionally, the platform’s Automated Financial Document Retrieval feature allows procurement and finance teams to instantly access invoices and payment records using plain language commands.

One of the most notable features of G-Commerce is its AI-powered Vendor and Compliance Insights. This tool automatically analyzes vendor credentials such as minority-owned status, SAM registration, insurance coverage, and past performance, enabling government agencies to make confident procurement decisions without manual reviews.

“A Ground-Up Restructuring of Government E-Commerce”

Gerardo Mateo, G-Commerce’s Product Manager and COO, explained, “From a technical standpoint, this represents a ground-up re-architecture of government e-commerce. We built G-Commerce with government constraints directly integrated into the system, including compliance validation, vendor verification, financial records, and policy enforcement. Instead of forcing agencies to adapt to consumer-style marketplaces, the platform reasons over procurement rules, validates eligibility in real-time, and adapts workflows to reflect how public agencies actually operate.”

Platform Delivers Over 6 Million Products to Government Agencies

Since its launch, G-Commerce has processed over $8 million in government purchases and delivered more than 6 million products to public agencies. The platform has directed over $4.6 million to small businesses, many of which received their first-ever government orders through the platform. With 18,110 government users and partnerships with 124 government agencies, G-Commerce offers a comprehensive procurement ecosystem connected to 8.5 million products, including access to an additional 5 million punch-out products.

G-Commerce enables purchases in critical categories such as IT peripherals, industrial equipment, office supplies, chemical products, construction materials, safety equipment, cleaning supplies, software, and licenses. The platform also ensures seamless access to mandatory sources and preferred programs, allowing purchases from AbilityOne vendors, small businesses, Made in the USA products, veteran-owned businesses, green and sustainable suppliers, disadvantaged businesses, women-owned businesses, and HUBZone-certified vendors.

AI-Powered Layer for Software Procurement and Easy Integration

G-Commerce not only supports physical goods but also offers an AI-powered layer for acquiring software, recognizing it as a foundational element of modern government operations. Additionally, the platform expands access to Glass’s SaaS G-Commerce offering, enabling agencies to adopt the platform more seamlessly and integrate it into existing workflows.

G-Commerce has already been successfully implemented in local governments, including the City of Santa Monica and the City of South San Francisco, with early access now available for broader usage.

Setting a New Standard in Government Procurement

With the launch of its AI-powered G-Commerce platform, Glass is setting a new standard for public sector procurement. By transforming complexity into clarity, compliance into confidence, and purchasing into a strategic advantage, G-Commerce makes government procurement processes faster, smarter, and more transparent. As governments continue modernizing their operations, this new platform offers agencies the opportunity to make smarter purchases, process transactions more quickly, and maximize public resources effectively.

Consumers are Using AI Tools for Product Research

At the National Retail Federation’s Big Show in New York, Google CEO Sundar Pichai unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard that allows AI agents from ChatGPT, Claude, or other platforms to access product catalogs, check real-time inventory, and process transactions through a single integration point.

“UCP is a Common Language”

Google Ads and Commerce Vice President Vidhya Srinivasan said, “Think about all the various steps in your own shopping journey. For an agent transaction to work, the systems governing each of these steps must align, communicate with each other, and be able to act on your behalf. UCP is a common language. It bridges agent experiences with consumer services on one side and business backend systems on the other, enabling them to work seamlessly together.”

UCP Developed with Major E-Commerce Platforms

UCP was developed in collaboration with Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart. It is supported by more than 20 companies, including Home Depot, Best Buy, Macy’s, Mastercard, Visa, and PayPal. The protocol works with existing industry standards such as Agent2Agent (A2A), Model Context Protocol (MCP), and Google’s Agent Payments Protocol (AP2).

Srinivasan stated, “Having a standardized way to scale these things is crucial, so everyone can be prepared for all the various steps to happen. It offers flexibility, as businesses can pick and choose what they want to use.”

$5 Trillion Expected in Agent Commerce Market

According to McKinsey, retail analysts project that by 2026, one-quarter of shoppers will use AI-powered chatbots, and the agent commerce market is expected to reach between $3 trillion and $5 trillion by 2030.

UCP will soon introduce a new payment feature in Google’s AI Mode and Gemini app, enabling users to complete purchases without leaving the conversation. Initially, the system will use Google Pay with saved payment and shipping details, with PayPal support coming later. Retailers will retain the ability to customize offers, provide loyalty enrollment, and suggest complementary products.

Google also introduced a feature called “Business Agent,” which creates branded virtual sales associates within Google Search results. Lowe’s, Michaels, Poshmark, and Reebok are early adopters. Srinivasan said, “This is designed to address the newer consumer behavior, which has shifted toward more conversational commerce. We want retailers to connect with users on our platforms using their own voice.”

Google processed 90 trillion tokens in December 2025, up from 8.3 trillion in December 2024—an 11% increase year over year. The Shopping Graph now contains 50 billion product listings, with over 2 billion items updated every hour.

Google Competes with Amazon and Microsoft

This launch places Google in direct competition with Amazon, which has been testing similar AI shopping features via Alexa, and Microsoft, which recently unveiled its Copilot Checkout feature.

Despite the infrastructure push, consumer adoption still lags. A ChannelEngine study found that only 17% of shoppers feel comfortable allowing AI to complete a purchase, although many already use AI to research products.

The bigger question is whether retailers will adopt yet another protocol in an already fragmented e-commerce landscape, or if Google’s scale and reach will make this protocol the standard that finally sticks. For now, the fact that Walmart, Shopify, and major payment processors are already on board suggests this might be different.

According to ChannelEngine’s “Marketplace Shopping Behavior Report” for 2026, AI tools are influencing how consumers research products, but online marketplaces still remain the primary starting point for many shoppers. However, there is a noticeable shift toward a multichannel shopping experience, as consumers spread their product research across multiple channels, including search engines, social platforms, and AI assistants.

AI Tools Gaining Popularity in Product Research

Based on survey data from 4,500 online marketplace shoppers in the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the Netherlands, ChannelEngine’s report revealed that 58% of consumers are now using AI tools to assist with product research. This marks a significant shift as AI assistants have become an essential research companion for many shoppers. However, despite the growing use of AI in product discovery, only 17% of consumers stated they felt comfortable completing a purchase via AI. For most consumers, AI continues to be a research assistant rather than a purchasing tool.

Marketplace Usage Declined, But Still Dominates Product Discovery

Despite the increasing use of AI and social platforms, marketplaces still remain the most common starting point for product discovery, with 37% of consumers beginning their shopping journey there. This represents a 10% decline from the previous year, when 47% of shoppers started their journey on marketplaces. The shift towards a more diverse shopping experience shows that consumers are increasingly using multiple tools to guide their purchase decisions.

According to the report, 53% of consumers stated they compare the same product across multiple marketplaces. This behavior aligns with the trend of using multiple channels for product research, indicating that consumers browse an average of three platforms before making a purchase.

Social Proof and Free Shipping Impact Shopping Decisions

Trust remains a critical factor in the purchasing process, as 60% of consumers hesitate to buy a product if it lacks reviews. The importance of social proof is evident, as many consumers lose trust in a product without customer feedback, making reviews a necessity rather than a luxury.

When it comes to the final purchasing decision, free shipping still plays a significant role, with 91% of consumers considering it an important factor. Along with free shipping, delivery speed, product availability, and reliability are also major factors in consumer decisions. While sustainability is important for some, it is a lower priority for 65%, indicating that environmental concerns have not yet become a major factor in purchasing decisions.

AI Tools Will Continue to Play a Role in Product Research

As online shopping evolves, businesses will need to adapt to the changing landscape. While AI tools and social media platforms become increasingly integrated into the shopping journey, marketplaces continue to be the starting point for product discovery. Understanding how consumers navigate between channels and which factors influence their purchasing decisions will be key to staying competitive in the increasingly complex e-commerce environment.

The rise of AI as a product research tool, combined with the continued importance of reviews and free shipping, highlights the significance of building trust and providing convenience in online retail. The future of e-commerce lies in the ability to seamlessly integrate these various touchpoints and offer a personalized shopping experience.

Retailers Must Rethink E-Commerce for an Algorithm-First Future

According to analyses published by Digital Commerce 360, online retailers faced fluctuating customs tariffs, uneven consumer spending, and the increasing impact of AI-driven technologies in 2025. These changes laid the groundwork for 10 core trends expected to define e-commerce growth and competition in 2026.

Consumer Behavior And Conversion Strategies Changed

As customer acquisition costs continued to rise in 2025, retailers refocused on increasing conversion rates. Instead of growing solely through paid channels, brands made more efficient use of existing traffic a priority. Conversion rate optimization, personalization, and improvements to checkout processes became fundamental priorities for retailers seeking to protect profit margins in a more cost-sensitive environment.

Shopping behavior during the holiday season also reflected changes in consumer habits. Consumers spread their purchases over a longer period, brand loyalty declined, and sensitivity to prices and delivery times increased. These trends forced retailers to rethink their campaign calendars and inventory planning as they entered 2026.

As social commerce continued to mature, platforms integrated purchasing processes more deeply into content feeds. Retailers refined their approach to social channels, focusing on measurable performance rather than experimental brand visibility. As a result, social platforms became direct revenue-generating channels rather than upper-funnel marketing tools.

AI Transformed Discovery And Operations

Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the most influential forces in e-commerce throughout 2025. Retailers expanded their use of generative AI and large language models to support product discovery, customer research, and on-site search processes. AI-powered recommendation engines and conversational interfaces enabled consumers to navigate increasingly large product catalogs more efficiently.

Artificial intelligence was also used in operational workflows such as demand forecasting, price optimization, and customer service. These applications demonstrated that AI delivered tangible value beyond the experimental phase. By the end of 2025, many retailers moved from pilot projects to full-scale AI implementations.

Another notable development was the rise of the “agentic commerce” approach, in which AI systems acted autonomously on behalf of consumers. These systems conducted product research, compared prices, and completed purchases with minimal human intervention. Although still at an early stage, agentic commerce pointed to a structural change in how consumers interacted with online stores.

Platforms Adapted To A More Complex Retail Environment

Ecommerce platforms updated their product roadmaps in response to retailers’ demands for flexibility and efficiency. Large platforms such as Shopify expanded tools offering omnichannel sales, international trade compliance, and AI-powered insights. These steps reflected the growing complexity of managing digital storefronts across different regions and channels.

Customs uncertainties in 2025 increased the importance of supply chain visibility and localized delivery strategies. Retailers invested more heavily in tools that provided cross-border compliance and cost transparency, aiming to reduce exposure to sudden policy changes while maintaining competitive pricing.

Marketplaces and direct-to-consumer brands also reassessed their growth strategies. Instead of rapid expansion, profitability, operational discipline, and customer lifetime value came to the forefront. This approach represented a clear departure from the “growth at any cost” model that had dominated the previous decade.

The Foundation Of E-commerce Growth For 2026

By the end of 2025, e-commerce leaders gained a clearer picture of which technologies and strategies produced measurable results. AI-powered discovery, advanced conversion optimization, and more disciplined channel strategies stood out as the core building blocks of growth in 2026.

The trends identified by Digital Commerce 360 showed that the transition from experimental approaches to execution in ecommerce accelerated. As platforms matured and consumer expectations continued to rise, online retailers entered 2026 with a stronger focus on efficiency, personalization, and sustainable growth.

10 E-commerce Trends In 2026

The 10 e-commerce trends identified by Digital Commerce 360:

1. Agentic commerce capabilities continuing to advance
2. Retailers choosing AI tools that shoppers want to use
3. E-commerce sites preparing for Google Zero
4. Young shoppers opening up to virtual shopping assistants
5. Stabilizing e-commerce conversion rates
6. Ripple effects from Prime Day ecommerce trends
7. Addressing the value consumers place on free shipping
8. Cyber 5 trends echoing into the new year
9. More AI tools for marketplace sellers and buyers
10. AI tools getting better at conversion

2026 Will Be a Turning Point for Consumer Internet and E-Commerce