UCP Expands Commerce Protocol to Grocery, Food, Lodging Sectors

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Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) on Tuesday released its fourth major specification update, expanding its commerce framework beyond retail into the grocery, food, and lodging sectors globally.

The update, which includes breaking changes for current adopters, aims to standardize online commerce across multiple industries and lays groundwork for future industry-wide adoption, the organization said.

New features specifically target grocery operations, incorporating location services, standardized store hours, and support for ordering by weight, according to UCP.

Payment system enhancements include vendor-neutral 3D Secure 2 authentication, the ability to schedule payments, and split order functionalities.

The specification itself has been reorganized into distinct Shopping, Payment, and Common sections to enhance its applicability across diverse verticals.

UCP’s Governing Council also expanded with the addition of Stripe, a financial technology company, further broadening its industry representation.

New technical councils focusing on food and lodging have been established, including key industry players such as Block, DoorDash, Toast, Uber Eats, Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia, Hilton, Marriott, and Trip.com.

Future developments are planned to address specific needs within the food sector, including restaurant search capabilities, menu integration, and checkout processes.

Similarly, the lodging sector will see upcoming features for hotel search, room selection, and reservation management, UCP reported.

Natalya Kosarevich, a UCP spokesperson, said the new specification reflects a commitment to creating a universal framework that supports a wider range of commerce interactions.

UCP-powered checkout systems are currently expanding to Canada and Australia, with plans for further expansion into the United Kingdom for retail applications.

The organization, which includes members like Google and Shopify, aims to create an open-source protocol for online commerce to reduce fragmentation and improve interoperability.

Source: Search Engine Journal