Google along with more than 60 partners like American Express, Mastercard, and PayPal, has launched a new standard called the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2). This system is designed to make transactions handled by AI assistants safe and trustworthy.
The new protocol solves a key problem: how can a merchant be sure an AI has real permission to buy something on your behalf? AP2 uses special digital permissions slips called “Mandates.” These Mandates act as proof that you authorized a specific purchase, whether you are approving it in the moment or setting rules for the AI to follow later.
For example, you could tell your AI to “buy this specific book when it goes on sale” and set a maximum price. The AI would then use an AP2 Mandate to automatically and securely complete the purchase once your conditions are met, creating a clear record of your instructions.
This open standard works with all payment types, from credit cards to bank transfers. The goal is to prevent fraud and ensure everyone knows who is accountable for a transaction initiated by an AI.
Google has made the technical details public and is asking the wider tech and payments community to help develop this new standard for AI driven commerce.
Source: Google