5 minutes
Agentic Commerce Report 2026 out now
Seven markets, one survey on how ready people are to hand shopping over to AI.
Key points
- Willingness to shop with an AI agent rose across all seven markets surveyed, year over year.
- Consumers open to using AI agents while shopping range from 86% in China to 40% in Australia.
- Among consumers open to AI shopping, 80% would allow an agent some role in payment – but 59% still want to approve every purchase individually.
- When it comes to agent-driven purchases, consumers consistently ask for a confirmation step, access to human support and a way to reverse a transaction.
Shoppers are already using AI to compare flight prices, evaluate insurers and assess financial products. But many still draw the line at giving AI access to their money.
Both qualify as “open to agentic commerce” in our research, even though their comfort levels are very different. The report looks beyond a single headline number to show where consumers are comfortable using AI and where they hesitate.
What the report covers
The 2026 edition of our Agentic Commerce Report is built on a consumer survey run across seven markets – the US, UK, France, Brazil, China, Singapore and Australia – asking how ready people are for AI agents to browse, compare, recommend and pay on their behalf. Global Payments and Worldpay partnered with research agency The Lantern to field it, reaching consumers across a mix of shopping categories: crypto, financial services, digital content, retail, dining and entertainment, and travel.
Because this is our second year of research, we can now see how attitudes are changing. Willingness to shop with an AI agent increased in every market surveyed. AI agents were also the only purchase channel expected to gain spending share now, in 12 months and in five years.
Interest is growing, but consumers want control
Interest in AI shopping is growing everywhere, but adoption still varies widely by market:
Market | Yes | Maybe | Never |
|---|---|---|---|
China | 86% | 12% | 2% |
Brazil | 72% | 22% | 6% |
Singapore | 59% | 31% | 11% |
UK | 48% | 30% | 22% |
France | 46% | 31% | 23% |
US | 45% | 29% | 27% |
Australia | 40% | 30% | 29% |
China and Brazil have the highest shares of consumers willing to shop with an AI agent. The US, UK and France report similar levels of willingness, while Australia is the most cautious market surveyed.
Willingness drops when payment enters the picture. Among consumers already open to AI shopping, 80% would let an agent play some role in payment – but most still want limits on what the agent can do. Many shoppers (59%) want to approve every individual purchase rather than grant an agent standing authority to buy. Few are ready to give an agent complete purchasing authority without reviewing each transaction.
"Trust determines how much control consumers are willing to give an AI agent."
Trust determines how much control consumers are willing to give an AI agent. Across markets, consumers want the same three safeguards: confirmation before a purchase, access to human support if something goes wrong and time to reverse a transaction. These safeguards could help interested consumers feel more comfortable allowing an agent to complete a purchase.
Agentic commerce trends to note
Four trends stand out in this year’s research.
- Consumers hesitate when money moves. Comfort with AI stays high through research, price comparison and recommendations – tasks that don't touch money. It drops sharply at the point of payment.
- AI agents are expected to gain purchase share. The survey asked consumers to estimate how they'll split their purchases across channels now, in 12 months and in five years. Of every channel tested – search, brand websites, marketplaces, social, in-app, in-person – AI agents are the only purchase option expected to gain share across all three timeframes.
- Consumers hesitate for different reasons. Consumers resist AI shopping for different reasons. Some are unfamiliar with the technology. Others enjoy shopping and do not want to give up control. Trust is another barrier, particularly when people are unsure whether an agent’s recommendations are sponsored.
- Lower-stakes purchases lead adoption. Consumers are more willing to use AI for routine, lower-stakes retail purchases. They are more cautious with crypto because of its volatility and the level of personal control involved.
Explore the full findings
Download the full report for the complete market and category findings. Then follow our Insights series for practical steps merchants can take in response.
You can also sign up to receive industry guides for the sectors most relevant to you: crypto, financial services, digital content, retail, dining and entertainment, and travel. Set to launch in mid-October, each guide will examine the consumer attitudes, barriers and expectations shaping its industry.
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