Stripe reports a significant rise in the use of its Link payment service by AI agents. In September, the number of transactions increased 38-fold, while the total payment volume grew 20-fold compared to the previous period. Although the company notes the growth started from a small base, executive Dan Hill confirms the volume is now becoming substantial.
The number of AI agents utilizing the service has risen from approximately 70 to around 200, with notable users including Meta's Muse and Grok Bot. While the average transaction value is around $100, some agents are executing high-value purchases for items like furniture or flights, reaching thousands of dollars. Retail accounts for 36 percent of transactions and 32 percent of volume, followed by travel at 28 percent of volume.
The Link service provides security by issuing a unique 16-digit number to agents instead of sharing the user's actual credit card details. Users retain control through configurable spending limits. While Anthropic and OpenAI currently use Link for other purposes, Stripe faces competition from providers such as PayPal and Shopify's Shop Pay as the market for agent-driven commerce continues to emerge.
