AI agents could soon allow users to search for products, compare prices, and buy them in the same interface
Big payment and tech companies are preparing for a new way to shop online, called agentic commerce. This means AI chatbots will allow users to search for products, compare prices, and buy them in the same interface.
Until now, shoppers had to leave a chatbot to finish a purchase on a website or app. That is changing. Companies say new payment systems will let AI agents complete purchases securely using a user’s approved payment details.
Payment giants like Visa and Mastercard are exploring partnerships to make it possible.
Executives expect this to become common in 2026, and say it could change shopping as much as the rise of online stores did years ago.
With agentic commerce, a user could ask an AI to find the cheapest nonstop flight within a budget, and the AI would search, book, and pay instantly. AI agents could also automatically buy items when prices drop to a set level.
Early trials are already underway. Nearly half of US shoppers now use AI to help with shopping, and AI-driven visits to retail websites have jumped sharply over the past year.
Concerns about security and mistakes remain, while payment firms say this shift is unavoidable and coming soon.