Mastercard, Fiserv Expand Alliance for AI-Driven Card Payments

Mastercard and global payments and technology firm Fiserv have broadened their alliance to make it easier for merchants to participate in agentic commerce, according to a recent press release. 

Through the enhanced partnership, Fiserv will adopt Mastercard’s Agent Pay Acceptance Framework, which establishes a secure system for allowing AI agents to make purchases on a cardholder’s behalf. 

For merchants, the collaboration between Mastercard and Fiserv may allow them to experience more sales growth in a year where AI-driven commerce is positioned to expand.

Research from Visa shows that 47% of U.S. consumers use AI tools to compare pricing on products when shopping. The company predicts that millions of people will turn to AI agents to transact by the time 2026’s holiday shopping season rolls around.

“We are seeing impressive growth in how AI will transform commerce, with many real-world transactions completed by Visa’s deep network of partners,” Rubail Birwadker, SVP, Head of Growth Products and Partnerships at Visa, said in a release on the company’s view of the role of AI transactions in the coming year.

Visa research indicates that nearly half of shoppers in the U.S. use AI solutions to find and evaluate products.

“In 2026, AI agents won’t just assist your shopping — they will complete your purchases, powered by Visa’s global scale, standards leadership, and unparalleled commitment to secure agentic commerce,” Birwadker added.

With partnerships such as the one between Mastercard and Fiserv, merchants don’t have to figure out all the ins and outs of agentic commerce on their own. They can rely on the solutions companies provide to offer safe and secure experiences for cardholders using AI agents to assist them with their shopping.

Merchants on the fence about whether agentic commerce can help them reach their sales goals should consider that the use of AI agents in shopping may lead to faster repeat purchases and stronger conversion rates. But a business that refuses to accept payments that AI agents initiate risk seeing their sales volume plummet.  

Some merchants may fear that moving to a sales environment that emphasizes the use of AI agents will lead to weakened relationships with customers. But the press release from Fiserv reveals that the company’s partnership with Mastercard will equip merchants with the tools they need to stay in control of customer relationships.

Merchants may also be wary of participating in agentic commerce due to concerns over payment security. Fiserv is connecting with the Secure Card on File solution from Mastercard to promote seamless and secure transactions.

The collaboration between Fiserv and Mastercard stands to bring security to AI-driven transactions.

Mastercard’s Secure Card on File program empowers merchants to replace the primary account numbers of cardholders with unique tokens to cut down on instances of fraud and boost approval rates.

Chiro Aikat, Co-President, U.S., at Mastercard, said in the release that agentic commerce is creating more intuitive experiences for consumers and merchants alike.

“These technologies simplify transactions, reduce friction, and enable businesses to deliver faster, more personalized experiences,” Aikat said. “By working with Fiserv, we’re making it easier for merchants to embrace these innovations in ways that add trust, speed, and confidence.”

Mastercard and Fiserv are also working on an initiative to advance mainstream adoption of stablecoins.