Visa launches “Agentic Ready” programme to power AI-powered payments

Global payments company Visa has recently announced the launch of its new “Agentic Ready” programme, which is designed to give banks and merchants hands-on experience with AI-powered commerce through Visa’s security tools.

While the programme is still being tested, it marks a significant step toward a future where agentic AI tools will handle transactions for consumers and ecommerce businesses.

What is Visa’s Agentic Ready?

Agentic Ready is a new global programme that helps banks, merchants, and technology partners prepare for the new era of agentic commerce. 

Through the programme, participating banks will gain hands-on experience with how AI-powered commerce can safely enable customers to make purchases – all while maintaining the trust, control, and security of the Visa network.

The programme will also use Visa’s existing systems – such as tokenisation, identity checks, and fraud controls – to ensure every transaction is tied to a verified person and approved with the user’s permission.

“As AI agents increasingly shape how people shop and buy, payments need to keep up.” Mathieu Altwegg, Head of Product & Solutions at Visa Europe, said in a press release this week.

“Visa Agentic Ready will initially help European issuers prepare for secure, scalable agent-initiated payments, built on infrastructure people already trust.”

When will the programme become available, and who has joined?

Visa Agentic will first be launching in Europe (including the UK), as part of a phased rollout. This means it is not ready for general use yet.

The first phase aims to focus on testing how AI-powered payments work with real banks, making sure they remain secure, dependable, and scalable. 

Several major UK banks have already joined the programme, including HSBC UK, Revolut (which was only recently awarded a full banking license), Barclays, and Nationwide Building Society, with future partners expected to join the programme as it expands past this initial rollout phase.

What does this mean for ecommerce businesses?

While not fully live yet, the launch of Visa’s Agentic Ready programme – and the willingness for banks to get on board – means that a world where agentic AI platforms are making autonomous transactions. On behalf of humans could be closer than we think. 

With 66% of UK consumers planning to use AI for holiday shopping in the upcoming spring and summer months, it’s clear that people are already willing to incorporate the technology into their shopping experience. The jump from turning to AI for advice while shopping and trusting it to make decisions for you is not actually that big. 

On the seller side, 57% of ecommerce firms are aexploring AI agent use cases. Agentic AI’s surge in popularity in the ecommerce industry is also predicted to generate significant sales in the next few years. According to research reported by FS Tech, AI agents are expected to drive £29bn of online payments by 2030. 

That said, there are risks to be aware of as well. Fintech company Chargebacks911 warned last month that AI’s ability to purchase on the users’ behalf could lead to more disputes and chargebacks. Additionally, online stores will need to put the right safeguards in place to prevent mistakes, fraud or unintended purchases, which could be difficult to maintain for smaller businesses.

Still, with more consumers embracing AI for shopping, businesses that prepare for agentic commerce now can stay ahead and tap into a growing market if the right safeguards are in place to protect customers and maintain trust.