Visa Unveils Trusted Agent Protocol to Enhance AI Commerce Security

Visa has introduced its Trusted Agent Protocol, designed to tackle the challenges posed by AI-driven commerce. This initiative comes in response to a staggering 4,700% increase in AI-related traffic to retail websites across the United States. The protocol aims to facilitate a new era in which AI can effectively search, compare, and make purchases on behalf of consumers, while fostering trust between merchants and AI agents.

Developed in collaboration with Cloudflare, the Trusted Agent Protocol allows approved agents to transmit critical information securely to merchants. This framework is essential for identifying trustworthy agents with genuine commerce intent, distinguishing them from malicious automation and rogue bots. Visa has gathered valuable feedback from early partners, including Adyen, Coinbase, Shopify, and Stripe, among others.

As agent-driven commerce is expected to grow significantly, Visa’s initiative positions it at the forefront of this emerging market. Notably, Stripe is also developing its own Agentic Commerce Protocol in partnership with OpenAI, while Google has secured over 60 partners—including Mastercard and PayPal—for its Agent Payments Protocol.

Enhancing Trust in AI Transactions

The initial specifications of Visa’s protocol are set to apply specifically to the Visa network during this initial phase. However, the company is committed to ensuring that it will work in conjunction with other existing protocols. “We believe the entire payments ecosystem has a responsibility to ensure sellers can trust AI agents as much as they trust their best customers and networks,” stated Jack Forestell, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Visa.

Forestell emphasized that over the past year, Visa has collaborated closely with sellers, issuers, and partners to ensure that transactions initiated by agents are as seamless and secure as traditional payments. The new protocol is designed to provide a no-code functionality for merchants, enabling them to securely identify agents with intent to purchase. This approach aims to enhance the overall payment experience and deliver personalized services to known users.

As the landscape of commerce continues to evolve with the integration of AI, Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol represents a significant step forward in addressing security concerns while promoting innovation in financial transactions. With the backing of major partners and the promise of enhanced trust, Visa is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of AI-driven commerce.