Alipay+, S&P Global: Consumers Wary of AI Payments
A survey of 6,000 consumers across nine markets by Alipay+ and S&P Global shows only 26% would use AI agents for transactions, despite strong interest in AI for travel planning.
Consumers Hesitate on AI Payments
Consumers are quickly adopting artificial intelligence (AI) for shopping discovery, but show caution when it comes to AI agents executing transactions. A survey by Alipay+ and S&P Global, covering 6,000 consumers in Asia, Europe, and the US, found only 26% expressed interest in using AI agents for purchases.
This contrasts with high interest in AI for travel, where 81.3% use it for discovery and 73.2% are open to AI for booking flights or hotels in the next 12 months. The study shows privacy and control concerns limit adoption for direct payments.
Demand for Clear AI Controls
Consumer skepticism about AI-driven transactions stems from a desire for control. Checkout.com’s June 2026 report, which surveyed over 12,000 consumers, revealed 24% firmly refuse to delegate purchases to AI, with 27% trusting no organisation to operate an AI shopping agent.
Consumers cited essential controls such as spending caps (30%), instant permission revocation (29%), and easy cancellation (28%). Merchants acknowledge these demands; 75% of businesses surveyed by Checkout.com stressed the importance of real-time permission revocation for successful agentic commerce programmes.
Asia's Agentic Commerce Foundations
In Asia-Pacific (APAC), agentic shopping is at an early stage, with Deloitte’s research indicating around 29% of consumer businesses currently use agentic AI. This figure is projected to increase sharply to 76% within two years. Industry participants and governments across the region are working together to lay the foundation for this shift.
Singapore-based Ant International is collaborating with Mastercard and Visa to develop a “know-your-agent” interoperability framework. This framework aims to identify and verify AI agents, guaranteeing safe and interoperable commerce across payment networks.
Building Trust in Asian Agentic Commerce
The low consumer trust for direct AI transactions presents a challenge for payment providers and businesses in Asia. Despite strong interest in AI for discovery, firms must prioritise transparent controls, such as spending limits and easy cancellations.
Initiatives like Ant International's interoperability framework and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) planning to launch agentic payments on UPI, as reported by Reuters earlier this month, show a focus on building secure foundations. This careful approach is crucial for accelerating agentic commerce adoption beyond the current 29% of APAC businesses.
This article is journalism, not investment advice; consult a licensed professional before making financial decisions. Market data is indicative, may be delayed, and should be verified with your broker or exchange before use.
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