On 29 September 2026, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller told Sibos in Miami that AI shopping changes what banks must authenticate. An AI system may be acting for a consumer or business rather than merely assisting one. Issuers will need evidence that an agent has the authority to pay on a buyer's behalf, in addition to a valid payment credential. Waller named authentication, liability, and fraud as three major barriers to scaling delegated payments.
Merchant usage is still small. Checkout.com's Agentic Commerce 2026 report, published in June, found that only 3% of UK and US merchant transactions involve AI agents, even though 89% of merchants surveyed say they are actively preparing and 42% are already testing. The infrastructure is arriving faster than usage. Mastercard expanded Agent Pay with a score that estimates how likely it is that a transaction was started by an AI agent. Stripe made every hosted checkout page agent-ready. Shopify switched agent checkout on by default for eligible merchants.
Forrester analysts argue that consumer demand for autonomous purchasing remains unproven. They note that Amazon blocked Meta's Muse AI agent from making purchases, but advise retailers not to read that as a definitive signal about commerce. Meaningful adoption is expected first in narrow use cases like holiday promotions. Consumers might embrace automation to grab a limited edition item just as it drops, or to secure concert tickets in the best section when they go on sale.
That points to a practical next move for brands. Win the AI recommendation in those narrow early use cases rather than wait for checkout standards. Checkout.com found that 59% of AI-assisted purchases still end on Amazon. Shoppers let the AI research, then go back to the checkout they already trust. The moment that matters is the moment the AI names a brand.
If a shopper asks an AI assistant what to buy for a holiday promotion, the brand named in the answer gets the sale. A model names the brands whose pages and product data it can read and trust, which makes that data the place to spend effort through the holidays. Run the exact holiday query a shopper types, like "best gift for a runner under $50," and check which brand the assistant names. Then make the product data changes that put your brand in that answer.
Common questions
What did the Federal Reserve say about AI agents and payments?
On 29 September 2026, Governor Christopher Waller said AI shopping changes authentication because an AI system may be acting for a consumer or business. Issuers will need evidence that an agent has the authority to pay on a buyer's behalf.
How many transactions involve AI agents?
Checkout.com's Agentic Commerce 2026 report found only 3% of UK and US merchant transactions involve AI agents, even though 89% of merchants surveyed say they are actively preparing and 42% are already testing.
Where do AI-assisted purchases end up?
59% of AI-assisted purchases still end on Amazon, according to Checkout.com. Shoppers let the AI research, then go back to the checkout they already trust.
What should brands do now?
Win the AI recommendation in narrow early use cases like holiday promotions. Run the exact holiday query a shopper types and check which brand the assistant names.