Visa survey shows trust gap on AI at online checkout

New Visa survey data suggests artificial intelligence already plays a role in most shopping journeys across Asia Pacific. However, security and transparency concerns still shape whether people are willing to complete purchases.

The YouGov research for Visa surveyed 14,764 consumers aged 18 and above across 14 markets. It found 74% use AI-powered tools to discover, track, or learn about products.

Even with that level of early-stage use, a significant minority remain wary of how AI influences decisions. Across the region, 26% said they were unsure whether AI recommendations align with their best interests.

Caution signals

Caution appears higher among affluent and digitally savvy consumers. Among affluent households, 39% reported higher expectations for how their data is used, compared with 29% among lower-income groups.

Some of the most digitally mature markets also showed above-average caution. Australia recorded 38% on this measure, followed by New Zealand at 37% and Singapore at 34%.

The findings point to a gap between using AI for product discovery and trusting AI systems with sensitive information. Consumers seem more willing to accept AI guidance while browsing, and more hesitant once it involves payment credentials or personal data.

Visa said consumers draw a clear line between AI as a tool for comparing options and AI as an intermediary in financial transactions, and linked the hesitation to the need for clearer explanations of how AI uses data and how payments are protected.

"The way people shop is changing quickly, with AI now playing a growing role in how consumers discover and choose products," said T.R. Ramachandran, Head of Products & Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa.

"But as AI becomes part of the checkout experience, trust and control become even more important. Consumers want to understand how their data is being used and feel confident that every transaction is secure. Building that trust is what will determine whether AI-powered commerce can truly scale," Ramachandran said.

Checkout concerns

Responses on sharing information with AI systems underline the friction point at checkout. The study found 32% of consumers remain reluctant to share personal or payment information with AI systems.

Security assurances could be a decisive lever for broader adoption. Nearly half of respondents (45%) said they would be more open to AI-powered or agentic commerce if they had stronger assurances around payment security.

Agentic commerce refers to systems where software agents can take more direct actions during shopping, such as selecting products or completing transactions based on user preferences. The results suggest consumers may be willing to try these experiences, but only when they feel protected and in control.

Visa framed this as a payments and authentication challenge rather than a discovery challenge. In practical terms, it argues that consumer-facing AI tools will need payment controls that are as visible as the product recommendations that drive engagement earlier in the journey.

Market differences

Openness to AI-driven commerce varies widely across Asia Pacific. India and Vietnam led the region, with 42% of consumers in each market saying they were open to using AI for online purchases.

In contrast, interest was much lower in several advanced digital economies. Singapore and Japan each recorded 14%, while New Zealand recorded 16%.

The research suggests higher digital maturity does not automatically translate into higher trust in AI at checkout. In markets with more established digital commerce, consumers appear to set a higher bar for data protection and security, and to demand more visibility into how systems operate.

Visa said improved payment security is the strongest enabler of increased adoption in those markets, pointing to tokenisation and passkeys as measures that can reduce exposure of sensitive data during transactions.

Payments layer

Alongside the survey findings, Visa highlighted product initiatives related to AI-driven commerce. It said it is working on Visa Intelligent Commerce and a Trusted Agent Protocol, which it describes as a framework for connecting consumers, AI agents, and merchants.

"Consumers are ready for AI to play a more active role in shopping, and agentic commerce has already started scaling beyond concept and into daily life," Ramachandran said.

"For this shift to accelerate, trust and secure authentication must be in place. With solutions such as Tokenisation and Visa Payment Passkeys, Visa is delivering the seamless and secure experiences customers need - enabling people to shop with greater confidence as AI becomes a more natural part of everyday commerce," he said.

The results suggest an adoption curve in which AI becomes normalised in browsing and product selection, while payment and identity safeguards become the defining factors for wider use of agentic commerce. Visa said it expects security and authentication measures to play a central role as AI systems move closer to the transaction itself.