Mate is a new AI shopping assistant that lives in your text messages. You text it on iMessage or WhatsApp, tell it what you want to buy, and it looks for discount codes and cashback, can check out for you, and texts you when your package ships. It launched in the US on November 10, and USA Today reports that it is backed by Paris Hilton.
It is free, there is no app to install, and the timing is plain: it arrives two weeks before Black Friday. Here is what it does, who makes it, and what to check before you hand it your holiday list.
What is Mate?
Mate comes from the team behind Checkmate, a shopping and cashback app with a browser extension. The launch release says Mate runs on Checkmate's systems and its existing deals with stores. The company says it has partnerships with more than 200,000 US stores. The Mate website shows a live counter, which read 201,739 stores when we checked on November 12.
The release says Mate is backed by Google Ventures (GV) and DST Global, plus angel investors including a former CEO of Pinterest and a former CEO of Grindr. It does not mention Paris Hilton. USA Today names her as a backer but does not say if she invested money or is a promoter.
How Mate works
You use Mate in a text thread. Per the release, USA Today and the Mate site, you can:
- Ask for a product. Send a gift list, describe what you need, or send a photo of something you like, and Mate tries to find it.
- Get a discount code. Tell Mate which store you are shopping at. The site says it gets you a code "made just for you."
- Earn cashback. Text Mate before you buy. It sends a tracked link, and cashback goes to your Mate balance.
- Let it check out. The release says Mate can complete checkout for you, so you do not fill in forms.
- Track packages. Text "where's my order?" You can add family members to delivery alerts.
- Watch a price. The site says you can send an item and Mate texts you when the price drops.
- Share links. Mate makes referral links, so you can earn when friends buy what you bought.
What deals does it have?
USA Today listed limited-time offers at launch:
- Brooklinen: 15% off plus 7.5% cashback
- Godiva: 15% off plus 6% cashback
- Everlane: $35 off $175 plus 2.5% cashback
- Voluspa: 10% off plus 5% cashback
- Nike: 4.5% cashback
- Ulta: 2% cashback
Rates move. On November 12 the Mate site listed Nike at 2.5% back, lower than the USA Today figure. Other top rates on the site that day included SHEIN at 7.5%, Best Buy and adidas at 6%, and Etsy and Sephora at 2.5%. Check the rate in your chat before you buy.
Why it matters
Shopping is one of the first places AI agents are trying to do real tasks for regular people. Amazon is pushing Alexa for Shopping inside its own store. The Mate release says Meta's Muse agent passed 10 million users in its first six weeks, with shopping one of its most common uses (see our guide to Meta Muse on Apple Watch).
Mate's pitch is that general agents "scrape sites they have no relationship with" and guess at prices, while Mate works through stores that already have a deal with Checkmate. "Everyone is racing to build an AI agent that can shop, but most of them are knocking on the store's front door from the outside," CEO Harry Dixon said in the release.
The text-message format is the other bet. Many people already ask friends for gift ideas by text. Mate puts the deal hunt in the same thread, with no new app to learn.
What to check before you use it
- How it makes money. Mate is free. The Checkmate privacy policy linked from mate.fm describes a "Checkmate affiliate network" of merchants. In affiliate networks, stores usually pay a commission on sales. So Mate's results come from partner stores, and a store outside the network may not show up, even if it is cheaper.
- What data it sees. The policy linked from mate.fm (last updated October 27, 2026) is Checkmate's. It says Checkmate may collect purchase history on merchant sites, the price you paid, and the promotions you used. It also runs a separate "Checkmate for Brands" service that helps stores reach shoppers. Mate's site does not say if this policy covers your chat messages, so read it before you send personal details.
- Checkout and payment. Neither the release nor USA Today explains how Mate stores your card or address when it checks out for you. Ask in the chat, and watch your card statement for the first few orders.
- Where it works. Mate is US-only at launch.
- Example screens. The chat samples on mate.fm are labeled "illustrative," with fictional codes and cashback. Real results will vary.
How to try Mate
- Go to mate.fm on your phone.
- Use the site to start a chat on iMessage or WhatsApp.
- Text what you want to buy, or the store you plan to use.
- Use the link Mate sends, so the cashback tracks.
- Text "where's my order?" any time to check delivery.
Mate is a new product, so treat it like any cashback service: compare the final price with the store's own site before you pay, and do not assume the AI found the best deal on the web, only the best deal it has access to.
