Google is rolling out cart transfer and expanded checkout testing in the Merchant Center hub for the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP).
Merchants who use the hub for UCP-powered checkout can turn on a path that lets shoppers move items from Google to the merchant’s own site to finish buying. The new options are gradually rolling out in the U.S., with Australia and Canada to follow early next year, according to a holiday shopping post from Ashish Gupta, Google’s VP and GM of Merchant Shopping.
The post also says UCP already enables direct checkout for hundreds of thousands of brands and retailers across Google. It opens a U.S. beta of Business Agent for YouTube ads as well, and takes the AI performance insights report to five countries.
Cart Transfer Comes To The Merchant Center Hub
Google’s developer docs list cart transfer as a capability named Transfer to merchant cart, which a merchant turns on by supporting the Cart API.
The docs now include a checklist for that option that skips full product feed setup, product warnings, and customer support details. Plus, there’s a sandbox available in the same tab where you can test cart and checkout requests that Google might send.
The Cart capability isn’t new; I mentioned it as a draft in March. In its Google Marketing Live post in May, Google mentioned that shoppers could transfer items directly to a merchant’s site. Merchants with hub access can choose the transfer feature as part of Merchant Center validation.
The hub is being gradually introduced across the U.S., with Australia and Canada next in line for expansion next year, according to the Merchant Center help page the post links to, which also names cart transfer and enhanced checkout flow testing. Merchants just need to complete the technical setup, submit an interest form, and wait to be selected to start using the hub.
Analytics Has Two Statuses
In its post, Google says analytics will soon be part of the UCP hub. The developer docs, last updated September 3, describe a UCP Analytics Reporting dashboard, found in the same Merchant Center tab.
This feature is available, the docs say, to all merchants with UCP enabled and the Performance role, offering insights into the checkout process, from clicking the Buy button to completing a purchase, plus metrics like average order value and cancellations. It also provides account linking information and showcases top-selling UCP products. This data isn’t accessible through the Merchant API yet, the docs note.
Business Agent Opens A YouTube Ads Beta
Google is launching a new U.S. beta program for Business Agent on YouTube ads, inviting retailers to join. Participants who qualify and sign up will get a branded agent embedded in their YouTube ads, the post says, allowing viewers to browse products and ask questions without leaving YouTube. The announcement does not specify the qualification criteria or how long the beta will last.
Business Agent went live in Search on Jan. 12, when Google launched it with UCP.
AI Performance Insights Reaches Five Countries
The AI performance insights report in Merchant Center is now open to merchants in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the U.S. The post’s heading calls the report generally available. The help page says it’s currently available for English-language queries in those five countries, covers organic AI traffic only, and lists no click metric.
I explained the pilot in July when it was limited to select U.S. accounts. The report provided guidance to merchants on which product attributes to include, but it did not indicate whether AI Mode sent any visitors to their site. That hasn’t changed.
Why This Matters
The cart transfer is here to support retailers by addressing the concerns they shared back in January about what they lose when transactions happen on Google, which I wrote about at the time. One retailer pointed out that customers never visit the store, see accessory suggestions from other sellers, and feel less connected to the brand. The transfer pathway helps customers go directly to the merchant’s checkout page with their cart ready.
AI performance insights and the UCP analytics dashboard measure at different levels of depth. AI performance insights reports share of voice, frequency, and products showing. The UCP analytics dashboard, where the developer docs say it’s open, starts at clicks on the Buy button and counts purchases.
Looking Ahead
The UCP hub options are rolling out gradually in the U.S. now, with Australia and Canada early next year. The UCP integration tab in Merchant Center is where the new options appear.
Whether the hub’s analytics dashboard is live yet is the open question. Merchants who already have the UCP integration tab can check for an Analytics tab themselves.
Featured Image: WinWin artlab/Shutterstock
