HSBC UK & Visa test AI shopping with live payments

KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

HSBC UK is working with Visa on AI-powered shopping services for cardholders, including what the companies describe as an industry-first agentic card transaction on a live merchant website.

The project is designed to let customers shop and pay through AI platforms without moving between multiple websites. An HSBC UK-issued card has already been used to complete an end-to-end transaction in that setting.

Agentic commerce refers to systems in which an AI tool performs parts of a shopping task on a customer’s behalf, such as searching for products, booking travel, or purchasing household items. In this model, payment is handled within the AI-led journey rather than through a conventional checkout spread across several sites.

HSBC UK and Visa said the model will rely on controls designed to keep customers in charge of spending decisions. Permissions and safeguards are built into the experience, while security and transparency are expected to be central as AI agents begin initiating transactions in real-world environments.

Payment authentication is a key part of the work. HSBC UK said it is supporting the technology and security measures required to enable these transactions, including secure authentication via customer biometrics.

The initiative places the bank and card network within a wider effort by financial groups to adapt payment infrastructure to generative AI and automated digital assistants. For banks, that shift raises questions about how card credentials are presented, how consent is captured, and how fraud controls work when software agents, rather than consumers, initiate parts of a purchase.

Retailers and payment providers have been exploring how AI assistants could change online shopping by reducing the steps in a transaction. Supporters argue the model could make routine purchases quicker, while critics point to the need for clear controls over data access, payment authority, and dispute handling.

Andy Rankin, Chief Payments Officer of Consumer Banking, HSBC UK, outlined the bank’s view on the shift in consumer payments.

“The way people pay is constantly evolving, and artificial intelligence has the potential to make everyday shopping simpler, faster and more convenient for our customers. At HSBC UK, we’re helping to shape the future of payments by bringing together innovation, trusted technology and industry collaboration. AI-powered commerce is set to be the next evolution in how people shop, and we’re working alongside our partners to help build the experiences that will make it a reality, while ensuring customers remain firmly in control of their money. As new technologies emerge, customers need confidence that their payments are protected, and we’re working with Visa to lead the industry in building trusted experiences that can unlock the benefits of AI for consumers,” said Andy Rankin, Chief Payments Officer, Consumer Banking, HSBC UK.

Visa said its role is to connect banks, merchants, and AI systems through the existing card network rather than build a separate payments rail for these purchases. That suggests the companies want agentic transactions to sit within established card protections and merchant acceptance systems.

Rob Cameron, Group Country Manager, UK & Ireland, Visa, described how the company sees the next phase of development.

“AI agents are beginning to initiate transactions in real-world environments, and our role is to ensure every transaction remains secure, transparent and trusted. By connecting our issuer partners like HSBC UK with merchants and AI systems through our network, we are enabling this next phase of commerce using the infrastructure and protections already in place,” said Rob Cameron, Group Country Manager, UK & Ireland, Visa.

For HSBC UK, the project also reflects broader competitive pressure on banks to remain present in digital commerce as new interfaces emerge between consumers and merchants. If AI assistants become a regular way to browse and buy, card issuers and networks will need to ensure their products remain embedded in those experiences rather than displaced by alternative payment methods.

The announcement does not set out a launch timeline for broader customer use, but it signals that live testing has moved beyond theory. The use of an HSBC UK card in an end-to-end agentic transaction on a live merchant website shows banks and payment networks are now testing how AI-led shopping can work within existing commerce systems.