Mastercard has partnered with Alchemy to launch a payment service for AI agents. The system allows users to authorize AI assistants to make online purchases using virtual cards without manual approval for every transaction.
The service utilizes agentic tokens, which are dynamic, one-time-use or session-limited credentials. This approach replaces static card numbers, ensuring that intercepted tokens cannot be reused for future transactions.
Users maintain control through defined guardrails, including spending limits and merchant restrictions. For instance, a user can cap weekly grocery spending at $200 or require manual sign-off for travel bookings exceeding $500.
This initiative expands upon the Agent Pay program introduced by Mastercard in April 2025. Meanwhile, competitor Visa is developing similar infrastructure through its Intelligent Commerce Connect platform.
Mastercard and Visa are collaborating with Ant International to establish verification frameworks for AI agents. Despite these efforts, research indicates that only 23% of US consumers currently trust AI to manage their financial transactions.
