Visa announces major progress in secure, AI-enabled commerce, enabling digital agents to complete transactions on behalf of consumers and setting the stage for widespread agentic shopping by 2026.
Visa Inc. has achieved a watershed moment in the evolution of digital commerce, reporting that secure, agent-initiated transactions are now live with hundreds completed in real-world settings as part of its agentic commerce initiative. The milestone underscores how artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to reshape online shopping by empowering smart agents to not just assist but execute purchases for users.
The advancements stem from Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC)—a suite of APIs and tools designed to enable AI-powered agents to browse, compare products and make payments seamlessly and securely across Visa’s global network. This initiative builds on a major industry shift: nearly half of U.S. shoppers now use AI tools for at least one shopping task, such as discovering products or comparing prices, reflecting rising consumer comfort with AI-assisted buying.
Central to the agentic strategy is the Trusted Agent Protocol, a framework launched by Visa to ensure AI agents are authenticated, trusted and capable of delivering secure transactions without compromising merchant or consumer protection. The protocol helps merchants distinguish legitimate AI agents from bots and fraud actors by enabling agents to securely transmit identity and payment intent during checkout.
Visa’s ecosystem approach is already attracting broad industry support. Over 100 partners worldwide are collaborating with Visa to build and test agentic commerce solutions, with more than 30 actively developing within the Visa Intelligent Commerce sandbox and more than 20 agent platforms integrating directly with Visa’s systems. Early pilot programs conducted with numerous partners, including Skyfire, Nekuda, PayOS and Ramp, have demonstrated the viability of secure, agent-initiated commerce across consumer and B2B settings.
Security has also been a priority. Visa’s collaboration with Akamai Technologies integrates the Trusted Agent Protocol with Akamai’s advanced identity and behavioral intelligence systems, strengthening authentication and fraud prevention for agentic interactions. This partnership aims to help merchants confidently welcome AI agents while safeguarding transaction integrity at scale.
By preparing merchants, developers and payment networks for this next commerce frontier, Visa anticipates that millions of consumers will use AI agents to complete purchases by the 2026 holiday season, effectively transforming how people shop online. This shift represents not just a technological innovation but a fundamental change in consumer expectations and digital commerce behavior.
As AI continues to evolve and consumer adoption grows, Visa’s agentic commerce advancements illustrate the potential for secure, autonomous shopping experiences that harness AI’s power while maintaining trust, safety and control for users and merchants alike.
