Why the Fed Thinks B2B Payments Are Already Built for Agentic
The biggest obstacle to agentic payments isn’t teaching artificial intelligence how to buy something. It’s giving software permission to spend money without giving it permission to make expensive mistakes. Corporate procurement may already have the answer. Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said in a Tuesday (Sept. 29) speech that B2B purchasing is intrinsically well suited […] The post…
Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller believes that B2B payments may be well-suited for agentic commerce. This is because businesses already have explicit rules around approved suppliers, budget limits, and recurring purchasing patterns. Waller stated that agentic AI could potentially negotiate terms, choose payment methods, and help decide when money moves.
The challenge lies in converting procurement authority into credentials that an agent can carry and that counterparties can verify. The Fed sees B2B as a potential early proving ground for agentic commerce. Approximately 7% of enterprise CFOs in the U.S. had deployed agentic AI in live finance workflows in September 2025, with an additional 5% running pilots.
The success of agentic payments in B2B transactions could provide valuable insights into the broader adoption of this technology.
Written by urgent.news from PYMNTS's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
