Consumers Expect AI to Make 15% of Their Purchases Within Five Years, Global Payments Research Finds

Global Payments’ new research shows fast-rising consumer use of AI shopping agents, but payment security and privacy concerns remain widespread.

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09/23/2026 - 08:30 AM

Annual Agentic Commerce Report shows consumers are rapidly warming to agent executed purchasing, with comfort levels more than doubling across everyday spending categories

Consumers now expect AI-powered agents to make 15% of their purchases within five years, up from 9% a year ago
Nearly half of Americans (45%) have used or would consider using an AI shopping agent
Comfort with AI-powered purchasing has more than doubled across select categories including cinema tickets, meal delivery and subscriptions
Despite growing adoption, half of Americans (50%) remain concerned about payment security

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leading payment technology and software company that powers commerce for businesses of all sizes worldwide, today released new research showing Americans are becoming increasingly comfortable with the idea of letting AI-powered agents shop on their behalf. A year ago, consumers expected AI agents to make 9% of their purchases within five years. Today, that figure has climbed to 15%, signalling a rapid shift in consumer attitudes toward agent executed transactions and how commerce will be conducted in the future.

Consumer behaviors are already changing. Nearly half of Americans (45%) have already used, or would consider using, an AI shopping agent, while nearly seven in ten (69%) use AI to help find better deals when shopping. Sixty-three percent rely on it to save time. Rather than replacing shopping altogether, AI is helping consumers cut through endless comparison shopping, identify better deals and make faster buying decisions.

"Just a year ago, the idea of letting AI actually buy something for you still felt futuristic," said Cindy Turner, chief product officer at Global Payments. "Today, consumers are increasingly willing to hand over everyday purchases if it saves time, finds better value and keeps them in control. That creates an opportunity for merchants, which is why Global Payments is focused on ensuring merchants can support these transactions safely and at scale across a rapidly evolving ecosystem."

The findings align with broader industry efforts to prepare for a future in which AI agents play an increasingly central role in the shopping journey.

Confidence in AI-powered purchasing surges

Across several everyday categories, shoppers are more than twice as likely as they were last year to say they are comfortable using AI to spend up to $50:

Cinema tickets increased from 32% to 82%.
Meal delivery or pickup increased from 30% to 78%.
Meal vouchers and gift cards increased from 28% to 77%.
Subscriptions and memberships increased from 27% to 69%.

The findings suggest consumers are moving beyond simply experimenting with AI and are becoming increasingly comfortable with the idea of it completing everyday transactions on their behalf.

For retail purchases, a substantial majority of consumers are comfortable with AI agents transacting on their behalf, with clear spending limits:

69% would let an AI agent spend up to $100 on groceries and everyday essentials.
69% would permit spending up to $100 on clothing and footwear.
64% would allow spending up to $100 on luxury clothing and footwear.
58% would cap spending on electronics and gadgets at $100.

The shift could reshape how retailers compete online. As consumers increasingly rely on AI agents to discover products, compare prices and complete purchases, businesses will need to compete not only for consumer attention, but also for visibility within AI-driven shopping journeys. In an agentic commerce environment, trust, discoverability and checkout experiences are poised to become critical competitive differentiators.

Agentic commerce faces trust challenge

Despite growing enthusiasm for AI-powered purchasing, consumers are not ready to hand over complete control. Half of Americans (50%) remain concerned about the security of their payment details, while 46% cite concerns about privacy and personal data use – and 42% worry that AI could make the wrong purchasing decisions on their behalf.

Consumers are also seeking safeguards that ensure they remain protected. One-third (33%) want to approve every transaction before a payment is made, while 28% want access to human support when issues arise and 26% want proof that AI systems cannot be hacked or manipulated.

The findings suggest agentic commerce is gaining momentum, but trust will determine how quickly it becomes engrained in everyday behavior.

Further findings from the Global Payments Agentic Commerce Report, including sector-specific insights covering retail, travel, hospitality and entertainment, are available at: globalpayments.com/agentic-commerce.

Methodology

This press release cites findings from two waves of consumer research conducted by The Lantern, a specialist market research agency, in partnership with Global Payments. The first survey was conducted in August-September 2025 and included 8,000 consumers across the U.S., UK, France, Brazil, China, Singapore and Australia. The second survey was conducted in May 2026 and included 8,027 consumers across the same markets. The two surveys enable year-over-year comparisons of consumer attitudes and behaviors. Full methodology is available in the report: globalpayments.com/agentic-commerce.

About Global Payments

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a leading payment technology and software company that powers commerce for businesses of all sizes worldwide. We help businesses grow with confidence by delivering innovative solutions that enable seamless payment acceptance, smarter operations and exceptional client experiences – online, in store and everywhere in between. With its global reach, local expertise and scale, Global Payments^® manages trillions in payments volume and billions of transactions across more than 175 countries. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, Global Payments is a Fortune 500® company and a member of the S&P 500. Learn more at company.globalpayments.com.