Would you trust an AI agent to buy for you?

Need to buy groceries or office supplies regularly?

An AI agent can research, suggest, and with your permission, buy them for you – if you trust it enough, said Stephen Karpin, Visa’s regional president for Asia-Pacific.

Letting an agent complete purchases can cut the hassle slowing routine buys, Karpin said, including navigating multiple pages during checkout.

Visa expects agentic commerce to grow as the technology improves and users get used to it, just as e-commerce did, calling its adoption a matter of “when, not if.”

While many people would use an AI agent to shop, few will let it check out, a September 2026 survey by US-based payments tech company Global Payments. It polled over 16,000 consumers in seven countries including Singapore and the US.

Seventy-four per cent of respondents would let an agent compare prices, and 69 per cent would let it research products. Only 21 per cent would let it complete a purchase autonomously.

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“There’s a big difference between using AI to search for a product and allowing an AI agent to act on your behalf when money is involved,” he said.

Visa, one of the world’s largest payment networks, is laying the groundwork for more agent-led shopping, with trust at the centre, he added.

This includes launching Visa Intelligent Commerce and Visa Agentic Ready in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

Visa Intelligent Commerce is an AI platform that enables AI agents to deliver secured shopping experiences. In its first phase, the Visa Agentic Ready programme helps banks issuing Visa cards test purchases made by AI agents in a safe, controlled setting.

“People need to know what the agent is allowed and not allowed to do, and what protections sit behind each transaction.”

Keeping consumers in control

Safeguards built in before, during and after transactions build the trust enabling AI-led shopping, Karpin said.

Before a purchase, consumers should be able to set limits for their agents, including the transaction amount and when agents need to check with humans first.

If an agent attempts an unusual transaction, the system should pause it, alert the human, and send it for review, he added.

Purchases should also be easy to trace, Karpin said. Systems must record what the consumer approved, what instructions agents received, and how transactions were completed. That way, consumers can dispute mistakes and get them resolved, he said.

Keeping merchants in the game

AI-led shopping also changes what merchants need to prepare for, according to Karpin. Online stores blocking non-human visitors make it hard for AI agents to browse.

To help, Visa offers Agent Score, which rates how ready their websites are for AI agents, and Trusted Agent Protocol to distinguish legitimate agents from malicious bots.

Karpin said: “Ultimately, what we need, and what Visa is helping to establish, are trusted frameworks, security standards and global connectivity to turn agentic commerce innovation into everyday reality.”

This was produced in partnership with the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Global Finance & Technology Network.

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