Visa Launches Trusted Agent Protocol for Secure AI Payments

Visa has launched the Trusted Agent Protocol, a technical framework designed to make online transactions initiated by artificial intelligence systems secure and verifiable. The company developed the protocol in collaboration with Cloudflareto help merchants identify legitimate AI-driven purchases and prevent fraudulent or automated bot activity.

The framework is available through GitHub and the Visa Developer Center for developers and merchants. It enables authorized AI agents to share encrypted information that confirms their identity and purchasing intent, helping retailers distinguish genuine AI-assisted customers from malicious bots.

Visa reported that AI-generated traffic to U.S. retail websites increased by more than 4,700% over the past year. Around 85% of shoppers who have used AI tools for online buying described their experience as positive. The company said the rise of AI-assisted shopping has created new challenges for merchants, including false bot detections that block real transactions and the need to link each AI agent’s activity to an identifiable customer.

The Trusted Agent Protocol allows merchants to receive agent-specific cryptographic signatures containing essential details such as the buyer’s identity, the agent’s purpose, and payment information. This process supports both guest and registered checkouts while preserving transparency into who is behind each transaction.

Visa worked with several global partners during development, including Microsoft, Stripe, Shopify, Coinbase, Adyen, Fiserv, Checkout.com, Ant International, Nuvei, Elavon, CyberSource, and Worldpay. The company said the system is compatible with HTTP Message Signature standards and aligns with Web Both Auth specifications.

According to Jack Forestell, Visa’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer, the goal is to ensure AI systems are held to the same security standards as human-initiated transactions.

“Sellers should be able to trust AI agents as much as they trust their best customers,” Forestell said. “We have focused on creating a no-code method that lets merchants identify legitimate agents and process secure, personalized payments.”

Visa is also working with Coinbase on interoperability with the x402 protocol and plans to align its Trusted Agent Protocol with the emerging Agentic Commerce Protocol.

Earlier this year, Visa began testing a stablecoin prefunding pilot through its Visa Direct platform, expanding its payment network to handle faster, programmable digital settlements.

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