Since October 9, 2026, Shopify has shared compare-at prices with AI shopping agents through Shopify Catalog. Shopify's changelog says agents reading the catalog previously saw only the current price, so a markdown that was obvious on your storefront never reached the assistant recommending the product. With compare-at prices included, an assistant can present a discounted product to the shopper as a discount.
You control this in Shopify admin, in the Compare-at section of the Shopify Catalog mapping page. A compare-at price is a claim, and an assistant will repeat it to a shopper as fact. Before holiday promotions start, look through the products you have on sale and confirm that each compare-at price is one the product really sold at.
Three days earlier, on October 6, 2026, American Express released its Amex Business Playbook for Agentic Commerce. According to Yahoo Finance's report on the playbook, it proposes Agent Purchase Protection, which would cover eligible Card Members and merchants when a registered AI agent makes a charge in error, and it sets up a pilot Merchant AI Advisory Council. The protection is an announced intent for now. Amex has yet to publish its terms or say how an agent becomes registered. The report cites a figure that explains why a card network would make the offer: 93% of merchants believe AI providers should pay for an agent's mistakes.
The third development concerns which agents reach a store at all. A Bernstein analysis reported by Investing.com on October 10, 2026 notes that Amazon blocked Meta's Muse shopping assistant within two weeks of its launch, while Shopify, Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora and six other companies partnered with it for shopping and checkout. Bernstein expects companies to grant access selectively, one agent at a time. Cloudflare's figure in the same analysis shows the volume behind that choice. AI agent requests on its network rose more than 1,700% in a year.
Taken together, these are decisions that used to be made for you by default. Which prices an assistant sees is now a setting. Who pays for an agent's mistake has a first proposal from a card network. Which agents may read your catalog or check out is a choice other large sellers are making agent by agent. Start with the one that is live. The compare-at setting takes a few minutes to review, and it shapes how every assistant reading Shopify Catalog describes your sale prices.
Common questions
How do I control whether AI agents see my compare-at prices?
Shopify's changelog points to the Compare-at section of the Shopify Catalog mapping page in Shopify admin. Review the setting there, and check that the compare-at prices on your discounted products are accurate.
Is Agent Purchase Protection available now?
American Express announced it on October 6, 2026 as a proposal inside its Amex Business Playbook for Agentic Commerce. Terms and the process for registering an agent have yet to be published.
Which companies work with Meta's Muse shopping assistant?
The Bernstein analysis lists Shopify, Walmart, Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Wayfair, Dick's Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, Fanatics, Expedia and Instacart as shopping and checkout partners. Amazon blocked Muse within two weeks of its launch.
Should I block AI shopping agents from my store?
Bernstein expects selective access to become the norm. Decide for each agent whether it may read your catalog and whether it may check out, and revisit the decision as liability terms such as the Amex proposal become concrete.
Sources
Shopify Changelog: Compare-at prices now shared to agentic channels
Yahoo Finance: American Express is telling merchants how to prepare for agent shopping
Investing.com via Yahoo Finance: Consumer AI agents could upend online shopping