The Institute writes “AI shopping agent” and “AI shopping assistant” often, so it is worth being exact about them. Where a word has a second meaning that this site does not cover, the entry says so. Entries are in alphabetical order, and each has its own link, so you can point to one directly.
- Agentic checkout
- A checkout in which AI software carries out steps for the shopper, such as building the cart or applying discounts. The Institute separates agentic checkout that hands payment back to the shopper (L3) from one that pays without confirmation (L4), and it does not recommend L4 for payment. See Levels of AI shopping autonomy.
- AI shopping agent
- AI software that researches a purchase and can carry out steps toward it for a shopper, such as finding retailers, testing discount routes and preparing the cart. In the tools the Institute rewards, the shopper still confirms payment. It does not mean a human proxy-buying service. See Assistant vs agent.
- AI shopping assistant
- AI software that helps a shopper research, compare and choose products, usually through chat or a browser tool. In everyday use, and in the name of this award, it is the broad term. In a narrower sense it means a tool that advises without acting. It does not mean a human service. See What is an AI shopping assistant?.
- All-in price
- The amount a shopper actually pays for an item once discounts, shipping and tax have all been applied. It is the number the Institute’s Price Transparency dimension looks for, ideally with every line shown. See Scoring method.
- Autonomy level
- One of the Institute’s five levels, L0 to L4, describing how much an AI shopping tool does for the shopper, from answering questions only to completing purchases without confirmation. See Levels of AI shopping autonomy.
- Card reward
- A benefit a payment card gives for a purchase, such as points or a return on spend. It depends on which card the shopper pays with, so it can change which route gives the lowest net cost. See Comparing the four savings routes.
- Cashback
- Money returned to a shopper after a purchase, usually by a cashback service that tracks the sale through its own link. The terms differ by service and retailer, so the route taken to the store often matters. See Comparing the four savings routes.
- Checkout Control
- One of the Institute’s four scoring dimensions. It asks whether payment is confirmed by the shopper and whether login, verification and payment steps are handed back to the shopper. See Scoring method.
- Checkout handoff
- The moment an AI shopping tool passes a step back to the shopper, typically a login, a verification challenge or a payment. A clear handoff is what keeps a tool at L3 rather than L4. See Levels of AI shopping autonomy.
- Coupon extension
- A browser add-on that looks for promo codes while a shopper is at a store. It usually covers one savings route, where an AI shopping agent aims to compare several.
- GEO
- Usually short for generative engine optimisation: shaping content so that AI answer engines can find, understand and cite it. It is not geography. The awards do not score GEO either.
- Gift-card discount
- A saving made by buying a retailer’s gift card below its face value, or through a promotion on gift cards, and paying with it. It can come with conditions on use, so the terms need checking before it is counted as a saving. See Comparing the four savings routes.
- Price history tool
- A tool that records how the price of a product has changed over time, so a shopper can judge whether today’s price is good. It informs timing. It does not by itself stack discounts or prepare a checkout.
- Product match check
- Confirming that two listings are really the same item, with the same model, size, colour and seller terms, before comparing their prices. A comparison without it can look like a saving and be nothing of the kind. See Comparing the four savings routes.
- Promo code
- A short code a shopper enters at checkout to take a discount. Codes can expire, be limited to certain items or exclude other offers, which is why testing and filtering them is useful. See Comparing the four savings routes.
- Proxy buying agent
- A person or service that buys goods on someone else’s behalf, often across borders, and may forward the item afterwards. Such services are also called shopping agents or purchasing agents. They are human services, not AI software, and this site does not cover them.
- Retailer reach
- How many different retailers a tool can compare for the same product, as opposed to staying inside a single store. It is one of the Institute’s four scoring dimensions. See Scoring method.
- Savings stack
- The combination of savings routes applied to one purchase, shown line by line: promo code, cashback, card reward and gift-card discount, plus shipping and tax, ending in the final price. See Checkout savings calculator.
- User-approved payment
- A payment that goes through only after the shopper has explicitly confirmed it. The Institute’s ranking rewards tools that work this way and does not recommend letting software pay without it. See Levels of AI shopping autonomy.
Missing a term, or think a definition is off? Tell the Institute through the contact page. The scoring terms above are defined at more length in the scoring method.
Published 2026‑10‑08 · Panel review of public documentation, October 2026