- Google has launched a new Universal Cart shopping tool
- It works in the background to find deals and analyze your purchases.
- It is powered by Google’s Gemini AI model
In 2026, it seems like every technology company is frantically incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into every possible product in the hope that something will work. Google hasn’t gone that far yet, but it now has your humble online shopping cart in its AI-powered sights, and it could permanently change the way you shop on the web.
Universal Cart is “a new management center for shopping on Google” and “a truly smart shopping cart,” Google explained in a pre-I/O briefing attended by TechRadar. Unveiled in full at Google I/O 2026, it comes with artificial intelligence features powered by the company’s Gemini AI model that could help you get a discount or avoid mistakes with the items you’re purchasing.
What does that mean in practice? One of the main ideas is to have Universal Cart work in the background. You can add an item to your cart on a website and then watch a video or check your emails. While you’re at it, Universal Cart takes care of it: It can “find deals, price drops, give you information about price history, and even alert you when something is back in stock,” Google said.
In addition to helping you save a little money, Universal Cart can also help you avoid mistakes in the checkout process. For example, if you are building a PC, you may have added components to the cart that you want to use on said computer. But if, for example, the motherboard and processor are not compatible, Universal Cart will analyze the proposed list, alert you to the problem, and then suggest alternative parts. That ensures you discover the incompatibility before you pull the trigger, not after.
Changing the way you shop
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Another supposed benefit of Universal Cart is the way it can display the benefits associated with your payment cards. If you have multiple cards that you use to make purchases, you may not remember all the benefits you get from them. If those cards are registered with Universal Cart, it can tell you whether you should use a specific card at a specific retailer to get a particular benefit.
Universal Cart is designed to be used across websites and devices. Everything you’ve added to your shopping bag at different retailers is collected in the universal cart, with items divided by seller. That way, you can see everything you want to buy in one place. You still have to complete each purchase separately, but all of that can be done from Universal Cart – Google handles the checkout process itself.
In our pre-I/O briefing, Google added that since Universal Cart runs on Gemini, it “continues to get smarter as our models continue to improve.” That implies your data could be used to train the function over time, so if you’re not comfortable with your purchase data being fed into yet another AI black box, this tool might be one you should avoid.
Universal Cart is coming to US users of Google Search and the company’s Gemini app this summer, with YouTube and Gmail integrations to follow later this year. If successful, Universal Cart will definitely be one to watch – it could change the way we shop forever.
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