Agentic Commerce Set to Transform Travel Industry Shopping

The rise of AI-driven autonomous shopping, known as agentic commerce, is poised to revolutionize the travel industry. Major payment companies like Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal, along with tech giant Google, are leading the charge with new protocols and frameworks to enable seamless, automated purchases.

What is Agentic Commerce?

Agentic commerce refers to AI agents that complete transactions on behalf of users without direct human intervention. Google recently announced its AI Mode for shopping, which includes features like agentic checkout and price-tracking. This could spell the end of traditional checkout pages and even challenge the relevance of online travel agencies (OTAs).

"The industry is partially ready, but there’s a significant gap between what’s technically possible and what’s widely adopted," said Patricio Boccardo of Sabre Direct Pay.

Payment Innovations

• Mastercard unveiled Agent Pay.
• Visa launched Intelligent Commerce.
• PayPal introduced its Agent Toolkit.

These innovations aim to scale agentic commerce by collaborating with AI platforms like IBM, Microsoft, and Perplexity.

The Future of Booking

James Lemon of Stripe predicts an "explosion of new booking channels," including messenger commerce via platforms like WhatsApp. Meanwhile, Spencer Hanlon of Nium envisions voice and wearable tech (e.g., Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses) as future interfaces for frictionless purchases.

Challenges Ahead

• Consumer Trust: Users need reassurance that AI agents won’t make unauthorized purchases.
• Fraud Risks: "The opportunity for fraud is going to be absolutely massive," warned Lemon.
• Legacy Systems: Many travel suppliers still rely on outdated systems that can’t handle real-time, agent-led payments.

Despite these hurdles, Sherri Haymond of Mastercard believes agentic commerce will democratize the industry, benefiting both large and small businesses.

"This stuff is going to come way, way quicker than we think," Lemon concluded.