In a move to promote interoperable standards for agentic commerce, Google is donating its Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to the nonprofit industry group the FIDO Alliance, which is working on open frameworks for agentic interactions. While framed as an altruistic step, the decision also helps ensure Google remains deeply embedded in this emerging space.
Google also announced a new version of AP2 with the support for “human not present” payments, enabling agents to autonomously execute transactions based on pre-authorized user instructions—such as buying concert tickets the moment they go on sale. To ensure those actions remain accountable, the company, in collaboration with Mastercard, introduced Verifiable Intent, an AP2-compatible standard that creates a tamper-proof record of user-approved agent activity. This standard is also being contributed to the FIDO Alliance.
These contributions position Google’s technology as a building block for future agentic developments—a move some observers described as characteristic of the company’s long-term strategy. Christopher Miller, Lead Analyst of Emerging Payments at Javelin Strategy & Research, calls the move “classic Google.”
“These ‘donations’ are part of the business plan by incumbents to remain relevant,” Miller said. “Make it free and cement their engagement. ‘You can all now build on this thing we developed.’”
Who Is FIDO?
Founded in 2021, the FIDO Alliance initially set out to replace password-based authentication with phishing-resistant protocols tied to user devices. It’s now expanding its scope through an Agentic Authentication Technical Working Group, focused on specifications for agent-initiated commerce, alongside a Payments Technical Working Group chaired by Mastercard and Visa.
FIDO’s efforts will center on agent authentication, ensuring actions are performed on behalf of legitimate users, as well as trusted delegation frameworks that keep transactions within user-approved parameters.
Google’s Agentic Ambitions
Google has made steadily advancing its role in agentic commerce. In January, it unveiled the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an initiative designed to let AI agents manage the entire shopping journey from discovery to checkout.
Developed with partners including Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, and Target, UCP features a streamlined checkout experience that allows users to complete purchases directly within Google’s AI Mode.
