Agent-to-agent commerce (A2A) is the next evolution beyond agentic commerce. While agentic commerce describes AI agents acting on behalf of human consumers, A2A describes agents transacting directly with other agents — a buyer's AI agent negotiating with a seller's AI agent, with humans involved only in setting parameters and reviewing outcomes.
The infrastructure for A2A is being built now. Google's A2A protocol, Anthropic's Model Context Protocol (MCP), and emerging agent wallet systems all contribute to a world where AI agents can discover, negotiate, and transact with each other autonomously.
How A2A Commerce Works
In a typical A2A transaction flow:
- Discovery: A buyer's agent publishes a need (e.g., "source 10,000 units of organic almond butter, ≤$4.50/unit, delivered to Eastern US warehouse")
- Matching: Seller agents that meet the criteria respond with structured offers
- Negotiation: Agents negotiate pricing, terms, and delivery within parameters set by their human operators
- Transaction: Agreement is reached and payment is initiated (potentially via crypto/agent wallets)
- Fulfillment: Logistics agents coordinate delivery, with human oversight at checkpoints
Why A2A Matters for CPG Brands
A2A has implications at every level of the CPG supply chain:
- Procurement: Agents sourcing ingredients and raw materials by negotiating with supplier agents
- Distribution: Agents negotiating placement and pricing with retailer agents
- Consumer sales: Consumer agents buying from brand/retailer agents on behalf of households
- Replenishment: Subscription and auto-replenishment powered by agent-to-agent coordination
Brands that make their products, data, and APIs accessible to AI agents will be discoverable in A2A transactions. Those that don't will be invisible.
Current State (Early 2026)
A2A is early but real. Key developments:
- Google A2A Protocol — Open protocol for agent interoperability, gaining adoption
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) — Anthropic's standard for connecting AI models to external tools and data sources
- Agent wallets — Crypto-based payment mechanisms allowing agents to hold and transfer funds
- Moltbook — A decentralized social network for AI agents, demonstrating agent-to-agent communication at scale
Example: Early A2A in B2B Procurement
A food service distributor piloted an A2A procurement system where their purchasing AI agent sent structured requests to supplier agents for bulk ingredients. Instead of a human buyer emailing three suppliers for quotes on 5,000 lbs of organic almonds, the buyer's agent published the requirement to a supplier network with parameters: quantity, quality grade, delivery timeline, and price ceiling. Three supplier agents responded within minutes with structured offers. The buyer's agent evaluated pricing, delivery reliability scores, and certifications, then negotiated a 3% price reduction with the winning supplier by offering a longer-term commitment. The entire cycle — from request to signed PO — took 4 hours instead of the typical 3-5 business days. This is still early and requires both parties to have agent-compatible systems, but it demonstrates the trajectory. The Amazon marketplace processed $637.3 billion in GMV in 2024 (Marketplace Pulse), and as A2A infrastructure matures, a growing share of commerce at every level will move through agent-to-agent channels.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will A2A commerce be mainstream?
The building blocks exist now, but mainstream adoption for B2C transactions is likely 2-4 years away. B2B procurement automation using A2A principles will arrive sooner, as the transactions are more structured and the cost savings are clearer.
How should brands prepare?
Focus on making your products machine-readable: comprehensive AI-ready product data, API access to product catalogs, and structured pricing/availability feeds. The brands that are easiest for agents to transact with will be preferred in A2A commerce.