Notes · James Andrew Smith
The merchant sets the terms
The post
The merchant sets the terms. Walmart just showed what that looks like.
The situation: AI agents can now shop for people. Every retailer has to decide how far it lets them in.
What happened: last Wednesday Walmart announced Agent Profiles, due within the month. A customer can give an AI agent its own profile in their account, require approval for what it buys, or let it buy inside a spending limit they choose. Walmart’s updated terms also keep customers’ card numbers away from agents. Tracy Poulliot, who runs e-commerce and marketing for Walmart U.S., said at a conference last month that it’s about “pointing the technology at a problem that creates meaningful value for the customer.”
Why it works: the customer stays in charge, and the retailer writes the rules instead of waiting for someone else to.
The move I’d make: write your own agent terms now, even at fifty stores. What can an agent see, what can it buy, and what still needs a person?
Who in your company owns that answer?
First published on LinkedIn, 27 October 2026.
The cards
