Amazon is quietly testing a new AI-driven feature called “Buy for Me,” aiming to reshape the way people shop online. This tool acts as a smart shopping assistant, allowing users to purchase products even when they aren’t available on Amazon. Instead of redirecting you to other websites, Amazon’s agent handles the entire process—selection, checkout, and payment—without you leaving the app.
Buy for Me is currently available to a limited group of users. It’s designed to step in when Amazon doesn’t carry a product you’re searching for. Rather than ending your search there, the AI offers options from third-party sellers across the web. Once a user picks an item, the agent completes the purchase directly on the external site, filling out your details, including name, shipping address, and payment information.
This is all done within the Amazon Shopping app, making the experience seamless and fully contained. Behind this process is Amazon’s Nova AI, as well as Anthropic’s Claude. One of the tools likely powering this process is Nova Act, a recently unveiled AI agent that can autonomously navigate and interact with websites.
Unlike other AI agents that require users to manually enter their credit card information, Amazon’s system encrypts billing data and inserts it securely at checkout. The company claims it has no visibility into what users are ordering from third-party sites. This marks a different approach compared to Perplexity’s prepaid card method or Google’s more manual setup.
Still, some users may hesitate at the idea of letting AI handle their money. There’s always the risk of errors. As pointed out by TechCrunch, shopping agents have a tendency to get stuck or take too long to complete tasks. There’s also the concern about misinterpretation—accidentally buying 100 of something instead of just one is not out of the question.
Another limitation is control. If a product needs to be returned or exchanged, the customer will need to work with the original storefront, not Amazon. This could create a disjointed customer service experience, especially for users used to Amazon’s streamlined return process.
