Klarna has joined Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard designed to enable AI agents and commerce systems to interact across the shopping lifecycle.
The Sweden-based digital bank and payments provider announced the development, which builds on its recent support for Google's Agent Payments Protocol.
The Universal Commerce Protocol provides a standardised framework for AI platforms, merchant systems, and payment providers to work together from product discovery through to post-purchase support. The protocol aims to enable consumers to complete purchases within AI conversations whilst maintaining interoperability across multiple AI platforms.
Extended Google collaboration
The announcement expands Klarna's existing partnership with Google, which spans Google Pay, Google Store, Google Play, and Google Cloud infrastructure. Klarna's support for both the Universal Commerce Protocol and the Agent Payments Protocol reflects the company's positioning within AI-driven commerce infrastructure development.
According to company data, Klarna currently processes 3.4 million transactions per day for over 114 million active users globally. The company's technology provides real-time payment decisioning and flexible payment options at checkout. More than 850,000 retailers use Klarna's platform, including Uber, H&M, Saks, Sephora, Macy's, and Airbnb.
The Universal Commerce Protocol is being developed as an industry-wide standard to support agent-led commerce as AI increasingly influences online shopping behaviour. Open standards of this nature are intended to establish interoperable frameworks for discovery, shopping, and payment processes across AI-powered environments.
Talking about the strategic move, Ashish Gupta, VP/GM, Merchant Shopping at Google, mentioned that Klarna's support for UCP showcases the kind of cross-industry collaboration required to develop interoperable commerce experiences that scale choice while also keeping security at the core of operations.
Klarna is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker KLAR. The company's participation in protocol development positions it within the infrastructure layer supporting the transition towards AI-mediated commerce transactions.
In addition to Klarna, PayPal also recently announced its support for Google's UCP, aiming to make its services available as a payment option within a new checkout experience on Google.
