AI commerce is becoming more of a buzzword supported by Big Tech solutions like a new open protocol delivered by Google.
Google has introduced a new agentic payments solution, Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), to facilitate agent-led transactions in commercial settings.
The ptotocol will enable payment system participants to securely initiate and successfully process transactions with the help of agentic AI. In an AI commerce ecosystem, where AI agents communicate with each other and make independent payment decisions, the AP2 will provide a flexible framework that lets users, merchants, and payment providers securely transact across any payment method, in accordance with latest industry standards.
Although AI agents can now technically make payments for users, most existing payment systems are not ready for that innovation. They were built assuming a human is always the one clicking the “buy” button. This assumption coupled with new AI-driven forms of commercial interactions creates new risks and raises questions around security, trust, and responsibility in global payment systems.
However, Google suggests that a protocol like AP2 can set clear rules for all so that agents, merchants, and banks can all be on the same page when handling transactions. It ensures:
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Authorization: the agent cannot make a purchase without explicit permission from the user.
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Authenticity: the purchase reflects what the user actually wanted.
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Accountability: there’s clarity on who’s responsible if something goes wrong.
By being open and universal, AP2 prevents payment systems from becoming fragmented, works with any payment method, including stablecoins and crypto, and gives financial institutions the tools to manage risks properly.
To make sure that AI agents act exactly as authorized by the user, AP2 uses so-called digital mandates (secure, signed instructions). For example, if you’re shopping in real time, your request will be captured in an Intent Mandate, and when you approve the final cart, a Cart Mandate locks in the exact items and price. If you delegate a task (like buying tickets) that needs to be done later, you pre-sign an Intent Mandate with rules (price, timing, etc.), which the agent then uses to create the Cart Mandate automatically.
Together, these mandates link your intent, the purchase, and the payment into a secure, auditable record, so that merchants and banks know the agent acted with your real permission.
Google believes such a system can be a solid foundation for smarter shopping, personalized e-commerce offers, and simplified coordinated task (like organizing a trip or an event).
To properly support the Web3 ecosystem, Google cooperated with leading crypto players like Coinbase, Ethereum Foundation, MetaMask, and others to launch the A2A x402 extension — a ready-to-use standard for agent-based crypto payments.
The tech firm states that more than 60 fintech organizations, including Adyen, American Express, Ant International, Coinbase, Etsy, Intuit, Mastercard, PayPal, Revolut, Salesforce, UnionPay International, and Worldpay, have been collaborating to shape the future of agentic payments. Moreover, some of the partners are already extending AP2 into their agents. Those will reportedly appear in Google’s AI Agent Marketplace, unlocking new use cases, such as autonomous B2B procurement or dynamic software license scaling.
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