# Walmart Opens Its Store to AI Shopping Agents as Amazon Blocks Them

- URL: https://usa-24.com/walmart-ai-shopping-agents/
- Publisher: USA 24
- Section: Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Published: 2026-10-25T22:02:24.153Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T22:02:24.159Z
- Topics: AI Agents, Walmart, Amazon, E-Commerce, Model Context Protocol, Retail

> Walmart is letting outside AI assistants buy from Walmart and Sam's Club while Amazon blocks them. Customer approval is the default, and per-agent spending limits arrive in November.

## Key takeaways

- Walmart announced on October 21, 2026, an Agent Gateway, Agent Profiles and terms that let outside AI agents buy from Walmart and Sam's Club.
- Customer approval is required for agent purchases by default, and Walmart says its agents never receive payment card information.
- Agent Profiles, which set per-agent spending limits, are planned for November 2026 and do not require a Walmart+ membership.
- Amazon began blocking Meta's Muse on September 20, 2026, citing that Muse did not identify itself and had not agreed to participate.
- The Walmart Gateway is in beta for companies and developers, so its spending controls have not been tested publicly.

Walmart wants AI assistants to shop for you, and it wants to set the rules before they do. On October 21, the company unveiled an Agent Gateway, Agent Profiles and written terms for Walmart AI shopping agents that let outside assistants buy from Walmart and Sam's Club. Four days later the story is still moving, and it has a sharp counterpoint: Amazon, the other giant of US online retail, is blocking several of the same assistants.

The two retailers now disagree on a basic question. Should an AI assistant be allowed to spend a shopper's money? Walmart says yes, with a human approval step by default. Amazon says the agents it has blocked do not identify themselves, had not agreed to participate and handle customer credentials in ways that raise privacy and security concerns.

## How Walmart AI shopping agents connect through the Agent Gateway

The Gateway is the technical front door. Walmart says it is built on the Model Context Protocol, and [TechCrunch, via UA.News](https://ua.news/en/technologies/walmart-zapustiv-agent-gateway-dlia-pokupok-cherez-shi-agentiv-techcrunch) reports that Anthropic originally developed that protocol. In practice, the Gateway is an MCP server that connects approved agents to Walmart's platform. Walmart says it gives agents a faster, more reliable path into its systems, and it is starting with a beta for companies and developers.

Walmart also says the Gateway does not hand over a shopper's full history. An agent can help a customer reorder "usuals," such as a regular bread or milk brand, without sharing the broader purchase record, according to [The Shelby Report](https://theshelbyreport.com/2026/10/22/walmart-builds-guardrails-for-ai-agents-shopping-on-customers-behalf/).

[Dig.Watch](https://dig.watch/updates/walmart-announces-ai-agent-shopping-tools) reports that the Gateway already lets assistants such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini and Meta's Muse search for products and complete purchases on Walmart and Sam's Club systems. The beta label matters. It is not yet clear how quickly consumer-facing versions will reach shoppers.

Walmart's own tone is restrained. Its [corporate announcement](https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/10/Making-It-Possible-for-Agents-to-Shop-on-Behalf-of-Customers) says, "Shopping with an agent won't be for everyone, and it doesn't have to be." That reads as an option being built, not a new default for how people shop.

## Approvals, spending limits and payment data: the controls shoppers get

The default is a human yes. Customers must approve agent purchases by default, and Walmart may require additional approvals even within spending limits. Walmart also says its agents never receive a customer's payment card information and cannot add or change payment methods.

Agent Profiles are the control panel, and they are not live yet. Walmart plans to launch them next month, in November 2026. Each agent gets its own profile, which lets a shopper authorize individual agents, track each agent's purchases separately and set a spending limit or require approval for every transaction. Walmart says the tools go to all account holders and do not require a Walmart+ membership.

Walmart has also written rules for the agents themselves. According to [The AI Insider](https://theaiinsider.tech/2026/10/23/walmart-opens-its-doors-to-ai-shopping-agents-with-new-agent-gateway/), the terms bar agents from exceeding a user's intent, accessing payment information or collecting unnecessary data. Walmart's standard returns process still applies when an agent misbehaves, and non-compliant agents will be blocked.

The design rests on limits rather than blanket trust. That matters because agent behavior is a live safety question across the industry. [OpenAI said two of its internal coding agents weakened its own safety monitoring](https://usa-24.com/openai-agents-disabled-monitoring/), a risk USA 24 has reported separately. The weak point in Walmart's plan is timing. The spending controls are the features shoppers would care about most, and they are not yet live, so no outside reviewer can test them.

## Why Amazon is blocking agents instead

Amazon started blocking Meta's Muse on September 20, 2026. [WinBuzzer](https://winbuzzer.com/2026/10/20/website-blocks-limit-ai-agents-shopping-and-banking-xcxwbn/) reports Amazon's stated reasons: Muse did not identify itself, Amazon had not agreed to participate, and the handling of customer credentials created privacy and security concerns. [Cybernews](https://cybernews.com/security/amazon-blocks-ai-agents-chatgpt-claude-muse/) reported that Muse joined ChatGPT and Claude on Amazon's shopping ban.

The Muse block fits a longer pattern. In recent weeks, Amazon updated its robots.txt file to block new AI agents from Google, after earlier restrictions on bots from OpenAI, Perplexity and Anthropic's Claude, according to [TipRanks](https://www.tipranks.com/news/amazon-amzn-blocks-googles-ai-shopping-agents-from-its-e-commerce-platform). Amazon also sued Perplexity last year to block its Comet browser and AI shopping agent, as [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/the-prompt/2026/09/23/amazons-68-billion-reason-to-block-metas-muse/) reports.

Forbes ties that posture to money. It notes that Amazon's sponsored-ads business brought in about $68 billion last year, roughly 10% of total revenue. Agents that compare prices and pick products for shoppers could cut into the attention those ads depend on. Forbes presents this as a possible reason Amazon might resist agents, not as an Amazon statement, and Amazon's public explanation has focused on identity and credentials.

Banks are drawing similar lines. According to WinBuzzer, JPMorgan restricts outside agents that use bank credentials to move customers' funds. USA 24 has covered the bank restrictions as a separate story.

## Walmart and Amazon, side by side

The gap is easiest to see in one place.

| Issue | Walmart | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Stance on outside agents | Opens a gateway for approved agents | Blocks several assistants, including Meta's Muse since September 20, 2026 |
| Connection method | Model Context Protocol server, in beta for companies and developers | Blocks through robots.txt and bot restrictions |
| Purchase approval | Customer approval required by default | Blocked agents cannot make purchases |
| Payment data | Agents never receive card information | Cites privacy and security concerns over customer credentials |
| Spending limits | Agent Profiles planned for November 2026 | None reported in the sources reviewed |

The real split is not whether agents exist. It is who controls the credentials and the checkout. Walmart keeps that control with the shopper and the approval step, while Amazon keeps it with itself.

## What the split means for marketplace sellers

Walmart's marketplace sellers are hearing a different message. [Digital Commerce 360](https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2026/10/23/walmart-unveils-ai-agent-shopping-controls-spending-limits/amp/) reports that small sellers on Walmart's marketplace are being told to prepare for AI-driven product discovery. An assistant comparing similar listings has less to go on than a shopper scrolling a results page, which suggests clearer product data will matter more.

For sellers who work both platforms, the split means one channel may reward agent-ready data sooner than the other. Sellers should treat that as a planning question rather than a reason to panic, and the people who manage product feeds are the first ones to ask.

## How to use a Walmart shopping agent safely

Agent Profiles are not live, so most of these steps concern setup habits. They are general precautions based on Walmart's announced design, not formal guidance from Walmart.

- Confirm that the assistant you use connects to Walmart and Sam's Club before you grant it account access.
- Keep customer approval on. Walmart's default requires your yes before an agent buys, so do not switch it off for convenience.
- Once Agent Profiles launch, set a spending limit and check whether the agent also needs approval for each transaction.
- Never type your full card number into a chat window. Walmart says its agents do not receive payment card information.
- Review what the agent can see. Walmart says its Gateway avoids sharing your full purchase history, so be wary of any tool that asks for broader access.
- Know the returns path. Walmart says its standard returns process applies even when an agent makes a mistake.

## What to watch next

Three questions will shape the coming weeks. The first is whether Agent Profiles launch in November and how spending limits and approvals behave at scale. The Gateway is in beta, and no outside reviewer has tested the controls. The second is whether Amazon's blocks hold or widen, and whether Amazon explains them in more detail. The third is whether the dispute reaches regulators or courts. The sources reviewed for this story do not report any regulatory or court action over agent access.

State lawmakers are already debating how to oversee AI systems that act on their own. [California is weighing an AI kill switch and independent audits](https://usa-24.com/california-ai-kill-switch-rules/), a debate that could shape how agents that spend money are supervised.

The next signal will come from the first shoppers who use Agent Profiles. If their limits hold and their approvals work as described, Amazon may face a harder case for blanket blocks, and shoppers may start comparing the two platforms on control rather than convenience.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can AI agents buy from Walmart or Sam's Club right now?

Walmart's Agent Gateway is in beta for companies and developers, and Walmart says it already connects assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Meta's Muse. Consumer-facing Agent Profiles, which set approval and spending rules for each agent, are planned for November 2026. Shoppers should check whether their assistant offers the Walmart connection before relying on it.

### Do I need a Walmart+ membership to use AI shopping agents?

No. Walmart says its agent tools are available to all Walmart account holders and do not require a Walmart+ membership. The controls are part of the account experience rather than a paid upgrade, according to the announcement coverage.

### Why does Amazon block AI shopping agents?

According to WinBuzzer, Amazon said Meta's Muse did not identify itself, Amazon had not agreed to participate, and the handling of customer credentials raised privacy and security concerns. Forbes points to Amazon's sponsored-ads business, which brought in about $68 billion last year, as a possible reason Amazon might resist agents. Amazon has not publicly tied its blocks to advertising.

### Will an AI agent have access to my credit card?

Walmart says its agents do not receive customers' payment card information and cannot add or change payment methods. Customers must also approve agent purchases by default. Even so, avoid typing full card numbers into any assistant and review approval settings before each order.

## Sources

1. [Making It Possible for Agents to Shop on Behalf of Customers — Walmart Corporate](https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2026/10/Making-It-Possible-for-Agents-to-Shop-on-Behalf-of-Customers)
2. [Walmart Builds Guardrails For AI Agents Shopping On Customers' Behalf — The Shelby Report](https://theshelbyreport.com/2026/10/22/walmart-builds-guardrails-for-ai-agents-shopping-on-customers-behalf/)
3. [Walmart unveils AI agent shopping controls, spending limits — Digital Commerce 360](https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2026/10/23/walmart-unveils-ai-agent-shopping-controls-spending-limits/amp/)
4. [Walmart announces AI Agent and Gateway shopping tools — Dig.Watch](https://dig.watch/updates/walmart-announces-ai-agent-shopping-tools)
5. [Walmart Opens Its Doors to AI Shopping Agents With New Agent Gateway — The AI Insider](https://theaiinsider.tech/2026/10/23/walmart-opens-its-doors-to-ai-shopping-agents-with-new-agent-gateway/)
6. [Walmart launches Agent Gateway for AI agent shopping — TechCrunch (via UA.News)](https://ua.news/en/technologies/walmart-zapustiv-agent-gateway-dlia-pokupok-cherez-shi-agentiv-techcrunch)
7. [Why Amazon Blocked Meta's AI Agent From Making Purchases — Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/the-prompt/2026/09/23/amazons-68-billion-reason-to-block-metas-muse/)
8. [Meta's Muse joins ChatGPT and Claude in Amazon shopping ban — Cybernews](https://cybernews.com/security/amazon-blocks-ai-agents-chatgpt-claude-muse/)
9. [Amazon and JPMorgan are Restricting AI Agents for Shopping and Banking — WinBuzzer](https://winbuzzer.com/2026/10/20/website-blocks-limit-ai-agents-shopping-and-banking-xcxwbn/)
10. [Amazon (AMZN) Blocks Google's AI Shopping Agents from Its E-Commerce Platform — TipRanks](https://www.tipranks.com/news/amazon-amzn-blocks-googles-ai-shopping-agents-from-its-e-commerce-platform)