Visa's Global Market Group President Oliver Jenkyn forecasts that "AI-assisted shopping" will become mainstream by 2026, driven by accelerated collaboration between payment giants and AI companies.

**AI Shopping Goes Mainstream** Jenkyn noted that while chatbot-based shopping features were introduced in 2025, the real tipping point will arrive next year. By then, interactive shopping on generative AI platforms like ChatGPT will transition from early-adopter experimentation to everyday consumer behavior.

"By 2026, AI-powered shopping will be ubiquitous," Jenkyn said. "Smart assistants will deeply integrate into platforms like ChatGPT, actively guiding purchasing decisions."

However, he acknowledged that advancing from "AI-assisted decisions" to full "Agentic Commerce"—where AI autonomously handles payments and purchases—will take longer. The primary barrier isn’t technology but consumer psychology. Most users still prefer retaining final payment control even after accepting AI recommendations.

As a result, adoption will occur in phases. Standardized, high-frequency purchases like laundry detergent or coffee creamer are expected to be the first categories where consumers fully delegate transactions to AI.

**Payment Giants Race to Adapt** Anticipating this paradigm shift, global payment leaders are rapidly positioning themselves to capture new traffic flows as consumers migrate to chatbot-driven commerce.

Jenkyn revealed Visa is engaging with all major industry players. Meanwhile, Mastercard partnered with Microsoft earlier this year, and PayPal integrated its digital wallet directly into OpenAI’s chatbot through an October agreement.