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Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal Pilot AI Payment Systems for Autonomous Shopping

Major payment networks are testing AI-powered shopping agents with tokenized payment credentials, aiming for a broader rollout in 2026.

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Overview

  • Visa's 'Intelligent Commerce' initiative enables AI agents to securely browse, select, and purchase items using tokenized digital credentials.
  • Mastercard's 'Agent Pay' and PayPal's 'Agent Toolkit' introduce similar capabilities, allowing users to set spending limits and conditions for AI-driven transactions.
  • Pilot programs with AI developers like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft are underway, with plans for wider adoption next year.
  • Experts highlight privacy and dynamic pricing concerns, urging stronger trust frameworks and regulatory oversight to protect consumers.
  • The shift to agentic AI commerce is seen as transformative, comparable to the rise of e-commerce and mobile shopping.