What has Walmart announced?
According to TechCrunch, Walmart is welcoming AI shopping agents while Amazon has begun blocking agents from purchasing for online shoppers. Walmart’s new Agent Gateway is designed to let approved agents search its online inventory and buy items on a user’s behalf.
Agent Gateway is an MCP server. MCP, originally created by Anthropic, connects AI agents with external data, tools and workflows. TechCrunch reports that Walmart’s technology will support agentic shopping from both Walmart and Sam’s Club.
Walmart also says Agent Gateway will help customers shop for familiar brands or items without sharing their personal information or purchase history directly with the agent.
How will shoppers control their agents?
TechCrunch reports that Agent Profiles will roll out next month, following the October 21, 2026 announcement. Each agent will have a dedicated profile linked to the shopper’s Walmart account. Customers will be able to distinguish agent purchases from their own, require approval for every transaction or authorize purchases within a spending limit.
Customers can delete an Agent Profile at any time. Agent support is available to anyone with a Walmart account; Walmart+ membership is not required. That does not mean every agent has permission to connect: Agent Gateway is intended for approved agents.
Walmart’s terms say agents cannot act beyond the shopper’s intent or access payment information. They may access only the information needed for the task. Walmart says its returns process also applies when an agent acts incorrectly, and agents that breach its terms will be blocked.
What does this mean for a small or medium business?
The contrast between Walmart and Amazon is a planning warning: do not assume an AI agent can purchase from every supplier. For an SME, including one in Malaysia, the useful question is whether a particular supplier permits the intended workflow—not simply whether an agent can navigate its website.
Walmart’s approach also offers a useful model for internal purchasing controls. Treat an agent like a delegated buyer with a defined job, limited authority and a reviewable purchase record. Keep the person requesting a purchase separate from the person approving exceptions where practical.
For businesses selling online, consider how an automated buyer would interpret your catalogue. Clear product descriptions, pack sizes, prices and return conditions can reduce ambiguity. This is general preparation advice, not evidence that a particular agent can access your store.
What should your business do next?
Start with a narrow, low-risk purchasing task. Define the permitted items, suppliers and spending ceiling. Require human approval initially, and confirm supplier access rules before testing. Do not build a purchasing process around bypassing a supplier’s restrictions.
Keep records of requests, approvals, orders and corrections. Decide who handles cancellations and returns before giving an agent buying authority. Expand its scope only after reviewing whether it follows instructions and stays within its limits.
For broader workflow automation, Terabot gives businesses digital workers: AI workers with their own computers in private virtual machines, working in the apps a team already uses and around the clock. It is in private preview, by invitation only. Apply the same task boundaries, approval rules and review process when assessing digital workers.
Key takeaways
- Walmart’s Agent Gateway lets approved AI agents search inventory and make purchases, according to TechCrunch.
- Agent Profiles will provide separate purchase tracking, transaction approvals and shopper-set spending limits.
- SMEs should verify supplier permissions and test a tightly controlled purchasing task before expanding automation.
Written with AI assistance from the source linked above, and checked against it before publishing. Product names belong to their owners. Check the original source before relying on details.