Google Adds AI Mode Checkout for Eligible Shopify Stores

Some Shopify sellers got a surprise email on September 22. It said their store "was matched to your Merchant Center, enabling native checkout on Google AI Mode and Gemini." In short, shoppers can now buy some of their products inside Google's AI tools without visiting the store's site.

Background: the checks every business site needs and our business email setup guide.

PPC Land, which covered the change on September 23, reported that the rollout began September 18 and that eligible products were included by default.

Who Is Eligible

Shopify's Help Center lists the rules. The store and its customers must be in the US. The store needs a working Google Merchant Center account with products synced. Products must qualify for the Shopify Catalog. The seller must accept Shopify's Agentic Storefronts terms, and must have a terms of service, a privacy policy and a return policy in place.

Shopify says there are no extra fees for selling this way. Normal payment fees still apply.

What Works and What Does Not

Discounts, discount codes and shipping rules work. Several things do not:

• Subscriptions, bundles and custom products.
• Custom pixels and Google Analytics tracking.
• Local delivery and pickup.
• Some checkout extras, like custom fields and upsells.
• Stores that require customers to sign in before checkout.

Why It Matters

This could bring new sales from people who never reach your site. It also means some orders will arrive without the tracking you rely on to see where sales come from. And upsells you built into checkout will not show.

Neither choice is wrong. The point is to decide on purpose.

How to Turn It Off

In Shopify, go to Sales channels, then Agentic, then Google AI Mode and Gemini. Turn Direct checkout off. Shopify says your products can still be found, but shoppers are sent to your store to buy.