{
  "id": 3700861,
  "title": "Synchrony Says AI Has Put Every Checkout in Play",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/27/synchrony-says-ai-has-put-every-checkout-in-play",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-08-27T08:00:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "PYMNTS",
    "slug": "pymnts",
    "url": "https://www.pymnts.com/news/artificial-intelligence/2026/synchrony-says-ai-has-put-every-checkout-in-play/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Synchrony's Maran Nalluswami highlights the impact of artificial intelligence on the future of checkout experiences. As shoppers transition from AI platforms to retailer websites and then to physical stores, the traditional boundaries between discovery and purchase become blurred. This phenomenon, known as agentic commerce, forces payments companies to make crucial investment decisions before fully understanding the change in the transaction landscape. Nalluswami advises a cautious approach, likening it to \"healthy paranoia,\" as companies must identify strategic inflection points and validate market changes before committing resources. The pace of change in agentic commerce surpasses that of previous payment innovations, such as cryptocurrencies and the shift between debit and credit cards. Initially, large retailers anticipated AI capabilities to reside primarily on their websites, but as consumers turn to external AI platforms for product research, the strategic focus shifts towards ensuring payment credentials and customer relationships are available across various environments. However, the separation between product discovery and transaction varies between large and small merchants. Large retailers are better positioned to navigate this transition, while small businesses prioritize ease and frictionless experiences. Payments providers must cater to both large and small merchants, offering support for experimentation and integration without demanding sophisticated AI infrastructure. Trust remains a critical factor, as AI introduces additional parties to the commercial relationship. Consumers may rely on agents for product identification, comparison, and payment selection, while merchants must ensure their products and information are accurately represented. As consumer loyalty evolves, with young shoppers discovering products through social platforms and recommendations, the source of these recommendations becomes an integral part of the commercial relationship. Nalluswami believes that payments have reached a critical inflection point, though he remains optimistic about the ability to adapt to these changes.",
  "summary": "Watch more: What’s Next in Payments With Synchrony’s Maran Nalluswami Agentic commerce is forcing payments companies to make investment decisions before they know where the transaction will ultimately take place. A shopper may begin with an artificial intelligence platform, move to a retailer’s website and finish in a store. Over time, the AI platform itself […] The post Synchrony Says AI Has Put…",
  "key_points": [
    "AI is transforming checkout experiences, blurring discovery and purchase boundaries.",
    "Payments companies face crucial investment decisions in agentic commerce.",
    "Large retailers better positioned than small businesses to navigate transition."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}