American Express plans purchase protection for AI shopping agents

On October 6, 2026, American Express released its Amex Business Playbook for Agentic Commerce to set rules for autonomous shopping agents. The company introduced two main initiatives: an Agent Purchase Protection program and a pilot Merchant AI Advisory Council. Anna Marrs, group president of Global Merchant and Network Services, is steering the effort following the release of the company's ACE Developer Kit in April 2026.

The planned Agent Purchase Protection aims to shield eligible card members and merchants from charges caused by errors from registered AI agents. The terms, conditions, and registration criteria remain unfinalized, but the company is addressing a key liability dispute. According to PYMNTS Intelligence, 93% of merchants believe AI providers should pay for agent mistakes.

Company Trendex survey data shows a wide gap between merchants and consumers. While 83% of surveyed businesses view agentic commerce as an opportunity, only 15% of shoppers trust automated bots to handle big-ticket purchases. By contrast, 66% of consumers feel comfortable using them for simple price comparisons.

To align network rules, American Express created the Merchant AI Advisory Council to gather feedback from retailers, who are currently divided between welcoming, browsing, and blocking automated agents. The initiative is currently limited to the United States.