DBS Pilots AI-Initiated Payments with Visa in First Agentic Commerce Test
From Cards to Agents: DBS Pilots AI-Initiated Payments with Visa Intelligent Commerce
DBS has partnered with Visa to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC), becoming the first issuer in Asia Pacific to test agent-initiated payments for everyday transactions. The pilot focuses on enabling AI agents to complete payments on behalf of customers through secure, consent-driven flows, marking a shift from manual digital payments toward automated, AI-enabled transaction experiences.
Key Highlights of the Partnership and Pilot
Introduction of agent-initiated payments through secure infrastructure: The pilot leverages Visa’s APIs and payment infrastructure to enable AI agents to initiate transactions on behalf of users, while maintaining issuer-controlled security and consent mechanisms.
Real-world validation through everyday transaction use cases: DBS and Visa tested the model using food and beverage purchases, demonstrating that AI agents can complete routine payments using customer cards within controlled and secure environments.
Expansion into broader commerce scenarios under evaluation: The collaboration is exploring use cases beyond initial pilots, including online shopping and travel bookings, indicating a gradual move toward wider application of agent-led transactions.
Rising consumer adoption of AI-assisted interactions driving demand: High usage of generative AI tools in Singapore, including AI-assisted shopping, reflects behavioural readiness for automated transactions, supporting the relevance of agentic commerce pilots.
Integration of consent, authentication, and transaction controls: The model incorporates AI-ready credentials, advanced authentication, and intent-driven controls to ensure transparency, accountability, and user oversight in AI-initiated payments.
Early ecosystem development for agentic commerce in Asia Pacific: The pilot focuses on building foundational infrastructure, protocols, and partnerships required to scale agent-driven payments across the regional payments ecosystem
Future Outlook for DBS in an AI-Led Ecosystem
DBS is positioning itself to support the transition toward agent-driven commerce by building capabilities around authentication, consent management, and transaction controls within AI environments. As AI agents become more embedded in consumer interactions, the bank’s early involvement in infrastructure and ecosystem readiness could enable it to participate in new transaction flows where payments are triggered within conversational or automated interfaces, rather than traditional app-based journeys.
