Mastercard and Santander have collaborated to make a live payment executed by an artificial intelligence (AI) agent, as technology develops that could make it easier for automated payments to become part of everyday shopping habits.
The firms said the payment marks a significant milestone in the use of AI systems capable of initiating and completing transactions on behalf of customers.
The pilot, which took place in Spain and involved the purchase of a T-shirt, does not constitute a commercial rollout at this stage.
In the future, it is thought that “agentic” AI could become part of many people’s daily lives, helping to automate purchases with limited input from the consumer.
For example, someone could chat to an app and ask it to make a purchase and it may automatically review loyalty rewards and make an appropriate purchase for that person’s circumstances, taking the hassle away from the consumer.
Santander carried out the transaction in a controlled environment using Mastercard Agent Pay.
The transaction was processed through Santander’s live payments infrastructure.
Those behind the initiative said it allows an AI system to securely and transparently complete a purchase using existing payment networks, while maintaining standards of security, privacy and consumer protection.
Matias Sanchez, global head of cards and digital solutions at Santander, said: “At Santander, we see AI as a transformative force in the evolution of payments.”
The bank said it will move into extended testing and scaling, while maintaining strong controls, resilience and regulatory alignment.
Kelly Devine, president for Europe at Mastercard, said: “Agentic payments represent a profound shift in how commerce is initiated and executed.”
