American Express has published a new framework that can help card issuers verify purchases made by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered shopping agents.
The payments company released its Intent Intelligence framework on Tuesday, Oct. 13. With the system, Amex describes how to record a shopper’s purchase instructions before AI agents can buy products or services on the shopper’s behalf.
Card issuers can use those records to help detect fraud, approve payments and resolve disputes when something goes awry. For retailers, it could help determine whether an ordering mistake originated with an AI agent.
American Express confirmed to Digital Commerce 360 that Intent Intelligence has no live integrations yet. The company said publishing the framework is intended to let other payment and technology providers adopt its approach, rather than introduce new capabilities.
“Providing authorized purchase intent before an agent transacts can give issuers greater confidence that an agent is acting as a customer intended, while also helping issuers proactively manage risk and reduce the chance of costly disputes across the payments ecosystem,” Luke Gebb, head of global innovation at American Express, said in the company’s announcement.
The move comes as payment companies develop more tools for agentic commerce. With these tools, AI agents can search for products, compare prices and even complete purchases on consumers’ behalf.
Yet consumers remain cautious about giving AI control over their purchases. In a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults released in August, payments company NMI found that 58% worried that an AI shopping agent could buy the wrong item, size, color or brand. Another 60% were concerned that an agent could spend more than they intended.
Although American Express introduced Intent Intelligence in April, the latest publication makes its technical framework available for other companies to build upon. The company said the goal is to “help advance a common industry approach for intent in agentic commerce.”
What the new American Express framework means for retailers
For retailers, AI purchasing mistakes present a new challenge. A merchant could fulfill an order exactly as received, only to face a dispute because the agent bought something the shopper never requested.
That’s where a record of the shopper’s original instructions, or “purchase intent,” could help. By documenting what the customer approved, the framework offers evidence of whether the agent actually followed those instructions.
Intent Intelligence is one of five services American Express introduced in April through its Agentic Commerce Experiences (ACE) developer kit. The company said the framework “differs from current implementations” in that it shares a customer’s authorized purchase intent to the issuer “earlier in the transaction lifecycle — before an agent executes a purchase.”
American Express told Digital Commerce 360 that Intent Intelligence supports several types of purchase controls. Shoppers can set maximum spending amounts, expiration dates and merchant preferences. They can also specify when an agent should buy, such as when a product returns to stock or on Cyber Monday.
The framework also supports more complex purchases. For example, a shopper could authorize an agent to buy flight insurance only if it successfully purchases the accompanying tickets. It can also accommodate multiple transactions, such as buying shoes and socks from different retailers.
How American Express’ Intent Intelligence framework works
American Express broke down the process into four steps:
- “Create and confirm intent”: American Express’ Create Intent API captures what the shopper wants to buy, where the agent can shop and how much it can spend. The shopper then verifies their identity and approves the instructions the agent captured.
- “Establish proof of intent”: The system generates an Intent ID to identify the approved instructions, along with a Proof of Intent Token representing key purchase limits.
- “Scope the payment credential”: The agent can use the token to obtain a secure digital payment credential tied to the instructions. It then uses that credential at checkout instead of the shopper’s actual card number.
- “Apply intent throughout the transaction”: The ID and token can help check whether a purchase request matches what the shopper authorized. American Express said the records can also support “fraud prevention, authorization decisioning and dispute resolution.”
Intent Intelligence is designed to work across different agentic commerce models, regardless of who collects the shopper’s instructions, the company said. Depending on how an agent handles payments, it could send those instructions directly to a card issuer. Alternatively, a digital wallet provider or another intermediary could pass them along.
Why AI shopping errors create new payment risks
Beyond helping issuers verify purchases, the framework also ties into American Express’ plans to protect shoppers and merchants when AI agents make mistakes.
When the company introduced ACE in April, it outlined plans for what it calls “Agent Purchase Protection.” The coverage would apply to eligible transactions involving registered AI agents that use the developer kit and share authenticated purchase instructions. For merchants, the goal is to reduce chargebacks and disputes.
However, American Express confirmed to Digital Commerce 360 that the protection is not yet available. The company said it has no ACE integrations using Intent Intelligence, which is required for transactions to qualify. In the meantime, card members retain the protections and benefits available through their eligible American Express cards.
That added complexity could also affect who consumers hold responsible when something goes wrong. In NMI’s August survey, 34% of consumers said they would blame a retailer if an AI tool made a purchase before they were ready. Another 24% would hold the payment provider responsible, while 62% would blame the AI provider.
Where American Express fits in agentic commerce
American Express isn’t alone in developing tools to make AI-powered shopping more secure.
In April 2025, Visa and Mastercard each launched offerings that let developers connect AI agents to their payment networks.
Visa’s Intelligent Commerce program gives developers APIs and tools to integrate payment functions into AI agents. To support a global rollout, Visa said it was working with major technology companies, including OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, Stripe and Samsung.
Meanwhile, Mastercard’s Agent Pay allows AI agents to complete purchases on users’ behalf. The program, which works with conversational AI platforms, supports both consumer and business-to-business (B2B) applications, Mastercard said.
Technology companies are developing their own standards for agentic commerce, too.
OpenAI and payments company Stripe co-developed the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP), which lets AI agents securely connect with merchants to initiate purchases.
Meanwhile, Google’s Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) uses digitally signed records to document shoppers’ authorization. Salesforce, Shopify, Cloudflare and Etsy were among the early adopters.
Google followed in January with its Universal Commerce Protocol, developed with Shopify and other industry partners to support checkout within AI shopping experiences. More recently, electronics retailer Newegg integrated the protocol, allowing shoppers to purchase its products directly through Google’s AI Mode and Gemini experiences. Wayfair, Walmart, Macy’s and other merchants also support UCP.
Do you rank in our databases?
Submit your data and we’ll see where you fit in our next ranking update.
Sign up
Stay on top of the latest developments in the online retail industry. Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 Retail News. Follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and YouTube. Be the first to know when Digital Commerce 360 publishes news content.