EC & AI Commerce News Digest (March 11, 2026)

Today's Top Stories

Court Blocks Perplexity's AI Shopping Agent — Setting Legal Precedent for Agentic Commerce

Amazon wins court order to block Perplexity's AI shopping agent

Amazon sued Perplexity in November, accusing the startup of concealing its AI shopping agents.

Amazon has won a preliminary injunction from the court, officially blocking Perplexity's AI shopping agent from accessing Amazon.com. Amazon filed suit against Perplexity in November 2025, alleging the startup was disguising its AI agents to access the platform.

This ruling is drawing attention as the first case to address whether AI agents can conduct purchasing activities without platform permission. According to Forbes reporting, the judge ruled that "AI agents cannot act on behalf of users without platform permission."

With the legal framework for agentic commerce still being established, this ruling will have significant implications for the design of future AI agent purchasing services. The question of how to obtain platform consent has been thrust upon the entire industry.

Read more: Amazon Wins Court Order to Block Perplexity's AI Shopping Agent

OpenAI Pivots from "Instant Checkout" — Highlighting Barriers to AI Commerce Entry

Why OpenAI's Checkout Retreat Spells Trouble For Its Commerce Strategy

OpenAI turning off instant checkout says more about OpenAI's competitive threats than it does adoption of Agentic Comemrce

OpenAI has announced a pivot from its "Instant Checkout" feature built into ChatGPT, just months after launch. Forbes' Jason Goldberg analyzes that this retreat reveals more about OpenAI's own competitive strategy challenges than about agentic commerce adoption issues.

According to Retail Systems, OpenAI is shifting from instant purchase completion to a more gradual approach. Meanwhile, PhocusWire focuses on the retreat from the travel sector, noting that "travel is too complex for instant distribution."

This case once again demonstrates the difficulty of major AI tech companies directly entering commerce. It could also provide a tailwind for existing ecommerce operators like Etsy and Shopify.

Read more: OpenAI Effectively Withdraws Instant Checkout

Agentic Commerce

JP Morgan Payments × Mirakl Partner on Enterprise-Scale Agentic Commerce

JPMorgan Payments and Mirakl Form Agentic Commerce Pact | PYMNTS.com

Commerce software firm Mirakl has joined forces with J.P. Morgan Payments. This collaboration, announced Tuesday (March 10) will combine Mirakl's Nexus

Marketplace platform Mirakl and J.P. Morgan Payments have announced a partnership to enable enterprise-scale agentic commerce. By combining Mirakl's Nexus platform with J.P. Morgan's payment infrastructure, the partnership will enable AI agent payments on large-scale marketplaces.

This partnership has been widely covered by Finextra, representing a landmark move as a major bank makes a full-scale entry into agentic commerce. The fusion of payment infrastructure and marketplaces could become the foundation for future AI agent commerce.

Read more: J.P. Morgan Payments and Mirakl Form Partnership

Wizard × Stripe Advance Agentic Commerce with ACP (Agent Commerce Protocol)

Wizard Partners With Stripe on ACP to Enable Agentic Commerce for Leading Retailers

NEW YORK, March 10, 2026--Wizard, the first AI Agent purpose built for ecommerce, today announced it is working with Stripe, a programmable financial services company, to accelerate adoption of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) and help merchants participate in the emerging era of agentic commerce.

Ecommerce-focused AI agent company Wizard and Stripe have announced a partnership to drive adoption of the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP). ACP is a standard protocol for AI agents to securely interact with merchant systems.

According to Digital Transactions, the partnership aims to enable merchants to participate in agentic commerce with minimal technology investment. The combination of Stripe's extensive payment network and Wizard's AI agent technology is expected to lower barriers to entry, particularly for small and mid-sized ecommerce operators.

Read more: Ecommerce AI Agent "Wizard" Partners with Stripe

Best Buy Aims to Be at the Forefront of Agentic AI Discovery

Best Buy wants to be at the forefront of agentic AI discovery

"As agentic commerce matures, we want to serve our customers in new ways, both on and off of platforms," CEO Corie Barry said.

Best Buy CEO Corie Barry stated, "As agentic commerce matures, we want to serve our customers in new ways, both on and off of platforms."

The major electronics retailer is demonstrating an active commitment to AI agent-driven product discovery. In preparation for an era where consumers search for products through AI agents, the company plans to advance agent compatibility across both its physical store network and digital channels. Retail Week has also compiled a report on retailers embracing agentic commerce.

B2B Agentic Commerce Faces "Reality Check"

Agentic commerce faces reality check in B2B ecommerce

For B2B ecommerce-focused distributors and manufacturers, the opportunity in agentic commerce may lie in AI-assisted workflows rather than fully autonomous purchasing.

Digital Commerce 360 analyzes that in the B2B ecommerce space, "the opportunity in agentic commerce may lie in AI-assisted workflows rather than fully autonomous purchasing."

Compared to B2C, B2B purchasing processes involve complex elements such as approval workflows, contract terms, and price negotiations, making full automation by AI agents challenging. A realistic approach would be to start with automating routine tasks like obtaining quotes and checking inventory.

AI Is Reshaping Commerce, But Consumer Trust Gap Remains a Challenge

AI Is Reshaping Commerce, But We Need To Close The Trust Gap

While AI efficiency remains central to delivering compelling digital experiences, consumers are signaling that speed and convenience alone no longer suffice.

A Forbes contributor article points out that while AI is transforming the nature of commerce, consumers are signaling that speed and convenience alone are no longer sufficient.

AI-driven efficiency remains central to delivering compelling digital experiences, but concerns about privacy, transparency, and data usage are creating trust barriers. Closing this "trust gap" will be key to the widespread adoption of agentic commerce.

AI Commerce Tools

Darwinium Launches "Agent Intent Intelligence" for Fraud Detection in AI Commerce

Darwinium launches agent intent intelligence to tackle fraud in AI-driven commerce

Darwinium launches agent intent intelligence to tackle fraud in AI-driven commerce

Fraud detection platform Darwinium has announced a new capability that analyzes the "intent" of AI agents to detect fraud.

As agentic commerce spreads, the risk of fraudulent AI agents conducting purchases and extracting information is growing. Darwinium's new feature analyzes agent access patterns and behavioral intent in real time, distinguishing between legitimate purchasing agents and malicious bots. This technology is drawing attention as a security foundation for AI agent commerce.

Payments & Fintech

Mastercard Launches "Agent Suite" — Building Digital Commerce Infrastructure for the AI Era

Mastercard Introduces Agent Suite to Power the Next Phase of AI in Digital Commerce - TechAfrica News

Mastercard Agent Suite will combine technical support with customizable AI agents, leveraging Mastercard's extensive payments expertise, data-fueled insights, proprietary technology platforms and a global network of more than 4,000 advisors.

Mastercard has launched "Agent Suite," a suite of customizable AI agent tools leveraging the company's payments expertise, data-driven insights, proprietary technology platforms, and a global network of over 4,000 advisors.

Agent Suite combines technical support with AI agents to help merchants adapt to AI-driven digital commerce. This represents a significant move as a major payment company makes a full-scale entry into providing agentic commerce infrastructure.

Corporate News & Partnerships

Kohl's Shifts to Ecommerce Focus as Low-Income Shoppers Face Pressure

Kohl's Focuses on eCommerce as Low-Income Shoppers Face Pressure | PYMNTS.com

Kohl's turnaround efforts are being challenged by the continued economic pressures facing its core customers.

Kohl's turnaround plans are being challenged by continued economic pressures on its core low-income customer base. The company indicated in its earnings announcement that it will increase investment in ecommerce.

With declining in-store foot traffic, expanding online channel sales is key to survival. The strategy focuses on improving digital convenience and personalized recommendations for price-sensitive consumers.

Klaviyo × Shopify Deepen Integration to Accelerate Global Commerce Growth

Marketing automation company Klaviyo and Shopify have announced a deeper integration, enabling global brands to unify customer data and deliver consistent localized experiences across regions.

The strengthened data integration between the two companies will allow brands with cross-border ecommerce operations to more efficiently deliver region-specific communications aligned with local customer behavior. This represents a symbolic expansion of the Shopify ecosystem.

Consumer Trends

Ecommerce Reaches 16.6% of Retail Sales as Digital Channels Continue Growing

eCommerce Sales Hit $316 Billion as Online Retail Gains Share | PYMNTS.com

The steady migration of consumer spending toward digital channels continued through the end of 2025, underlining the extent to which online commerce has

By the end of 2025, ecommerce reached 16.6% of total retail sales, hitting $316 billion. The steady migration of consumer spending toward digital channels continues.

These figures reaffirm that online commerce is no longer niche but a core pillar of retail. The rise in mobile-driven purchasing is particularly notable, with new channels such as AI agents and social commerce expected to drive further growth.

Summary

Today was dominated by agentic commerce. While there were two significant setback stories — the Amazon vs. Perplexity court order and OpenAI's checkout retreat — forward-looking developments emerged from both infrastructure players and retailers, including JP Morgan × Mirakl, Wizard × Stripe, Mastercard Agent Suite, and Best Buy's proactive stance.

Particularly noteworthy is how the legal ruling that "AI agent actions require platform permission" is developing in parallel with standardized protocols (ACP, AMP) built on that premise. Agentic commerce is transitioning from a "free-for-all" phase to one where rules and technical foundations are being established.

Looking ahead, watch for the ripple effects of the Amazon vs. Perplexity ruling across the industry and OpenAI's next move.