Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
The breakthrough signals that 2025 may be the final year in which consumers complete purchases and payments entirely on their own, as AI-supported transactions move from pilot phases toward widespread adoption.
The development comes as nearly half of consumers already use artificial intelligence to discover new products, prompting Visa and its partners to focus on making the journey from search to purchase both seamless and secure through AI-based payments worldwide.
“We are seeing dramatic progress in how AI is transforming commerce, and we have now completed numerous real transactions with Visa’s extensive partner network,” said Rubail Birwadker, head of global growth products and strategic partnerships at Visa. “This holiday season marks the end of an era. In 2026, AI agents will not just help with shopping – they will complete transactions themselves, relying on Visa’s global scale, its role in setting standards, and its commitment to secure, agent-based commerce.”
According to recent Visa research, nearly half of U.S. shoppers, 47%, already use AI tools for at least one shopping-related task, from price comparison to personalized recommendations, indicating a fundamental shift in how products are discovered and evaluated. As AI-generated commerce accelerates, Visa expects millions of consumers to complete purchases with the help of AI agents by the 2026 holiday season.
The progress builds on Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC), an initiative launched earlier this year that leverages Visa’s three decades of AI experience to support secure payments. The company said it continues to work toward delivering safe, personalized, AI-driven shopping experiences for consumers by early 2026.
Visa is working with more than 100 partners globally across the commerce ecosystem. More than 30 partners are actively developing solutions within the VIC sandbox, while over 20 agents and agent-supporting service providers are integrating the Visa Intelligent Commerce solution. These collaborations have already resulted in hundreds of verified, real-world transactions, demonstrating the viability of AI-driven purchasing in live environments.
In the United States, early pilots of Visa Intelligent Commerce are underway with partners including Skyfire, Nekuda, PayOS and Ramp, which are already executing consumer and B2B transactions in closed beta environments.
Visa has recently expanded its Intelligent Commerce framework to accelerate the global adoption of agent-based commerce. Pilot programs are expected to launch in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region in early 2026. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Visa said it is already ensuring readiness so that consumers can carry out AI-powered purchases with leading merchants across the region next year.
In the Middle East, Visa is working with Aldar to enable customers in the United Arab Emirates to use AI agents to conveniently pay recurring charges, such as property service fees.
Visa said it is building the backbone of secure, intelligent transactions, ensuring that every agent interaction is trusted and protected.
To unlock the full potential of agent-based commerce, an ecosystem-wide approach is essential, Visa said. In October 2025, Visa and more than 10 partners introduced the Trusted Agent Protocol, an open framework built on existing web infrastructure that enables secure, agent-based payments by helping merchants distinguish malicious bots from legitimate AI agents acting on behalf of consumers.
Akamai is the latest company to support the Trusted Agent Protocol, integrating it with advanced behavioral analysis, user identification, and bot and abuse protection capabilities. Together, Visa and Akamai provide identity, authentication, and fraud-prevention solutions designed to allow merchants to confidently welcome AI agents into their digital storefronts.
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
