Mastercard Launches Virtual Cards for Autonomous AI Shopping
Mastercard introduced a virtual card system allowing AI agents to make online purchases autonomously within user-defined spending limits and restrictions.
Mastercard launched a new payment system on September 18, 2026, that enables AI agents to execute online purchases using virtual cards. The system allows agents to complete transactions without requiring user approval for every single purchase, though cardholders can mitigate risk by setting spending limits, restricting specific retailers, or maintaining manual approval requirements.
To address potential conflicts, the company introduced Verifiable Intent, a digital record of authorizations intended to resolve disputes regarding unauthorized or incorrect purchases. This launch occurs as payment and technology firms compete to set the infrastructure standards for agentic commerce. Visa is deploying its Visa Intelligent Commerce product, while Meta Platforms Incorporated has released Muse, a tool designed for AI-driven product search and checkout navigation.
Despite these technological advancements, consumer adoption remains low. Research commissioned by ACI Worldwide found that more than half of fashion shoppers in the United States and United Kingdom are uncomfortable with AI purchasing on their behalf. Only 7 percent of those surveyed expressed a willingness to allow autonomous purchases under predefined conditions.
