Mastercard Projects 300 Million AI Shoppers

Mastercard projects that 300 million online shoppers will rely on artificial intelligence agents by 2030. The forecast comes as merchants face accelerating behavioral changes led by younger demographics, compressing the timeline for retailers to adapt their checkout and sales systems.

Teen adoption of AI shopping assistants stands at 27%, which is nearly double the 16% rate observed among adults. Younger consumers also use AI tools to find prices and discounts at an 18% rate, compared with 10% for adults. In response to this generational shift, 89% of companies are actively preparing for automated shopping channels.

Despite these preparations, actual implementation faces a wide adoption gap. Data from Checkout.com shows that 42% of merchants are testing agentic commerce, but only 3% of current transactions involve automated agents. Consumer trust remains a major hurdle. Worldpay reports that only 14% of shoppers trust AI recommendations without manual verification, and customer confidence drops sharply on purchases exceeding $50.

The transition also poses commercial risks for retailers. If automated agents focus exclusively on finding the lowest price, businesses risk eroding brand equity and reducing margins. Retailers must now build systems that maintain brand identity and consumer trust while integrating automated purchasing over the next four years.