Google launches Agent Payments Protocol for AI agents

Google has announced the launch of the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open standard designed to enable secure, interoperable payments by AI agents across merchants, wallets, and payment systems.

Features of AP2

According to Google, AP2 is vendor-neutral and payment-method agnostic. It supports transactions initiated by AI agents in scenarios where users may not be directly present.

To ensure accountability, the protocol introduces the use of “mandates” backed by Verifiable Credentials. These mandates—Intent Mandates, Cart Mandates, and Payment Mandates—provide cryptographic proof of user authorisation and define the scope of an AI agent’s purchasing power.

This structure aims to reduce disputes by offering merchants, issuers, and consumers an auditable trail of each transaction.

Industry participation

Google reported that over 60 organisations, including financial institutions, payment networks, and merchants, are participating in the development and adoption of AP2.

The company emphasised that broad industry collaboration is central to the protocol’s success, as interoperability across different players in the payments ecosystem is essential for AI-driven commerce to scale.

Payment methods and roadmap

The initial phase of AP2 focuses on card-based payments, which remain widely used in global commerce. However, Google outlined a roadmap that will expand the protocol to include real-time payment systems such as India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Brazil’s PIX.

The company also noted that future iterations could support decentralised and blockchain-based payment mechanisms, reflecting the growing diversity of digital payment infrastructures worldwide.

While Google has not specified a commercial launch date, the protocol’s release represents a step towards creating industry-wide standards for agent-driven payments.