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Developed in partnership with leading futurists, new report explores the rise of agentic commerce and finds the next generation of shoppers already trust AI over friends and parents
Vilnius, Lithuania, 9 SEPTEMBER 2026 – More than one in ten online shoppers are expected to routinely use AI agents to purchase products on their behalf by 2030, according to futurists’ predictions in new Mastercard report A Short History of the Future of Shopping and Payments.
Drawing on Mastercard research and the perspectives of four world-leading futurists from the US, Europe and Asia, the report explores what everyday life is likely to look like by the end of the decade.
This includes AI-assisted agents that can negotiate prices, smart watches and rings that show how products are performing after sale, and even physical AI agents walking through shop doors for the first time.
“For sixty years, Mastercard has made it possible for people to pay, and get paid simply and securely, and that purpose continues through what may be the biggest shift in shopping since the invention of money itself,” says Karlis Mikoss, Country Manager Mastercard Baltics.“AI increasingly helps people decide what to buy; tomorrow it will help do the purchasing for them too. Technologies like Agent Pay are enabling a future where machines are trusted to transact on our behalf. This report is an invitation for consumers and businesses to take small practical steps today to prepare for that future together.”
AI agents will become mainstream
The predictions, developed in partnership with four of the world’s leading thinkers on the future of AI and commerce, Magnus Lindkvist, Patrick Dixon MBE, Katja Forbes and Theodora Lau, uncover the changes everyone needs to prepare for. Everyday purchases like groceries, medicines and subscriptions are expected to be the first categories delegated to AI agents.
“By 2030, buying and shopping will no longer mean the same thing,” says Magnus Lindkvist, lead futurist contributing to the report. “AI agents will handle routine buying, leaving shopping as something we choose to do for discovery, inspiration and pleasure.”
Young consumers are already embracing AI
The report’s predictions are echoed in Mastercard’s latest research, which indicates that a shift in consumer attitudes and behaviours is already happening.
A survey of 26,000 parents and teenagers (aged 13-18) across 13 countries found that today’s teens are using AI to support shopping decisions at around twice the rate of their parents and adopting AI shopping tools at a pace their parents have yet to match.
More than six in ten (62%) young people believe AI will significantly change the way their generation shops in the future.
The findings suggest AI-powered commerce is moving from emerging technology to mainstream behaviour, as younger generations grow more comfortable delegating discovery, recommendations and decisions to AI:
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Retailers will serve both AI agents and people
Futurist predictions in the report reveal a new kind of customer for retailers; an AI agent that can read reams of data, verify claims, scan for customer reviews and feedback in seconds to inform their decision and complete the purchase.
As a result, they say that retailers will need to adapt loyalty programs, customer relationships and digital experiences for agents. That means making product information, claims and policies machine-readable. For example, a sustainability claim should come with a certificate an agent can find, read and verify.
Trust will be the defining competitive advantage
The report identifies that trust is central to the shift to agentic commerce. As Magnus Lindkvist puts it: “Every great shift in commerce has been, at heart, a shift in trust. From the marketplace to the mall, to the catalogue, to the click of a button, each historic evolvement of commerce has asked people to place trust somewhere new.”
Agentic commerce is the most profound shift yet, as people no longer just trust technology to inform their choices, they trust it to make them.
According to Theodora Lau, merchants and financial institutions will need to earn that trust through clear frameworks for identity, consent, authorization and liability.
She predicts that at least three G20 regulators are expected to issue formal guidance on registering and monitoring AI agents by 2030, and payment intent will become as valuable as the payment itself. That is because consumer authorisation for an agent to purchase on their behalf becoming readable even before the purchase has been made.
Agentic commerce is already beginning to emerge
While the report looks towards 2030, early examples of agentic commerce are already happening. Earlier this year, Mastercard and its partners completed Europe's first live end-to-end agentic payment transaction, demonstrating how AI agents can securely support purchasing and payment experiences while maintaining appropriate safeguards, transparency and consumer control.
The full report, including additional findings and insights, is available here.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The full report, A Short History of the Future of Shopping and Payments, exploring how agentic commerce is set to transform retail and payments and how businesses and consumers can prepare, is available at https://www.mastercard.com/global/en/news-and-trends/stories/2026/future-of-shopping-and-payments.html, including all 15 predictions and full commentary from Magnus Lindkvist, Patrick Dixon, Katja Forbes and Theodora Lau. Each chapter is paired with advice from Mastercard to cardholders, retailers and financial institutions
Five of the 15 predictions:
AI-powered shopping could become mainstream
More than 300 million online shoppers globally could routinely use AI agents to shop and pay by 2030.
Routine purchases will increasingly be delegated
Consumers may rely on AI agents for recurring and lower-risk purchases, saving time and reducing friction.
Retailers will need to serve both humans and AI agents
Product information, trust signals and digital experiences may become increasingly important as AI agents evaluate products and services.
Trust will determine adoption
Security, transparency, accountability and consent are likely to become critical differentiators in an agentic economy.
Payments will require new identity and authorization models
Banks, fintechs and payment providers may need new approaches to authentication, liability and consent as AI agents increasingly participate in commerce.
Methodology
Mastercard commissioned research with its research partner Opinium to understand attitudes towards, and usage of AI assistants in shopping and payments among parents and their teenage children. Fieldwork took place in June and July 2026. The survey sampled 13,000 parent-and-teen (aged 13–18) pairs (26,000 respondents in total) across 13 markets: Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Spain and the UK.
About Mastercard (NYSE: MA)
Mastercard powers economies and empowers people in 200+ countries and territories worldwide. Together with our customers, we’re building a resilient economy where everyone can prosper. We support a wide range of digital payments choices, making transactions secure, simple, smart and accessible. Our technology and innovation, partnerships and networks combine to deliver a unique set of products and services that help people, businesses and governments realize their greatest potential.
