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Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)

ACP enables AI agents to complete checkout and delegated payments inside conversational interfaces while keeping your commerce stack in control. It provides a structured protocol for agents to collect order intent, authorize payments, and create orders through deterministic, auditable workflows.

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How ACP Works

User (chat/voice) → AI Agent → ACP Handler → Order Created
                        │                         │
                        ├── Collects intent        ├── Validates order
                        ├── Confirms items         ├── Authorizes payment
                        └── Gets authorization     └── Syncs to commerce platform
  1. Agent collects intent — The AI agent gathers order details and payment authorization through natural conversation.
  2. ACP handler validates — The handler validates the order against your catalog, pricing rules, and inventory.
  3. Payment authorized — Scoped payment authorization ensures the agent can only charge approved amounts.
  4. Order created — The order is created in your commerce platform via the Sync Server.

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Key Concepts

ConceptDescription
IntentA structured representation of what the customer wants to buy
AuthorizationScoped permission for the agent to charge a specific amount
HandlerServer-side component that validates and executes commerce operations
BindingConnection between the ACP handler and your commerce platform

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Why This Design

  • Deterministic checkout — Orders are validated server-side, never by the LLM.
  • Scoped payments — Agents can only charge amounts the customer explicitly authorizes.
  • Auditable — Every step is logged with full traceability.
  • Platform-agnostic — Works with any commerce backend through bindings.

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When to Use ACP

  • Conversational checkout — Let customers buy through chat or voice interfaces.
  • Delegated payments — Authorize agents to make purchases on behalf of users with spending limits.
  • Unified agent workflows — Single protocol for multiple AI assistants (ChatGPT, custom agents, voice bots).
  • B2B ordering — Streamline wholesale and recurring orders through conversational interfaces.

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Quickstart

import { ACPHandler } from '@stateset/acp';

const handler = new ACPHandler({
  apiKey: process.env.STATESET_API_KEY,
  catalogBinding: 'shopify',
  paymentBinding: 'stripe',
});

// Process an agent's checkout request
const order = await handler.processCheckout({
  items: [
    { sku: 'WIDGET-001', quantity: 2 },
    { sku: 'GADGET-005', quantity: 1 },
  ],
  payment: {
    method: 'authorized_token',
    token: 'pay_auth_abc123',
  },
  shipping: {
    address: '123 Main St, New York, NY 10001',
    method: 'standard',
  },
});

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Further Reading