Visa's research indicates that while 72% of consumers have used AI assistants, only 23% of U.S. users trust generative AI to manage payments independently. However, the presence of established payment brands significantly boosts confidence, with 61% of consumers stating they would trust Visa to handle agentic transactions.
A July report from PYMNTS Intelligence and Visa Acceptance Solutions highlights varying levels of trust based on the task. While 56% of users allow AI agents to search and compare products and 51% permit loyalty program management, only 35% are comfortable letting an agent access saved payment credentials.
Research from January suggests that while consumers are interested in AI-native commerce, adoption is limited by the need for 'payments-grade' trust. This requires transparent controls, clear data governance, and reliance on established banks, wallets, and card networks rather than the AI layer alone.
Visa executives have stated that the company is focusing its value-added services strategy on acting as the connective layer between AI-driven commerce and the trust required to scale it.