Walmart sets the rules for AI agents that shop on customers' behalf

Walmart has set out how third-party AI agents will be allowed to shop on its platform for customers. The rules give an early answer to a question many retailers will soon face: if a customer sends software to do the shopping, who controls the money, the data and the relationship?

In an announcement dated 21 October 2026, Walmart said it is introducing Agent Profiles, the Walmart Agent Gateway and terms for AI agents. Together they are meant to let customers shop with Walmart and Sam's Club through the apps and agents they choose.

A sub-account with a spending limit

Agent Profiles are the part customers will see. Walmart said they will launch "in the next month" and will keep an agent's purchases separate from the customer's own. It explained the idea with a familiar comparison: "Think about it like adding someone as a cardholder on your credit card."

Customers can require approval for every purchase, or let the agent buy within a spending limit they set. Walmart gave $50, $100 or $200 as examples. Approval is the default, and Walmart said it may ask for further approvals even within those limits. Customers can delete an Agent Profile at any time.

Rules for the agents

The Agent Gateway is for the companies building agents. Walmart said it will give agents "a faster, more reliable way to shop" through an MCP connection, starting with a beta for companies and developers. It also said the gateway will help agents buy a customer's usual items without the customer having to share their personal information or purchase history.

The terms set firm limits. Walmart said: "Agents don't receive customers' payment-card information and can't add or change a customer's payment methods." Agents can access only the information needed for the task and allowed by the customer. Walmart also said agents will see the same prices a person sees on Walmart.com, with offers and fees shown before purchase. Agents that do not follow the terms "will be blocked from Walmart's site."

What it means for retailers

The commercial logic is clear. If agents become a real route to market, a retailer that refuses them risks losing the basket to someone who accepts them. A retailer that accepts them on any terms risks losing control of data, pricing and the customer relationship. Walmart's approach is to let agents in but on its terms: payment stays with the retailer, approval stays with the customer, and the retailer keeps the power to block agents.

The price commitment is worth noting. By promising agents the same prices as human shoppers, Walmart is ruling out one way it could use agent traffic, at least for now.

The strongest limitation is that this is a framework, not a result. Agent Profiles had not launched when Walmart made the announcement, and the gateway starts as a beta. Walmart gave no figures for agent usage or sales. The company itself said: "Shopping with an agent won't be for everyone, and it doesn't have to be."

What would show this is working? Watch for evidence that customers keep using agent profiles after the first try, and how many agents sign up to the gateway's terms. Watch too whether other large retailers copy Walmart's rules on approval and payment, or write their own.