Visa Partners on AI Agent Payment Framework

Visa has partnered with Ant International and Mastercard to develop an interoperable Know-Your-Agent framework. The initiative aims to streamline how artificial intelligence agents are identified and onboarded across card networks, digital wallets, agent platforms and marketplaces. Each network will retain its own verification systems and risk controls.

The framework links each agent to a validated operator, cardholder or business, alongside shared certification requirements and continuous transaction monitoring. The companies are collaborating through BuildFin.ai, an industry platform convened by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. This effort builds on Visa's Trusted Agent Protocol, Mastercard's Verifiable Intent and Ant International's Agentic Mobile Protocol.

The project complements Visa's broader push into automated payments, including its Intelligent Commerce solutions. Meanwhile, competitors are developing their own tools. Mastercard is integrating Verifiable Intent with Agent Pay, while American Express is advancing its ACE developer kit and Agent Purchase Protection.

Over the past six months, shares of Visa have gained 18.9%, outperforming the industry's 1.1% increase. Visa trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 24.70 compared with the industry average of 17.72. Zacks consensus estimates project a 14.7% earnings increase for Visa's fiscal year 2026.