Visa, Mastercard Collaborate with Ant International to Develop AI Payment Framework
Visa (V) and Mastercard (MA), alongside fintech firm Ant International, are developing a shared framework called Know Your Agent (KYA) to verify the trustworthiness of AI shopping agents. This initiative aims to ensure that when AI software begins managing consumer spending—such as ordering groceries or renewing subscriptions—the payments still flow through their networks. The collaboration is intended to create interoperability between existing systems like Visa's Trusted Agent Protocol and Mastercard’s Verifiable Intent, allowing an agent verified on one network to be recognized across others. The companies cited McKinsey research projecting that AI agents could manage $3 trillion to $5 trillion in global consumer commerce by 2030. This move aligns with both firms' broader security strategies as they continue investing heavily in fraud detection and identity verification tools, which are becoming increasingly critical amid the rise of AI-powered scams. Despite this strategic development, neither Visa nor Mastercard's stock prices have seen a significant boost recently. Investors should watch for updates on pilot programs like Mastercard’s Agent Pay or Visa’s Intelligent Commerce initiative to gauge future adoption.
Tickers: $MA
Topics: agentic commerce AI Ant International Mastercard Visa