The Agentic Checkout Flow

Discovery, cart, mandate, delegated token, checkout, authorization, and settlement

The Agentic Checkout Flow Discovery, cart, mandate, delegated token, checkout, authorization, and settlement 01 / AI Surface + Agent 02 / Merchant Commerce 03 / Payment Network 04 / Fulfillment + Receipts EX / Decline Handling Discover + assemble Approve + authorize Fulfill + record Approval + scoped token Retry with idempotency Discovery · product feed · AI Surface + Agent › Discover + assemble Discovery product feed Assemble Cart · items + price · AI Surface + Agent › Discover + assemble Assemble Cart items + price Approve · mandate / grant · Merchant Commerce › Approval + scoped token › Approve + authorize · human gate Approve mandate / grant human gate Payment Token · scoped, delegated · Merchant Commerce › Approval + scoped token › Approve + authorize Payment Token scoped, delegated Checkout · merchant endpoint · Payment Network › Approve + authorize · idempotent Checkout merchant endpoint idempotent Authorize · network decision · Payment Network › Fulfill + record Authorize network decision Fulfill · capture, receipt · Fulfillment + Receipts › Fulfill + record · async webhook Fulfill capture, receipt async webhook Declined · reason code · Decline Handling › Retry with idempotency › Approve + authorize Declined reason code approved declined retry Legend User UI Agent logic Policy Tool action Context / trace

One Shared Skeleton

  • • Discovery, cart, approval, token, checkout, authorization, fulfillment
  • • AP2 signs a Cart Mandate; ACP grants scoped checkout permission
  • • The merchant endpoint receives a delegated token, never a raw card

Failure Is Explicit

  • • A decline returns a reason code, not a silent stop
  • • Retries reuse the idempotency key to avoid double charges
  • • Every branch has an observable exit

Auditable By Design

  • • The mandate and token chain is the audit trail
  • • Fulfillment and receipts arrive asynchronously via webhooks
  • • Authorization stays distinct from capture and fulfillment

Workflow diagram • Built with Archify • Create yours ↗ • Hover to trace • R route • Click to focus • +/− zoom • M radar • [/] views • P play story • T theme • E export