Six banks published principles for trusted AI-assisted commerce on September 22, 2026. ASB, Bank of America, Capital One, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, ING and NatWest set out five areas: transparency, safety, privacy and data use, choice, and interoperability.
The joint announcement presents the principles as a basis for industry discussion. They are voluntary proposals. The announcement does not create a new payment rule or guarantee a particular outcome when a shopper disputes an order.
For a retailer choosing an AI shopping provider, the principles can inform a practical demonstration. Ask the provider to show what the buyer sees before approval and what happens when the proposed purchase changes. General assurances about trust are easier to assess when attached to a specific order.
Suppose a shopper asks for a pair of shoes in a specific size and color. The assistant finds a different color at a higher price because the requested option is unavailable. A clear experience would show the replacement, revised total and delivery details, then ask the buyer to approve that proposal.
The same demonstration should include a refusal. If the buyer declines the replacement, can they return to the original search or complete a purchase themselves? Ask how the experience preserves that choice and how it communicates that no order was placed.
Next, inspect the confirmation and support route. The buyer and merchant should be able to identify the product that was approved, the amount charged and the order reference. Ask the provider how a support team can understand an issue without requiring the customer to reconstruct a long conversation.
Privacy questions should be equally concrete. Ask what customer information the service needs for this purchase, which parties receive it and how the buyer is told. A retailer should understand the proposed use before asking customers to trust the experience.
The principles provide questions to bring into an AI shopping pilot. The provider still needs to demonstrate its own behavior, and the merchant still needs clear terms for payment, fulfillment and support.
Common questions
Are the banks’ principles mandatory payment rules?
No. The announcement describes voluntary principles intended to support industry discussion.
What are the five areas covered?
Transparency, safety, privacy and data use, choice, and interoperability.
What is the most useful approval scenario to ask a provider to demonstrate?
Use an order that changes after the shopper’s initial request. Check whether the buyer sees the substitute and revised total, can decline them and receives a clear result.
Sources
Bank of America: Joint principles for trusted AI-assisted commerce