Walmart announced the launch of Agent Gateway on October 21, 2026, allowing approved AI agents to shop on customers’ behalf. It also announced Agent Profiles, scheduled to begin rolling out in November 2026. These will let customers track each agent’s purchases separately from their own.
Connecting to Walmart’s inventory through MCP
Agent Gateway operates as an MCP server, giving approved agents access to Walmart so they can search its online inventory and make purchases for users.
Walmart says the gateway will let customers shop for their usual brands or items without having to share personal information or purchase history directly with the agent.
Walmart President and CEO John Furner said the technology is intended to support agent-led shopping at both Walmart and its warehouse chain, Sam’s Club. Agent support is available to anyone with a Walmart account; Walmart+ membership is not required.
Agent Profiles will add purchase approvals and spending limits
Customers will be able to assign a separate profile within their account to each AI agent they use. They can choose to approve every transaction individually or allow purchases within a spending limit they set.
According to Walmart, an Agent Profile will be created the first time a customer shops with a particular agent through Agent Gateway. The customer will authorize the profile, link it to their Walmart account and set permissions or a spending limit. They will be able to delete the profile at any time.
Rules limit data access and purchasing authority
Walmart is also introducing specific terms governing how AI agents may operate and make purchases on its website. Under those rules, agents must stay within the customer’s intent and may not access payment information. They may obtain only the information needed for the particular task.
Walmart will block agents that fail to comply with the terms from accessing its website. The company also says its returns process applies when an agent acts contrary to the customer’s intent.
