Mastercard and Visa Launch AI Agents to Make Purchases for Consumers
Mastercard and Visa have introduced AI-powered agents capable of making purchases on behalf of users, marking a major shift in digital commerce.
Visa’s new feature, Visa Intelligent Commerce, allows AI models like ChatGPT to access stored Visa credentials through a delegated authorisation model. Mastercard has gone further with Agent Pay, a fully autonomous AI-native payment system built on tokenisation and agentic commerce.
Agent Pay enables AI agents to identify, research, negotiate and complete purchases without human intervention. The system uses Mastercard’s tokenisation technology to ensure secure transactions without exposing real payment data.
Sherri Haymond, Co-President of Global Partnerships at Mastercard, said Agent Pay simplifies the purchasing process and provides personalised recommendations. She added that agentic commerce represents a new class of AI capabilities that handle the entire purchase process, from discovery to delivery.
Mastercard’s agentic tokens allow AI agents to make secure, transparent purchases. Each AI agent must be registered and verified, and all transactions are logged and traceable. Consumers can set parameters to control what their AI agents are allowed to do.
The system integrates with conversational AI platforms such as Copilot, Gemini and ChatGPT, enabling users to receive recommendations, complete tasks and make purchases within a single interface.
Use cases range from routine shopping to complex tasks like booking business travel or managing logistics. The AI agent selects the best payment method while staying within user-defined limits.
Mastercard and Visa’s launches reflect a broader trend in commerce, moving from card-present to card-agent-present transactions. Mastercard expects Agent Pay to become mainstream as consumers grow more comfortable with AI-driven solutions.
Partnerships with conversational AI platforms are already in progress, with further integrations expected later this year.
Mastercard and Visa unveil AI agents to make purchases for users
Mastercard’s Agent Pay enables fully autonomous transactions
AI agents use tokenisation for secure, transparent payments
Source: FORBES
