agentic commerce for merchants
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For merchants, agentic commerce means an AI agent finds a product, places an order and pays through the store's own checkout. The store takes the sale like any other buyer. The agent does the buying, but the merchant still controls prices, stock and terms. The Integrator charges 0% fee during the pilot. A minimum order of $1.00 applies. Payments settle on Base and Tempo.
What changes when the buyer is an agent
A shopper used to be a person with a browser. An agent is software that reads a catalog, compares options and submits an order for a buyer. The store still sells the same goods. The difference lies in who decides and how the request arrives.
Agents do not browse the way people do. They request product data, check stock and send an order in a few calls. A store that shows prices only inside page scripts, or that needs a human to click through a long sequence of pages, may lose these orders without any clear signal.
The buyer keeps two things in every case. The buyer still owns the payment method and the decision to buy. The agent acts on that buyer's instructions, so the store should treat each agent order as a real customer request.
How an agent pays a store
The agent holds a payment method the buyer has authorized. It sends the order to the store. The store confirms items, tax, shipping and total before any charge. The payment then settles, and the store records the sale in its normal order system.
- The agent selects items and reads the total.
- The store confirms the order, the price and the delivery terms.
- The payment settles and the order enters fulfilment.
Each step has a clear owner. The agent owns the search and the selection. The store owns the price, the stock and the confirmation. The buyer owns the decision and the payment method.
Fees, minimums and settlement
The Integrator charges 0% fee during the pilot. Check that figure against your margins before you open agent checkout. The fee applies to every agent order.
Each order must meet a minimum order of $1.00. Small baskets fall below that line, so a store that sells low-priced items may need bundles or a higher unit price.
The sale closes when payments settle on Base and Tempo. Ask your accountant how the settled sale appears in your ledger, because bookkeeping and tax reporting depend on that record.
What a merchant should prepare
Start with the catalog. An agent reads names, descriptions, prices and stock levels, and it cannot ask a clerk what a vague listing means. Stale or unclear data produces wrong or failed orders, so keep each field current and specific.
Next, write the terms in plain language. Shipping zones, age limits, sizing rules and returns windows need wording that a program can read without guessing. Keep the same terms on the storefront and in the product feed, so the buyer and the agent see one version.
Then decide which orders need a manual look. Large quantities, first-time buyers and mismatched delivery addresses deserve a second check. The store sets that line, and the agent cannot move it.
Risks and limits
Agent orders can resemble fraud to a rules engine built for human shoppers. Sessions with no page dwell time or unusual speed may trip existing checks. Review those rules and adjust them on purpose. Turning checks off creates a larger risk than a few false flags.
Errors also come from the buyer side. An agent may misread a size, pick the wrong variant or submit the same order twice. Your returns policy should cover these cases, and the buyer should understand that policy before the first order.
Refunds need an owner too. Decide in advance who answers a damaged-item claim on an agent-placed order and which policy governs the answer.
Measuring agent orders
Track agent orders as their own segment from the first day. Compare conversion, refund rate and average basket against human orders over the same period. Small samples mislead, so wait for a steady run of orders before drawing conclusions about the channel.
Watch for patterns in the orders themselves. Repeated failures on one product usually point to a catalog problem, not to the agent. Fix the listing first, then measure again.
Going live in a controlled way
Start with a narrow range of items that ship easily and rarely come back. Watch the first orders closely. Compare what the agent requested with what the store delivered, and fix any gap in the catalog before widening the range.
Add the agent channel next to your normal checkout, not in place of it. Human shoppers keep their current path, and you can measure agent orders on their own.
Fees and limits
- Cost to the store: 0% fee during the pilot.
- Minimum order: $1.00.
- Rails: Base and Tempo.
FAQ
Does an AI agent need a human to approve each order?
That depends on the rules the store sets. A store can route large or unusual orders to a manual check, while routine orders pass straight through.
What does the merchant pay for agent orders?
The Integrator charges 0% fee during the pilot. Include that figure in your pricing before you open agent checkout.
What is the smallest order an agent can place?
Each order must meet a minimum order of $1.00. Smaller baskets do not qualify.
Where does the payment settle?
Payments settle on Base and Tempo. Confirm with your accountant how that settlement record fits your books.
Recommended next step
- STEP 1/2 Connect AI payment to your store
- STEP 2/2 Read more guides
Published: 2026-10-19Last updated: 2026-10-19