Consumers limit AI agents’ payment access despite willingness to let them shop

A PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions survey of 1,185 merchants, 5,241 consumers and 150 acquirers found that 56% would let an AI agent search and compare products but only 35% would share saved payment credentials. For a $300 purchase, 52% of consumers want to pick the payment method themselves while 25% would accept an AI recommendation but retain final approval.

Ninety-six percent of surveyed acquirers say agent governance is important, and 93% say consent and data‑governance frameworks will be key to supporting agentic commerce.

While payment stacks have become fine-tuned for transaction authorization, agentic commerce inserts a new question.

What we know

• According to “Global Digital Shopping Index: The Agentic Commerce Deep Dive,” a PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions collaboration that surveyed 1,185 merchants, 5,241 consumers and 150 acquirers in the United States, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates earlier this year, 56% would allow an agent to search and compare products, but only 35% would grant access to saved payment credentials.

• For a proposed $300 purchase, 52% would want to select the payment method themselves; another 25% would accept an artificial intelligence recommendation but retain approval.

• Ninety-six percent of surveyed acquirers rank agent governance as important, and 93% told PYMNTS Intelligence researchers that consent and data-governance frameworks will be important to supporting agentic commerce.