Agentic Commerce Needs eCommerce-Level Trust to Scale, Mastercard-PYMNTS Panelists Say

Agentic commerce requires trust from both consumers and merchants in order to grow, according to Mastercard's recent roundtable discussion. The event, held at Mastercard's New York City Tech Hub, featured about three dozen experts from various sectors discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on eCommerce. Experts suggested that merchants can gain consumer trust by providing the same transparent communication they currently use with eCommerce, including order-related updates and expectation management.

To address merchant concerns about losing control over the shopping experience, Mastercard designed its agentic capabilities to ensure merchants retain control over agents' interactions with brands, products, and customers. While a large-scale shift to agentic commerce may take years, participants agreed on its eventual adoption.

The technology's beneficiaries are uncertain, with some believing it will drive shoppers to well-known retailers and others predicting it could introduce them to new ones. According to PYMNTS Intelligence, 50% of American adults have bought something online with AI assistance, and 22% begin their online retail search using an AI tool. Amazon's Buy For Me feature and Google's AI Mode serve as examples of current agentic purchases.