Only 23% of Consumers Trust AI Payments Despite 72% Using AI Assistants for Shopping

Consumer Trust Remains the Critical Barrier to Agentic Payments

A striking disconnect has emerged in AI-driven commerce. According to Visa's Trust Index research, 72% of US consumers have used an AI assistant, yet only 23% trust generative AI to make payments on their behalf2

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. This trust gap represents the most significant obstacle to widespread adoption of agentic payments, even as AI transforms how consumers discover and research products. Oliver Jenkyn, group president at Visa, emphasized that "trust will be foundational to driving agentic commerce adoption" and noted consumers will increasingly look to trusted payment experiences and brands as they deploy AI agents to shop on their behalf2

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AI Assistant for Shopping Drives Discovery But Not Transactions

Consumers are embracing AI chatbots for product research while maintaining control over autonomous financial transactions. PYMNTS Intelligence found that 49.6 million US adults now begin retail product research with AI, including 39 million who have stopped relying primarily on traditional search channels3

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. While 56% of consumers would allow an AI agent to search and compare products, only 37% would permit payment authorization and just 35% would grant access to saved payment methods3

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. The spending data reveals significant opportunity: consumers who tried a new retailer after using AI spent an average of $1,430 on AI-assisted purchases over three months, compared with $931 among AI retail researchers who made purchases3

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Trusted Brands Bridge the Gap in Agentic Commerce

Consumer hesitancy in AI payments decreases substantially when established payment brands are involved. Visa's research found that 61% of consumers would trust Visa to handle agentic transactions, rising to over 70% among consumers who use large language models at least weekly3

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. Card networks and digital wallets rank among consumers' most trusted providers of agentic assistants according to PYMNTS Intelligence research on autonomous commerce3

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. This trust anchoring explains why Mastercard introduced Agent Pay for Machines and Agent Connect as part of its Agent Suite for Merchants, designed to connect merchants, AI agents, digital platforms and payment providers while supporting user-authorized transactions1

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AI in Retail Shopping Transforms Discovery and Brand Selection

Retailers are investing heavily in AI-driven commerce infrastructure as consumer shopping behaviors shift. Zalando reported its AI assistant grew from six million users in 2025 to 10 million in Q1 2026 alone, while UK retailer Frasers Group introduced "Ask Frasers" to guide customer style and product discovery1

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. AI recommendations introduced 10.8 million consumers to a retailer or website they hadn't used before and moved 15.9 million toward a different brand3

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. Among consumers using AI for product research, 43% found a better price, 27% chose a different brand, and 26% bought a different product3

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. However, despite 61% of consumers using or having used AI when shopping, over two-thirds could not name a single AI shopping experience that impressed them1

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Infrastructure and Liability Frameworks Lag Behind Technology

The fintech industry faces substantial challenges building payment infrastructure for agentic commerce. Traditional banking rails aren't built for non-human account holders, requiring companies to adopt new trust and identity protocols1

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. Laws regarding liability when an AI makes a financial mistake remain unclear, especially across international borders1

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. New fraud vectors have emerged, including injection fraud where malicious hidden text is planted within websites to trick AI into making unauthorized purchases1

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. Years of frustrating AI chatbots, disputed subscription charges, and "no human available" queues have trained consumers to expect AI to fail at critical moments5

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. Industry experts emphasize that earning trust requires clear liability frameworks when something goes wrong, visible control for consumers, and transparent data governance5

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Market Projections and Ethical Personalization Requirements

Juniper Research predicts global agentic commerce spend will reach $1.5 trillion in 2030, but achieving this requires addressing ethical personalization in e-commerce1

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. Retailers must ensure AI creates relevance through transparent, consent-based approaches where consumers feel in control of their data and understand why they see specific offers1

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. Among merchants, 46% identified pricing and final price paid as functions they are least willing to let agents handle, while only 26% plan to invest within a year in AI completing checkout on a consumer's behalf3

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. PYMNTS Intelligence research indicates that broad adoption will be constrained by "payments-grade" trust, requiring transparent controls and credential choices anchored in banks, wallets and card networks rather than in the AI layer alone4

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