Visa said Thursday that it has successfully completed hundreds of artificial intelligence-powered transactions as part of a pilot program launched after its product event in April. The initiative focuses on enabling AI agents to complete payments and transactions on behalf of consumers, a capability that could reshape how people shop and interact with digital commerce platforms.
The pilot places Visa among a growing group of payments and technology companies experimenting with agentic AI, where software agents are authorized to act for users in specific purchasing scenarios. Visa executives said the tests demonstrated that AI agents can reliably execute transactions within defined parameters, such as recurring purchases or time-sensitive events.
“This is going to be the year we see an enormous amount of material adoption, and consumers really starting to get comfortable in a bunch of different agentic environments,” said Rubail Birwadker, Visa’s head of growth products and partnerships.
Visa did not disclose the transaction volumes or merchants involved in the pilot, but said the program validated the technical and operational feasibility of AI-driven payments within its network.
Fintech Industry Races Toward Agentic Commerce
Visa’s work reflects a broader push across the payments and e-commerce ecosystem to integrate AI agents into consumer transactions. Mastercard said in April that it was testing a feature called Agent Pay, which allows AI agents to shop online for customers. Amazon also began testing a “Buy For Me” service that month, designed to let AI assistants complete purchases on external websites.
PayPal and AI search company Perplexity have also partnered on agent-based shopping tools, highlighting growing interest in automating parts of the online purchasing process. These systems aim to reduce friction by allowing users to delegate routine or repetitive buying decisions to AI, while retaining human oversight for approvals and spending limits.
Visa’s own research suggests consumer adoption is already underway. A survey released earlier this month found that nearly half of U.S. shoppers have used AI in connection with purchases, whether for product discovery, price comparison, or decision support. While most current use cases stop short of fully autonomous transactions, companies see payment authorization as the next step.
Birwadker said AI agents may be particularly useful for predictable purchases, such as household essentials, subscriptions, or booking concert tickets where speed and availability matter. By embedding payment credentials and rules into AI agents, companies hope to streamline checkout without sacrificing security.
Global Expansion Plans and Partnerships
Visa said it plans to expand its AI payments pilots to Asia and Europe next year, signaling confidence in the technology’s readiness for broader testing. The company is currently working with more than 20 partners on AI agent tools, spanning merchants, technology providers, and developers building agent-based commerce experiences.
Security and trust remain central concerns. Payments networks must ensure AI agents operate within strict controls, including spending caps, authentication requirements, and clear user consent. Visa did not detail its safeguards but said its pilots were designed to operate within existing network protections.
As AI agents move closer to handling real-world transactions, payments companies are positioning themselves as infrastructure providers for this emerging layer of digital commerce. Visa’s pilot suggests that agentic payments are shifting from concept to early execution, setting the stage for wider adoption as consumers and merchants become more comfortable with AI acting on their behalf.
