Artificial intelligence is transforming how consumers discover products, but a clear barrier remains before it can enable frictionless end to end shopping. New research from the Retail Technology Show surveyed more than 1,000 UK shoppers and found a persistent lack of trust in AI agents when it comes to payments. While many consumers welcome AI for recommendations and search, payment authorisation is proving to be the friction frontier for broader adoption.
Key research findings
The RTS study highlights important consumer attitudes that retailers and fintech providers cannot ignore:
- 60 percent of UK shoppers say they remain mistrustful of AI agents completing purchases on their behalf.
- 57 percent express specific worries about payments such as unauthorised transactions.
- Distrust is highest among younger shoppers with 70 percent of Gen Z and 69 percent of Millennials reporting concern, even though these groups lead usage of AI discovery tools.
- 38 percent of shoppers have already used AI for product discovery and recommendation, rising to 59 percent of Millennials and 55 percent of Gen Z.
- 27 percent have used AI agents to make autonomous purchases, with adoption nearing half among Millennials and Gen Z.
These numbers show a clear divide: consumers will invite AI into discovery and decision support but hesitate to hand over payment control.
Why payments are the friction frontier
Payments involve trust, privacy and financial risk. For many shoppers, handing over payment authority to an automated agent raises questions:
- Will the AI spend within my budget?
- Will it choose vendors that meet my standards for quality and delivery?
- Will transactions be properly authorised and protected against fraud?
Even tech savvy demographics that use AI regularly for browsing and recommendations still want to retain the final sign off for payments. That demand for final control points to a design challenge for commerce platforms building agentic experiences.
The tech race and industry responses
Major technology companies are moving quickly to reduce friction. OpenAI launched Instant Checkout and Google introduced its Universal Commerce Protocol. These developments aim to deliver one click type experiences that let AI agents transact more seamlessly. Yet the RTS findings suggest technical capability alone is not enough; consumer confidence in how payments are authorised and secured is essential.
Retailers and payment providers are responding in several ways:
- Strengthening authentication flows while keeping user control visible and simple.
- Building clearer consent models that allow users to set boundaries for autonomous spending.
- Integrating AI shopping layers with order management systems delivery platforms and post purchase services to provide end to end transparency.
To bridge the trust gap and unlock full AI commerce potential retailers should prioritise both technology and user experience:
- Design explicit payment controls users can customise such as spend limits merchant filters and approval prompts.
- Communicate clearly about security measures fraud protection and how authorisation works when an AI agent is involved.
- Integrate AI discovery with OMS logistics and post purchase communications so customers can track orders and resolve issues easily.
- Test and iterate with core customer segments focusing on Gen Z and Millennials who already use AI discovery but demand payment control.
These actions will help convert curiosity and adoption in discovery into confidence for full autonomous shopping.
Conclusion and call to action
AI agents are already changing how shoppers find products, but payments remain the most significant barrier to full end to end AI commerce. For retailers and technology providers the path forward is clear: build secure transparent payment experiences that give consumers control while leveraging AI to streamline discovery and fulfilment. Start by auditing your payment authorisation flow create clear consent options and pilot controlled autonomous transactions with willing customer segments to learn and iterate.
Want to explore how to implement trust first AI payment flows for your business? Contact our team to discuss strategy integration and testing plans that align with consumer expectations and regulatory best practices.
