Visa says it is embedding its payment network into ChatGPT so that AI agents can shop and complete purchases on a user’s behalf. The arrangement, described in coverage of a company event in San Francisco, involves OpenAI providing the technology that lets agents interact with users, make choices, and initiate transactions through ChatGPT, while Visa provides payment authorization and fraud monitoring to operate at scale. Reporting notes that earlier efforts to enable AI-driven purchasing were more limited in scope, such as being tied to a single retailer or a small group of enrolled merchants.
A stated example is that a user could ask ChatGPT to find wireless headphones under a set price, after which the system would identify an eligible product and carry out the purchase within that requirement. Sources also say Visa and OpenAI have not disclosed the financial terms of the collaboration, including any fees for merchants or customers. Visa says the service includes guardrails intended to protect consumers and reduce fraud, including spending limits, required approval steps, and restrictions to approved merchants.
