Visa is stepping into the core of autonomous commerce by enabling card-based payments within machine-to-machine environments. Its new specification and SDK for the Machine Payments Protocol allow AI agents to transact using tokenised Visa credentials, without relying on traditional checkout flows. This positions card networks alongside emerging on-chain payment rails as viable infrastructure for agent-led commerce. By focusing on security, identity, and interoperability, Visa is helping shape how payments will function in a world where machines increasingly act and transact independently.
The evolution of autonomous commerce has reached a pivotal milestone as Visa announces its role as a key design partner for the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP). This new open standard, introduced by Stripe and Tempo, is designed to facilitate seamless machine-to-machine transactions. In support of this initiative and the launch of the Tempo mainnet, Visa is releasing a technical specification and a dedicated Software Development Kit (SDK). These tools enable tokenised card credentials to be integrated into MPP workflows, effectively bringing the scale and security of the global Visa network to AI-driven commerce.
As AI agents move beyond simple information retrieval to executing complex tasks such as purchasing compute power and managing B2B workflows, the underlying infrastructure must adapt. This shift toward “Command Line Commerce” requires a system in which agents can request resources, authorise payments, and receive services without human redirects or browser-based checkouts. By extending MPP to support card-based payments, Visa is ensuring that developers have a choice between emerging on-chain stablecoin rails and the established card systems that power most global commerce today.
The release includes the Card-Based MPP Spec, a processor-agnostic technical definition that outlines how credentials are authenticated and processed within compatible workflows. To accelerate adoption, the accompanying Visa SDK provides developers with a clear implementation path for building programmatic, terminal-native environments. These tools are built on the firm’s existing AI commerce infrastructure, including the Trusted Agent Protocol, which provides the necessary identity verification to make machine-based payments trustworthy at scale.
Rubail Birwadker, the Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships at Visa, noted that the industry is entering a moment where agents can move resources and pay for services independently. He emphasised that for these payments to scale, security must be built into every layer, from data privacy to fraud prevention. By extending the network to support these new forms of commerce, the firm aims to make machine-based payments open, programmable, and resilient. The goal is to create a universal standard that works across various merchants, processors, and payment preferences.
This technical contribution is designed to be protocol-agnostic and to complement other emerging standards, such as x402. The participation of a major card scheme ensures that the infrastructure for agentic commerce remains grounded in the reliability and consumer protections that define traditional finance. As agents become more capable of coordinating services and consuming APIs, the ability to execute micropayments for cloud resources and machine-to-machine services becomes a fundamental requirement for the digital economy.
The choices made today regarding how agents use credentials and how those payments are governed will shape the landscape of autonomous trade for years to come. With these new specifications now live and available to developers, the ecosystem is better equipped to handle the rise of the autonomous workforce. This collaboration between fintech leaders and global payment networks highlights a shared commitment to building a secure and efficient foundation for the next generation of programmatic commerce.
What this means for the industry
- Card networks are being embedded into AI-driven, machine-to-machine payment ecosystems
- Developers gain flexibility between traditional card rails and on-chain payment options
- Trust, identity verification, and fraud prevention become critical in autonomous transactions
- New use cases will emerge around micropayments for APIs, cloud, and digital services
- Open standards like MPP could accelerate adoption of agentic commerce globally
Photo by Aleksandrs Karevs on Unsplash
