ACP (Agentic Commerce Protocol)
The emerging standard that governs how an AI agent executes a purchase on a merchant's behalf, from cart to payment authorization.
What it means
Where MCP handles discovery, ACP handles the transaction. It defines how an agent submits order parameters, authenticates with a store, handles payment authorization, and confirms a completed purchase, the handshake needed for an AI to buy something without a human clicking through a checkout flow. ACP is still consolidating as a standard, several AI platforms and payment providers are converging on compatible approaches rather than one single spec.
Why it matters for Shopify
Shopify merchants with ACP support can receive completed orders directly from AI agents transacting on a buyer's behalf, the core mechanic of Phase 2 agentic commerce.