Rithum & Stripe partner to power AI agent commerce

Rithum has entered a partnership with Stripe that links its commerce platform with the payments group's new agentic commerce tools for AI services such as ChatGPT.

The agreement connects Rithum's product data infrastructure with Stripe's payments technology. It aims to let Rithum's brand and retail clients surface AI-ready product information inside conversational interfaces and accept payments handled by Stripe.

The move reflects rising interest in "agentic commerce", where AI agents handle product discovery and purchases inside chat-based or voice-based environments. Stripe has launched an Agentic Commerce Suite that routes payment flows inside those AI experiences. Rithum is adding product catalogue and order data from its network of brands and retailers.

AI as storefront

Under the partnership, eligible Rithum clients can connect their product catalogues to Stripe. Stripe then syndicates that information to selected AI agents and keeps catalogues in sync when merchants update items, prices or availability.

Rithum, which emerged from the combination of CommerceHub and ChannelAdvisor, manages commerce operations for more than 41,500 brands and retailers. The company says it supports more than 600 retail destinations globally. Clients include Samsung, Adidas, M&S and Bosch.

Stripe provides payment processing and related services in multiple markets. It is extending those services into AI-led shopping channels as large language models become a product search entry point for consumers.

Conversational AI is starting to act as an interface for product discovery. Consumers can ask AI agents to research options, compare products and refine choices based on preferences or constraints such as budget, brand or delivery location. Agentic commerce layers transaction flows on top of that behaviour.

The partners say this will let a consumer move from a product search in an AI environment to payment completion without leaving the conversation. Stripe's systems process the payment. Rithum's systems provide the underlying product, inventory and order data.

'Next era of retail'

Rithum sees early deployment of structured, accurate data into AI channels as a competitive factor for brands.

"AI-driven commerce is accelerating fast, and the brands that show up early with the right data will win," said Sean Meeks, President of Brands for Rithum. "Our partnership with Stripe creates a powerful on-ramp into the next era of retail-one where AI-friendly PDP optimization, GEO strategy, and accurate product data determine visibility and conversion. Together, we are enabling brands to appear where shoppers are today and where they'll be tomorrow."

The collaboration separates key elements of the commerce stack. Rithum focuses on product catalogue optimisation, availability accuracy and order orchestration across its network. Stripe manages payment flows, checkout, and related services.

Stripe's systems handle elements such as shipping calculations, tax, and inventory checks at the point of checkout. Merchants retain their status as merchant of record. They keep control over customer relationships as well as refunds and disputes.

For brands and retailers, the partnership adds AI channels as another front-end for existing commerce operations. Product data in Rithum's platform can feed traditional marketplaces, retail partners and media channels. That same data can now feed participating AI agents via Stripe's suite.

Positioning for 2026

Industry expectations around agentic commerce focus on growth in the second half of the decade. Rithum cites forecasts that point to rapid expansion around 2026 as more consumers become familiar with AI agents and as trust in AI-led transactions increases.

Many brands are currently experimenting with chat-based discovery on their own sites or through third-party tools. The Rithum-Stripe link targets a different point in the stack. It inserts catalogue, orchestration and payments infrastructure into large, general-purpose AI platforms used by consumers for broader tasks.

Rithum argues that complete, consistent and optimised product information will influence whether an AI agent selects a brand's item in response to a query. Stripe is betting that frictionless checkout inside those interactions will increase conversion for merchants that participate in its agentic commerce programmes.

The two companies plan further work on AI-native shopping experiences based on their combined infrastructure and on the adoption of agentic commerce by Rithum's client base.