In a significant step toward AI-led payments, a global payments company has demonstrated how autonomous systems can securely shop on behalf of users in real-world scenarios.
Mastercard has completed India’s first “agentic commerce” transactions, where AI agents can independently make purchases for users. These transactions are carried out with authentication, verified agents, and explicit user consent. The demonstration took place at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.
The transactions were executed using Mastercard cards issued by Axis Bank and RBL Bank. They were tested across consumer apps including Swiggy and Instamart.
At the core of this initiative is Agent Pay, which Mastercard describes as the first step toward agentic commerce. Agent Pay uses tokenisation to support authorised agent-led transactions, with security measures focused on protecting user data. These payment flows are built around explicit consent and controlled authorisations, rather than removing user approval entirely. The AI agents also draw insights from billions of global transactions to recommend products and interact with users during the shopping experience.
Looking ahead, Mastercard plans to launch Agent Suite, a tool that will allow merchants to define rules for inventory management, promotions, and brand voice across platforms. The company is also introducing additional AI tools aimed at detecting and preventing fraud before it occurs.
To support broader adoption, Mastercard is working with partners including Google, OpenAI, Microsoft, and PayPal. The goal is to establish secure standards for agentic payments, as digital transactions in India continue to grow rapidly.
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