Google Cloud has set out plans to build an agentic commerce infrastructure in Europe, in which AI agents autonomously shop and pay on behalf of consumers, based on explicit authorisations.

The firm has signed a memorandum of understanding with European paytech Nexi Group to develop the underlying architecture. Nexi will also adopt Google Cloud’s AI and data technologies across its core platforms to improve fraud detection, compliance and merchant onboarding.

The project will support open-source commerce standards, including the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and Agent Payments Protocol (AP2). UCP is intended to orchestrate the end-to-end AI commerce lifecycle, while AP2 provides a trust layer for transactions using cryptographically signed mandates and verifiable credentials.

Google Cloud said the collaboration will enable conversational sales channels, allowing merchants to capture intent at the point it arises, for example during a search query or video recommendation, and convert it directly into an AI-facilitated purchase.

The partners want to create a standardised, secure payment engine that allows AI agents to operate within European regulatory requirements and maintain customer trust, turning digital intent into seamless, authorised transactions.

“As consumer journeys shift toward agentic commerce, trust and security become the primary currencies of the digital economy,” said Tara Brady, president of Google Cloud EMEA. “Google Cloud is at the forefront of delivering secure, agentic AI technologies to the financial sector. With these capabilities, Nexi will accelerate innovation, optimise transaction workflows, and define the next generation of digital payments for the European market.”

Roberto Catanzaro, chief business officer, merchant solutions at Nexi, added: “We are entering an era where AI agents will increasingly orchestrate commerce on behalf of consumers. By endorsing the UCP and AP2 protocols alongside other leading payments and technology companies, we will help shape the European ecosystem for this transformational shift, drawing on our understanding of European requirements and our merchant network.”

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