Visa to reshape payments via AI-driven experience

SINGAPORE – Visa is preparing the Philippine market for the arrival of agentic commerce, a new artificial intelligence (AI)–driven payment experience that the global payments firm expects will redefine how consumers shop, book travel and transact online.

Jeffrey Navarro, Visa country manager for the Philippines, said the company is “signaling to the market” that agent-based digital transactions will soon become part of everyday commerce, even as pilots remain underway in the United States.

“We want everyone to know that this is directionally where we’re going,” Navarro said in an interview on the sidelines of the 2025 Singapore Fintech Festival. “Any implementation that we do, it’s not just Visa implementing it. Our banks, issuers and acquirers also need to be ready.”

Agentic commerce allows consumers to delegate tasks — from searching for hotels to choosing flights and completing payments — to an AI agent that can curate options, make recommendations and execute purchases securely.

“It’s no longer just searching. You tell the agent what you want, it recommends and then it asks, ‘Is this okay?’ When you say yes, it executes the payment for you,” Navarro said. “It’s like having a travel agency that curates everything and you just confirm.”

Navarro said early interest among Philippine partners is strong, although security and reliability remain top priorities before any rollout.

“With anything that’s new, there will always be concern,” he said. “When it comes to payment, fraud and cybersecurity, there will always be questions. We have an obligation to our consumers, to the regulator and to our partners that whatever systems we roll out are secure and reliable.”

He added that Visa will ensure merchants can easily verify whether an AI agent is legitimate. “What’s very important is that the agent operates in a secure environment. When a merchant sees an agent, they should know it’s legit and certified,” he said.

Navarro emphasized that agentic commerce will not replace existing payment habits but instead offer more choices. “Consumers will always choose what’s convenient for them. Some will still prefer physical cards or mobile wallets. This is simply another option,” he said.

Visa said its Intelligent Commerce program is designed to prepare markets for a future where AI agents conduct secure, consent-driven purchases. The system integrates tokenization, authentication, and transaction signals through Visa’s secure network.

“Agentic commerce is transforming the very fabric of online payment transactions, requiring a unified ecosystem to unlock its full potential,” T.R. Ramachandran, Visa head of products and solutions for Asia-Pacific.

Jeffrey Navarro

“With Visa Intelligent Commerce and its cornerstone, Trusted Agent Protocol, Visa is connecting consumers, AI agents and merchants through secure, scalable solutions. This ensures every interaction is verified and transparent, empowering all parties of the purchase to embrace this future with confidence.”

The new Trusted Agent Protocol provides merchants with cryptographic assurance that AI-driven transactions come from verified sources, addressing fraud concerns as AI traffic to retail sites continues to surge.

Visa aid pilot programs for Intelligent Commerce are expected to begin across Asia-Pacific, including potential participation from the Philippines, by early 2026.

Complementing its AI push, Visa also announced the regional rollout of Visa Scan to Pay, a solution that allows consumers to make secure QR code payments through partner wallets and banking apps.

The initiative is expected to make everyday transactions simpler, connecting digital wallets like Samsung Wallet, LINE Pay and VNPT Money with millions of Visa-accepting merchants.

“As commerce across Asia-Pacific becomes increasingly mobile-first, Visa is leading the way with innovations like Scan to Pay that accelerate QR payment adoption,” Ramachandran said.

“By enabling millions of merchants to accept secure, seamless payments by tapping or scanning, we’re not only expanding digital acceptance but also empowering consumers with more flexible ways to pay — anytime, anywhere.”

Visa said the technology helps merchants lower costs and streamline operations by leveraging existing QR infrastructure, while giving consumers the same secure experience whether shopping at home or abroad.

Stablecoin settlement pilot with Nium

In another announcement, Visa confirmed that Singapore-based payments infrastructure provider Nium has joined its stablecoin settlement pilot, which enables select partners to settle transactions with Visa using blockchain-based stablecoins such as Circle’s USDC.

The pilot aims to make cross-border settlements faster, more secure, and programmable, key features that could improve remittance efficiency and business transactions in markets like the Philippines, one of the world’s largest remittance recipients.

“Stablecoins are increasingly becoming a critical tool in modern money movement,” said Nischint Sanghavi, Visa’s head of digital currencies for Asia-Pacific.

“Our stablecoin settlement pilot is designed to give partners predictable settlement capabilities up to seven days per week, to keep pace with today’s constantly evolving global commerce environment.”

The announcements come as Visa continues to collaborate with global technology firms including Microsoft, Tencent and Ant International to develop agentic commerce and digital payment infrastructure.

Navarro described stablecoins as a strong fit for the Philippines’ large remittance and gig-worker markets.

“We think there’s a good application for stablecoins, especially in remittances and gig payments,” he said. “There’s potential for driving costs cheaper and making transactions faster.”

Visa showcased its latest AI and payment innovations at the Singapore Fintech Festival from Nov. 12 to 14, where attendees can experience its Intelligent Commerce and Visa Pay technologies in action.

With these developments, Visa said it remains committed to working with regulators, fintechs and ecosystem partners to advance the next generation of payment experiences — bridging AI, blockchain and mobile technologies to build a secure, trusted digital economy for consumers and merchants across Asia-Pacific.