Google Launches Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) To Power AI-Driven Commerce

Google announced the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open framework designed to secure agent-led transactions as AI becomes more embedded in commerce. Developed in collaboration with over 60 financial and technology partners—including Mastercard, PayPal, Adyen, Coinbase, American Express, UnionPay, and Worldpay—AP2 addresses a critical gap: how to authenticate and authorize payments when the “buyer” is no longer a human clicking checkout, but an autonomous AI agent.

The absence of Visa and Stripe, two of the most influential players in global payments, stands out. Their decision not to appear among the launch partners could reflect differing strategic priorities or a wait-and-see approach toward open agent-led payment protocols.

Solving The Trust Problem In Agent-Led Payments

AI agents are already capable of researching, recommending, and even purchasing on behalf of users. This shift raises fundamental issues of authorization, authenticity, and accountability. AP2 addresses them with a mandate-based system:

• Intent Mandates record a user’s instructions, such as setting spending limits or product preferences.
• Cart Mandates serve as tamper-proof contracts confirming the exact items and price at checkout.

Together, these cryptographically signed mandates create an audit trail from intent to payment, ensuring merchants can verify that transactions reflect genuine user intent.

Unlocking New Commerce Models

AP2 is not just about security—it also enables new shopping scenarios:

• Smarter shopping: Agents can automatically secure high-intent purchases, such as buying a specific color variant once it becomes available.
• Personalized offers: Merchants’ agents can respond with tailored bundles or discounts based on customer intent.
• Coordinated tasks: Complex transactions, such as booking flights and hotels under a shared budget, can be executed simultaneously across multiple platforms.

Support For Traditional And Emerging Payments

Designed to be payment-agnostic, AP2 supports cards, bank transfers, stablecoins, and cryptocurrencies. In partnership with Coinbase, Ethereum Foundation, and MetaMask, Google also introduced A2A x402, an extension enabling production-ready crypto transactions through AP2.

Building An Open Ecosystem

Google is inviting payment networks, issuers, merchants, and technology providers to contribute to the protocol’s evolution. Reference implementations and technical specifications are available on GitHub, with updates planned as adoption grows.

The company also sees potential for B2B commerce applications, such as autonomous procurement via Google Cloud Marketplace or automatic scaling of enterprise software licenses.