Global payment firm Visa announced last Friday that it is in explorations with Ant International, Grab and Tencent to grow artificial intelligence (AI) commerce by enabling a secure and seamless checkout experience.
Visa said in a statement the firm is advancing its infrastructure, standards, and capabilities to power AI-driven commerce, opening new opportunities for consumers across Asia Pacific.
It noted that soon, AI agents integrated into familiar platforms will be able to transact using Visa’s 4.8 billion credentials at millions of merchant locations worldwide.
Over the past 25 years, Visa’s global network has handled 3.3 trillion transactions.
Ant International is a global digital payment, digitization, and financial technology provider, while Grab is Southeast Asia’s leading super app offering ride-hailing, food delivery, digital payments, and financial services across eight markets.
Tencent, on the other hand, is a multinational technology leader that develops a wide range of digital products and services, including Weixin/WeChat, China’s super app.
“As global commerce continues to evolve rapidly, Visa remains at the forefront of delivering innovations that will enable the future of commerce across Asia Pacific,” said T.R. Ramachandran, Head of Products and Solutions, Asia Pacific, Visa.
“We believe AI agents will play a growing role in commerce, from handling routine purchases such as ordering food, to more complex purchases such as securing event tickets or making travel reservations,
“By combining AI capabilities with Visa’s trusted payment infrastructure, we are enabling a seamless, secure, and more enjoyable experience for consumers, merchants, and businesses alike,” he added.
Visa also announced a suite of product innovations and strategic partnerships to enable a new era of commerce for the region.
“Combining the strength of our global network with our leadership in payment innovation here in Asia Pacific, we are bringing new products and solutions that will transform commerce and deliver trust and security to AI-enabled payments across the region,” said Jack Forestell, Visa’s Chief Product and Strategy Officer.
The company has also introduced Visa Intelligent Commerce, a new initiative that opens Visa’s payments network to developers and engineers building the first generation of AI-powered commerce in Asia Pacific.
Visa also said the firm continues to expand its product portfolio with solutions designed to support the evolving payment needs of consumers and businesses across Asia Pacific.
The firm has also been facilitating cryptocurrency transactions for over five years and is now expanding its offering to include stablecoin-backed cards, settlement, and programmable money.
In Asia Pacific, Visa is partnering with DCS Singapore, DTC Pay and StraitsX on stablecoin-backed cards that support conversion through regulated infrastructure.
Visa has also settled more than $225 million to date in stablecoin volume that has been settled through Visa across participating clients.
In Asia Pacific, the firm is working with StraitsX for stablecoin settlement.
Visa is also looking to expand the availability of VTAP to more partners later this year and into 2026.
Visa and SMCC have also expanded the Visa Flex Credential to support small businesses with the flexibility to switch between business and personal accounts using the same Olive card, enhancing access to credit and cash flow management.
Visa is also collaborating with local banks to launch Flex Credential in Vietnam in the next few months.
The firm is also launching new services and partnerships to make it easier for consumers, merchants, and businesses in Asia Pacific to pay and get paid.
Through partnerships with leading players including LINE Pay in Taiwan, Maya in the Philippines, OpenRice in Hong Kong, and Woori Card in South Korea, Visa is also expanding access to its global network, giving consumers more ways to pay globally by tapping, scanning or online.
As for digital identity, Visa’s new partners in the region include Coles, a supermarket chain in Australia and Maybank, a financial services provider in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.
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