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Google & PayPal Launch Agent Payments Protocol for AI-Driven Commerce

AP2 brings together Google's vast user base and PayPal's global merchant network. Can it outpace ACP in the battle for AI-native commerce standards?

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Google & PayPal Launch Agent Payments Protocol for AI-Driven Commerce

Google and PayPal have joined forces to launch the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open-source framework for AI agent-driven commerce. This initiative aims to maximize trust and participation, leveraging Google's first-mover advantage and platform-agnostic approach.

AP2 boasts impressive ecosystem support, including ChatGPT's 700 million weekly users and Stripe's 15-year commerce infrastructure. Its technical features are equally robust, featuring deep integration with Google's Shopping Graph, real-time inventory sync, Google Pay integration, and cross-platform personalization based on Gmail, Maps, and Search data.

The protocol is designed for speed and openness, prioritizing adoption over control. It's led by OpenAI and Stripe, with Google and PayPal at the helm, leveraging billions of users across Google's suite and PayPal's global merchant network. AP2's strategy involves integrating natively into Google Shopping and AI Mode in Search, converting existing relationships into protocol compliance.

ACP, a competing protocol, also has its strengths. It offers features like Shared Payment Tokens for secure authentication, compatibility with multiple processors, 1-line integration for Stripe merchants, and a Delegated Payments Spec for inclusivity. The current battle in AI-native commerce is between ACP and AP2, with the most probable outcome being merchants supporting both protocols, leading to fragmentation but no clear victor.

The Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), led by Google and PayPal, and the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) are shaping the future of AI-native commerce. While AP2 leverages vast user bases and deep integration, ACP offers secure authentication and inclusivity. The digital revolution's convergence on standards is inevitable, with both protocols vying for control in this rapidly evolving landscape.

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