Visa Enables AI Shopping Through Direct ChatGPT Integration
Visa has integrated its payment network directly into ChatGPT, allowing the AI chatbot to shop and complete transactions on behalf of users. As a result, AI-powered purchasing can now extend beyond limited merchant partnerships and reach a much broader retail ecosystem.
Previously, AI shopping solutions typically worked with a small number of approved merchants. However, the new integration enables AI agents within ChatGPT to make purchases at nearly any retailer that accepts Visa payments.
The announcement came during the Visa Payments Forum 2026 in San Francisco. Consequently, the move represents a major step toward making autonomous AI commerce available on a large scale.
From Early Pilots to Full Deployment
The integration builds on efforts Visa began over the past year. In April 2025, the company launched its Intelligent Commerce initiative and partnered with leading AI and technology firms to open its payment infrastructure to AI developers.
At the time, pilot programs focused on enabling secure agent-driven payments. Furthermore, Visa’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Jack Forestell, predicted that consumers would gain access to autonomous AI payments within 12 months.
That vision advanced further in April 2026 with the launch of Intelligent Commerce Connect. The platform allows merchants to accept payments initiated through multiple AI agent protocols using a single integration. Moreover, the solution entered general availability in June 2026, paving the way for broader adoption.
Competition Heats Up in AI Commerce
Visa’s deeper integration with ChatGPT arrives as competition intensifies over the future of AI-powered commerce. Currently, one group supports tokenized card-based payment systems, while another favors stablecoin-powered payment networks built on blockchain technology.
At the same time, Visa continues to expand its stablecoin settlement capabilities. The company recently extended its settlement pilot program to nine blockchain networks and reported a $7 billion annualized settlement rate during its latest quarter.
Meanwhile, the Visa Payments Forum 2026, held from June 9 to 11 in San Francisco, has attracted more than 3,000 attendees, making it the largest event in the forum’s 20-year history. The conference also highlights infrastructure for what Visa describes as “B2AI” commerce, a model designed for a future where AI systems increasingly act as customers.
Forestell has compared this transition to previous shifts from physical shopping to e-commerce and later from desktop to mobile commerce. “The payments problem is not something the AI platforms can solve by themselves,” he said in an earlier interview. “That’s why we started working with them.”
