Visa Integrates Payment Network with ChatGPT for AI Agent Transactions
Visa is connecting its payment network to ChatGPT to enable AI agents to make purchases, but merchants face challenges in adapting their systems for these new digital customers.
As artificial intelligence agents are poised to handle a significant portion of business-to-business commerce by 2028, Visa has taken a key step to prepare for this emerging market. In June 2026, the company announced it would integrate its payment network into ChatGPT, allowing AI agents to make purchases and complete transactions within user-defined spending limits.
Industry forecasts, such as a Gartner prediction from October 2025, suggest that 90 percent of B2B buying will be conducted through AI agents by 2028, moving over $15 trillion in spending through agent exchanges. Visa's move targets both business and consumer applications, but it highlights a broader challenge: the readiness of merchant systems to accommodate these digital buyers.
Many businesses that rely on sales representative interaction or invoice with 30-day terms may not be equipped to process transactions initiated by AI agents. Furthermore, if an AI agent's purchase leads to a dispute, card rules typically place the majority of the risk on the seller. Merchants need to address issues related to automated checkout experiences, verified agent access, and the documentation required for dispute resolution.
OpenAI previously piloted an "Instant Checkout" feature within ChatGPT but withdrew it in March 2026 due to inflexibility, reportedly charging merchants a 4 percent transaction fee. Visa has also developed the "Trusted Agent Protocol" in collaboration with Cloudflare to help merchants distinguish legitimate shopping agents from malicious bots. Mastercard and American Express are building on similar standards.