The news
Shoppers can now buy from many Shopify stores without leaving an AI assistant. In late September 2026, Google began emailing merchants that their Shopify store had been matched to their Merchant Center account, which switches on checkout inside AI Mode in Google Search and the Gemini app. The emails said eligible products are included automatically and there is nothing to set up.
On 21 September, Shopify chief executive Tobi Lütke announced a partnership with Meta so that Muse, Meta's AI agent, can check out with Shop Pay on Shopify stores. Shopify's help pages say shoppers can buy directly on Meta surfaces, including Muse once it is available.
Shopify says direct checkout is on by default for eligible stores and costs nothing beyond standard payment processing fees. You remain the merchant of record and handle delivery, returns and customer service. For Google, shoppers must be in the United States, Canada or Australia, with a gradual rollout, while the store itself can be based in any country. For Meta, Shopify lists shoppers in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan and Singapore.
Some things do not work in these checkouts. Subscriptions, bundles, customizable products and B2B-only products are not supported, nor are local delivery and pickup. Google Analytics and custom pixels do not fire. Merchants can switch direct checkout off for each channel under Sales channels > Agentic, where ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot are also listed. Products then stay visible, and shoppers are sent to the store to pay.
What it means for you
- Shoppers in those countries can buy from you inside an AI chat, so orders can arrive through channels you never set up yourself.
- Sales completed there do not reach Google Analytics or custom pixels, so your analytics and ad reports can show fewer sales than your Shopify admin.
- The policies shoppers see there come from your store, so out-of-date return or refund terms now reach more buyers.
What to do now
- Open Sales channels > Agentic in your Shopify admin and check which AI channels are on and whether direct checkout is active for each.
- Complete your terms of service, privacy policy and return and refund policy under Settings > Policies, since Shopify requires them for these channels.
- Use the orders in your admin, not only your analytics tools, to measure sales from Google and Meta.
- Turn direct checkout off for a channel if your checkout depends on something it does not support, such as a required sign-in.
How Didset can help
We build Shopify apps and integrations that bring orders from every channel, AI chats included, into your CRM or ERP so none are missed.
Talk to us about it
