Payment Networks Build Frameworks for 'Agentic Commerce'

New Services for AI Agents

Major U.S. payment networks are building the infrastructure for "agentic commerce," where autonomous AI agents can make purchases on behalf of consumers. PayPal Holdings, Inc. announced the launch of new "agentic commerce services" designed to power this new wave of AI-driven shopping.

Concurrently, reports detailed Mastercard's "Agent Pay Acceptance Framework". This framework is being developed in collaboration with several technology companies, including Microsoft, IBM, Braintree, and Checkout.com. The parallel announcements show a clear move by financial incumbents to create the "plumbing" and trust mechanisms for a future where AI assistants conduct transactions.

Mastercard's …