Visa survey finds trust gap in AI-powered payments

Visa has published research on consumer trust in AI-powered commerce, finding that it was the most trusted brand among respondents for agent-led payments.

The survey of 2,065 US consumers found that 72% had used an AI assistant, but only 23% trusted generative AI to handle payment transactions on their behalf. Trust rose when payment brands were named, with 61% saying they would trust Visa to manage agentic transactions.

The findings point to a gap between consumer interest in AI tools and willingness to let them complete purchases. Respondents appeared more comfortable using AI during parts of the shopping journey than delegating the payment itself.

The research examined views across payments, technology and social media brands, and found Visa led on trust for AI-powered payments across the groups surveyed.

Among consumers aged 18 to 34, that figure rose to 68%. Among frequent AI users, it reached 71%, suggesting that greater familiarity with the technology does not remove the need for established payment brands in transactions.

Oliver Jenkyn, Group President, Visa, linked the results to earlier shifts in digital commerce.

"AI has the potential to fundamentally reshape how people discover, buy and pay for goods and services, much like eCommerce and mobile commerce did before it," said Oliver Jenkyn, Group President, Visa.

He added that adoption would depend on confidence in the parties handling payments.

"While we're still in the early days, trust will be foundational to driving agentic commerce adoption. Consumers will increasingly look to trusted payment experiences and brands as they deploy AI agents to shop on their behalf," said Jenkyn.

Trust gap

The data suggests consumers draw a distinction between AI interfaces and the financial systems behind them. People may use a range of assistants and platforms to search for products or compare options, but payment remains more sensitive.

That distinction matters as technology groups, payment networks and merchants test systems that allow software agents to search, select and buy goods for users. If consumers remain wary of letting an AI tool complete a transaction independently, payment providers with established brands may hold an advantage.

Visa framed the survey as an indicator of how consumers are approaching what it calls agentic commerce, in which AI systems act on behalf of a user during shopping and payments. Trust, the company argued, will determine whether that model is adopted more widely.

Payments role

Visa said it is working with partners across the payments sector on systems and standards for agent-initiated transactions. It cited work on secure transactions, identity verification, authentication and consumer controls as part of preparations for AI-led commerce.

Those areas reflect long-standing concerns in digital payments, including whether a transaction is authorised, whether the user can set limits and who is responsible when software acts on someone's behalf. The survey results indicate that consumers are already forming expectations about which companies they would trust to manage those questions.

For Visa, the findings also serve as a marker of brand strength at a time when AI is beginning to reshape online shopping. Payment groups are trying to ensure they remain central to the transaction even if the customer interface shifts from a website or app to an AI assistant.

Jenkyn drew a comparison with earlier periods of change in the market.

"Throughout every major shift in commerce, from the growth of eCommerce to the rise of mobile payments, trust provides stability and certainty to consumers as the world changes around them," said Jenkyn.

The research was carried out by Harris Poll through its omnibus survey platform among US adults, with respondent matching based on census data. Samples for the payment transaction question ranged from 1,028 to 1,034 respondents for each brand tested.