INDEPENDENT MERCHANT INTELLIGENCEPUBLIC BETA / SEPTEMBER 2026 BASELINE
learn / Merchant field guide

Read the vocabulary in context

Use precise terms so a purchase decision does not rest on an ambiguous claim.

Merchant answer / Evidence review pending

When a vendor says it supports a protocol, ask which version, operations, transports and environments are included. A connector name might describe a roadmap item, a preview or a production feature. Record the distinction with a source rather than shortening everything to a checkmark.

What this establishes
A practical way to inspect evidence and make the next merchant decision.

What it cannot establish
An unresolved dependency remains. Treat affected claims as provisional. Live merchant deployment, private account eligibility, purchase completion or guaranteed AI selection.

Evidence dates and document versions remain attached to the ledger below. Editorial presentation reviewed 30 September 2026; this is not a new source verification.

Support needs a scope

When a vendor says it supports a protocol, ask which version, operations, transports and environments are included. A connector name might describe a roadmap item, a preview or a production feature. Record the distinction with a source rather than shortening everything to a checkmark.

Unknown is useful information

Unknown means the available evidence does not establish the fact. It does not mean no, unsupported or broken. Cannot verify publicly is especially common for account eligibility, private feed acceptance, payment authorization and plan-specific integrations. A good decision tool shows where a vendor or merchant console must supply the missing answer.

History also needs vocabulary

Market changed means something outside our database changed. Evidence improved means we found better support for a fact. Scope clarified means a claim became more precise. Conflict discovered means sources disagree materially. Use those categories to prevent a research update from looking like a new product launch.

Your next step

Evidence ledger

Go to the source.

Primary documentation records what is publicly stated. It does not independently prove outcomes or your account’s eligibility.

  • ACP specification repository

    OpenAI / Stripe · official primary · Checked 2026-09-28

    Claim scope: Specification version and scope

    Latest stable shown as 2026-04-17; development branch is not a release.

    Source ID: acp-spec · Published: Not stated

  • UCP overview, 2026-08-25

    UCP · official primary · Checked 2026-09-28

    Claim scope: Discovery profile and commerce capabilities

    Version-pinned profile discovery; declared capabilities do not prove successful transactions.

    Source ID: ucp-spec · Published: Not stated

  • Agentic Payment Protocol v0.2

    AP2 project · official primary · Checked 2026-09-28

    Claim scope: Authorization mandates and receipts

    Payment authorization within a commerce protocol; catalog API details are out of scope.

    Source ID: ap2-spec · Published: Not stated

Dispute a fact or suggest a source