AI Makes the Holiday Shopping List but Who Gets the Sale?

In the upcoming holiday shopping season, artificial intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionize the way consumers find products and make purchases online. A new PYMNTS Intelligence report, titled "Will the 2026 Shopping Season Go Agentic?" explores the potential impact of agentic commerce and the challenges that lie ahead.

According to the report, a significant portion of AI-assisted shoppers (46%) are using technology to locate the best prices or deals, while 53% believe that lower prices could entice them to switch from large marketplaces to brand websites. This suggests that merchants should be prepared to offer AI agents a tailored shopping experience, albeit with some limitations.

Only 28% of merchants plan to provide AI agents with their entire product range, while another 28% would restrict agents to selected products. Merchants are concerned about offering a full range of products at the same terms available through other channels, as it may dilute their competitive advantage.

The issue of responsibility at the point of checkout is another area of contention. Ninety-three percent of merchants believe that either the AI or agent provider should cover the loss when an agent makes an incorrect purchase decision. Additionally, 80% of merchants expect that provider to verify the agent's authority before any action is taken.

Despite these challenges, consumers have largely embraced AI assistance while maintaining control over their finances. They seek tools that save time, protect their choices, and pause before making significant decisions. This presents an opportunity for merchants, wallets, banks, and card networks that already have consumer trust.

The report also highlights emerging systems from industry leaders such as Mastercard, Visa, Google, OpenAI, and Stripe. These initiatives aim to help merchants identify approved agents, confirm consumer permissions, and safeguard reusable card details. By addressing these concerns, merchants, payment providers, and AI companies can position themselves to benefit greatly from agentic commerce during the upcoming holiday season.

The complete report, "Will the 2026 Shopping Season Go Agentic?" is available for download and provides a comprehensive analysis of consumer readiness to delegate tasks to AI agents, the limits they set, and the companies that could gain the strongest position during this pivotal period in digital shopping.