The prototype uses Apple Pay’s wallet approval through Stripe’s payment integration. Card networks such as Visa and Mastercard connect sellers and card issuers, the banks or companies providing card accounts. Processors such as Stripe help sellers accept and manage payments.
I’m comparing what the documentation establishes about permission, the buyer’s involvement and access for a particular account or market.
Card networks
Visa
Card network
Visa documents checks on buyer identity, payment permission, seller and amount. Those checks address who authorized the spending and which payments are allowed.
Program details
ProgramVisa Intelligent Commerce
Availability
Documented APIs
How payment access works
Visa’s agent-specific tokens replace the original card number. Its developer guide describes verifying the buyer, recording approved payment instructions, and checking the seller and amount.
Program status
Public APIs and sandbox documentation are available. Intelligent Commerce Connect was announced as a pilot on 8 April 2026.
Access limits
Access depends on the program, eligible cards and market. The Connect pilot does not establish access for every agent.
Mastercard
Card network
Mastercard’s reported concert-ticket pilot is an example of a purchase after buyer approval. Its Verifiable Intent work records evidence linking the buyer, instruction and purchase.
Program details
ProgramMastercard Agent Pay
Availability
Production pilot reported
How payment access works
Agent Pay combines registered agents with network tokens, which replace card numbers within the card network. Verifiable Intent records evidence linking the buyer, instructions and purchase.
Program status
Mastercard, ING and Worldline reported an approved concert-ticket purchase in a production pilot on 2 June 2026.
Access limits
The pilot shows a buyer-approved purchase. It does not establish general access to shopping while the buyer is away.
American Express
Card network and issuer
Amex describes checking the buyer’s approved instruction before payment. Its proposed Agent Purchase Protection still has eligibility conditions and further terms pending.
Program details
ProgramAgentic Commerce Experiences
Availability
Specifications available
How payment access works
Intent Intelligence describes sending the buyer’s verified purchase instruction to the card issuer before payment. Passkey approval or approved delegation produces a record used to obtain payment access with limits.
Program status
Three ACE specifications were released on 14 April 2026. The intent framework followed on 13 October.
Access limits
Agent Purchase Protection remains proposed, with eligibility restrictions and further terms forthcoming.
Discover
Card network
Discover documents online card payments, wallets and stored tokens. An agent-specific permission program remains unverified in this review.
Program details
ProgramDigital Exchange and stored tokens
Availability
Agent program unverified
How payment access works
Discover documents online and wallet payments, Discover Digital Exchange and stored-token services. A token replaces the original card number for supported uses.
Program status
A named public program for agent-specific payment permission remains unverified in this guide.
Access limits
This review did not verify an agent-specific permission model or rollout. That gap does not establish that an agent-assisted purchase is impossible.
Wallet checkout
Apple Pay
Digital wallet
The buyer chooses when to open the wallet and approve payment. This prototype uses that approval path through Stripe; a supported browser and device are still required.
Program details
ProgramApple Pay in third-party browsers
Availability
Available wallet checkout
How payment access works
A buyer completes supported browser checkout on an eligible iPhone or iPad. They scan the Apple Pay code, review payment details and approve on that device.
Program status
The browser feature supports eligible devices running iOS 18 or iPadOS 18 or later, with seller enablement required.
Access limits
The browser-code path needs a supported seller and browser and an eligible device. The buyer scans and approves, with the initiating checkout open until payment completes.
Commerce platforms
Stripe
Payment processor
Stripe documents seller, amount, currency and expiry limits through Shared Payment Tokens, with preview API examples. The prototype uses its buyer-approved checkout; it does not test these token or Link delegation paths.
Program details
ProgramShared Payment Tokens and Link
Availability
Preview API documented
How payment access works
Shared Payment Tokens limit payment access to a named seller, currency, maximum amount and expiry. Stripe may use Visa or Mastercard network tokens, replacements for card numbers, underneath.
Program status
Current documentation covers the US, Canada and selected European countries, with preview API examples.
Access limits
Check access for the intended account and market. Link is Stripe’s wallet; its September update still describes individual budgeted purchases without approval as upcoming.
PayPal
Wallet and processor
PayPal separates product, cart and order connections from the payment integration. Its documented ChatGPT and Google paths show which seller connections an agent-assisted purchase would need.
Program details
ProgramAgent Ready and Store Sync
Availability
Integration paths documented
How payment access works
Agent Ready documents payment permission passed through Braintree for ChatGPT, plus Google Pay and encrypted-payment-information paths for Google’s commerce protocol. Store Sync connects products, carts and orders.
Program status
The overview was updated on 13 October 2026. Store Sync handles product, cart and order connections.
Access limits
Each path needs a seller integration. Sharing a catalog alone does not enable payment, and the documents do not establish access on every shopping surface.
Availability
Published specifications, a reported pilot and access for a particular account establish different things. Check the program’s card, account and market requirements before treating it as available.
Keep the approved order with the payment
Whichever payment service is chosen, the shopping service still needs to connect the buyer’s approved item and terms to the payment and seller’s order. Those records are the starting point for investigating a mismatch.
