Ant International, Mastercard, and Visa have begun working together on a shared Know-Your-Agent framework, covering AI agents that make purchases on behalf of users. The three companies announced the collaboration on Thursday, Singapore time, with Reuters and CNBC also reporting on the development.
According to the announcement, the framework is designed to help card networks, digital wallets, agent platforms, and marketplaces onboard and identify AI agents across networks. Each network will keep its own verification and decision-making processes, ensuring that the framework complements existing protocols.
The framework covers three key areas: operator traceability across networks, shared certification, and continuous monitoring of each agent. Operator traceability links each agent to a validated operator, cardholder, or business, while shared certification assesses each agent against security and behavioral requirements. Continuous monitoring uses identity and transaction signals to keep track of each agent's activities.
Each company already has its own protocol for agent payments, including Visa's Trusted Agent Protocol, Mastercard's Verifiable Intent, and Ant International's Agentic Mobile Protocol. The companies will now explore ways to work towards common principles, enhancing interoperability across Know-Your-Agent frameworks.
The collaboration will be facilitated through BuildFin.ai, a platform convened by the Monetary Authority of Singapore. This platform builds on the regulator's Safeguards for Agentic Finance at Runtime (SAFR) framework, covering payment ecosystems in Singapore. The partnership is expected to have a significant impact, with a McKinsey projection suggesting that AI agents could orchestrate $3 trillion to $5 trillion of global consumer commerce by 2030.
Industry leaders have welcomed the collaboration, with Mastercard's chief digital officer, Pablo Fourez, stating that interoperability across Know-Your-Agent frameworks is essential for making agentic commerce work at scale. Visa's global head of growth products and strategic partnerships, Rubail Birwadker, emphasized the need for trust to scale with the growing use of AI agents in commerce. Ant International's chief innovation officer, Jiang-Ming Yang, highlighted the importance of ensuring people feel safe when using AI agents, citing the potential for hallucination as a key challenge.
The collaboration is also significant in the context of the growing use of digital wallets and AI shopping agents. Ant International's Alipay+ connects 150 million merchants to over 50 digital wallets and banking apps, while Worldpay figures suggest that digital wallets accounted for 56% of global e-commerce value and 33% of point-of-sale value in 2025. Other companies, such as Meta and Amazon, are also launching AI-powered shopping agents, and the market is expected to continue growing in the coming years.
Cet article a été rédigé avec l'assistance de l'IA.
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