Walmart announced Agent Profiles, the Walmart Agent Gateway and terms for AI agents on Oct. 21. The tools are designed to let approved assistants search Walmart and Sam’s Club products and complete purchases for customers, while keeping permission and spending controls with the shopper. [1] [2]

Profiles separate agent activity

Agent Profiles are planned to roll out in the following month, so Walmart did not describe them as generally available on announcement day. Each authorized assistant would receive a dedicated profile inside a customer’s Walmart account. Shoppers could require approval for every purchase or set a spending limit, then review agent activity separately from their own orders. Walmart gives $50, $100 and $200 as examples, not a fixed set of options. Customers can delete a profile to revoke access. [1] [2]

The Agent Gateway is an MCP-based connection for agent shopping. Walmart says it will begin as a beta for companies and developers; its gateway page describes access as limited and invitation-only. That means the announcement is not a signal that every shopper can already give any assistant unrestricted checkout access. [1] [4]

Payment information stays out of reach

Walmart’s terms say agents cannot receive a customer’s payment-card information or add or change payment methods. The company says agents may access only information needed for the task and permitted by the customer. Walmart may also request additional approval for a purchase even when it falls within a spending limit, and it can block agents that violate its rules. [1] [2]

Walmart says an assistant can help find a customer’s usual items without receiving broader shopping history. That limits the data Walmart says it shares with the agent, although the assistant’s own privacy policy still governs information a user provides through its app. [1]

The retailer is testing a controlled path for agentic commerce rather than promising fully hands-off shopping. Profiles are planned, gateway access is in beta, and shoppers retain approval and revocation controls. Reuters reports the tools do not require Walmart+ membership. [2] [3]

Why It Matters

Walmart is treating agentic commerce as a permissions problem: a dedicated profile, per-purchase approval and spending caps keep the shopper, rather than the assistant, in control of checkout. Withholding payment-card data and allowing access to be revoked by deleting a profile sets a model other retailers can adopt or reject. The rollout is deliberately partial, with profiles still planned and gateway access invitation-only, so its effect on how assistants shop will only appear after broader access.

Sources

[1] Walmart: Making It Possible for Agents to Shop on Behalf of Customers [2] Reuters: Walmart launches tools for AI agents to shop for customers [3] TechCrunch: Walmart opens the door to AI shopping agents [4] Walmart Agent Gateway