agent-based commerce
in English: agentic commerce
A purchase where an AI agent searches, compares, and even handles the order and payment on your behalf.
In plain terms
Imagine you have a reliable friend to whom you say only: 'I need a quiet washing machine under 150,000 Hungarian forints, delivered by Saturday.' They visit stores, compare prices, read reviews, and either present the three best offers or buy it. In agent-based commerce, an AI agent replaces this shopper.
In a traditional online shop, you click through everything: you search, filter, add to cart, and enter card details. Here, formulating the goal is your job, and the software performs the steps. You set the boundaries: how much can be spent, what can be chosen from, and whether approval is needed at the end.
This is a major change for stores. Until now, they had to convince people with beautiful photos and advertisements. Now they must also serve machines that request precise data: price, stock, delivery time, return conditions. If an agent cannot read their offer, they may be excluded from the recommendations.
How it works
- You give an instruction: describe what you want in everyday language and specify the constraints (budget, brand, deadline, whether approval is needed).
- The agent gathers information: it queries product data, prices, and stock levels from stores. It preferably does this from a machine-readable catalog; lacking that, it reads the website, which is slower and more error-prone.
- It chooses and recommends: it narrows the options based on your criteria, then shows the best matches, or decides on its own if you have given it prior authorization.
- Pays on your behalf: in modern solutions, the system does not receive your card number, but a limited, single-use or amount-capped authorization (token) that proves to the shop and the bank that you entrusted them.
- Tracks: you can monitor delivery and, in some services, initiate a complaint or return. The transaction remains between you and the store, and the invoice is issued in your name.
An everyday example
You tell a chat AI assistant that you need twenty paper plates, balloons, and a gluten-free cake for next week's children's party, with a total budget of 25,000 forints. The assistant puts the basket together, shows the total, and if you approve, places the order and pays for it without you leaving the chat.
Who is affected
A common misconception
Limits and risks
- The agent can make mistakes: it may misunderstand your request, order the wrong size or type, so always check the cart before payment for larger amounts.
- It may not be impartial: the agent operator's contracts with certain shops and the availability of certain merchants' data can influence the offers.
- Malicious websites with hidden instructions may try to hijack the agent, so new forms of fraud must be expected.
- Many legal questions remain open: it is not always clear who is liable for a faulty order, and a significant portion of services are not yet available in Hungary.
Similar, but not the same
- e-kereskedelem – In traditional online shopping, you perform every step on the screen; here, the agent handles the search, selection, and even payment.
- recommendation system – A recommendation system typically shows you products within a single store or marketplace, but the decision and purchase remain yours. An agent selects across multiple stores and acts on your behalf.
- chatbot – A chatbot answers your questions, but an agent independently completes the task, such as placing an order.
Related concepts
AI-agent, e-kereskedelem, agent-based economy
shopping agent, agent-based payments, agent payment protocol
AI assistant, browser agent, generative search engine optimization, prompt injection, payment tokenization
A brief history
The term spread in 2025. In spring, Visa and Mastercard announced their solutions supporting agent payments. In September 2025, OpenAI and Stripe published the Agentic Commerce Protocol, and Google the Agent Payments Protocol. In early 2026, Google, together with major merchants, also presented an additional standard (Universal Commerce Protocol).
Where things stand
At the end of 2026, some major AI assistants and a few large retailers already allow purchasing this way, mainly in the United States. In-chat payment is still limited, and the assistant often directs users to the store's own checkout. Several standards are competing, and most Hungarian stores are only preparing for it.
In the news
- JP Morgan Payments and Mastercard invest in agentic commerce startup firmlyNov 6, 2026 · Money
- Firmly raises $15 million Series A and launches agentic commerce toolNov 5, 2026 · Marketing
- Visa test: AI shopping agents failed 42.8% of runsNov 5, 2026 · Money
- Google launches agentic shopping and a universal cart in CanadaNov 4, 2026 · Marketing
- AI shopping agents raise fraud and security risks ahead of the holiday seasonNov 2, 2026 · Marketing
- Mastercard signs broad strategic partnership with OpenAI; CEO says agentic commerce is earlyNov 2, 2026 · Marketing
- Walmart builds agentic commerce infrastructure and adds new Sparky features for the holidaysNov 2, 2026 · Marketing
- Tencent and Mastercard sign memorandum of understanding on agentic paymentsNov 2, 2026 · Money
Also known as
agentic commerce · agent-based commerce · agentikus kereskedelem · agentic commerce · AI-agent shopping · agentic shopping · agentic payments · AI commerce
Sources
- Agentic Commerce Protocol (OpenAI and Stripe) – official site
- Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) – official documentation
This entry was machine-edited and has undergone machine expert review; the “In the news” section updates automatically from Agent Age stories.