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MASTERCARD AGENT PAY FOR MACHINES

Powering machine commerce with trust

Unlocking the power of Al by enabling machine payments.

AI agents are no longer just assisting decisions, they are beginning to act, coordinate services and complete transactions bespoke for their users.
 

In this new environment, businesses need peace of mind they will get paid. Agents need transactions to move instantly, with every transaction completed securely and as expected. Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines is built to meet these needs.

Example: A Coffee Shop Scaling Its Online Presence with Al

A local coffee shop uses an Al agent to build and launch webpages to promote its business online.
 

The business assigns the Al agent a clear task: create and launch its digital presence.

Step 1

The agent identifies trusted service providers for professional imagery, content creation, domain registration, and website hosting, and presents a consolidated plan with an estimated budget.

Step 2

The business approves the plan by setting a defined spend limit using its preferred funding method (such as cards, a stablecoin wallet, or a credit facility), with authorization recorded in an on-chain smart contract.

Step 3

The agent executes the plan-procuring services and completing micro- and macro-payments at machine speed using verifiable vouchers (off-chain credentials).

Step 4

Service providers aggregate transactions and submit them for settlement, receiving payout in their preferred currency, whether fiat or stablecoin.

A credentialed, multi-rail service designed for machine-driven commerce

Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines enables verified agents to transact within defined permissions, connect with trusted providers, and execute high-frequency transactions with payment assurance and flexible settlement.

Authorize

Agent permissions and spending limits are defined upfront to bound authority.

Discover

Network-issued credentials to establish trust and a shared discovery layer between counterparties.

Execute

Off-chain cryptographic verification to support high-frequency transactions at machine speed.

Account management icon

Settle

Mastercard-backed settlement guarantee for preferred currencies, format, and payment rails.

Partnering to scale an open ecosystem

Mastercard is collaborating with a broad set of partners and using our own solutions to validate priority use cases, establish common rules and accelerate adoption across industries. Initial participants and supporters include:

Ready to explore machine payments?

See how Mastercard enables trusted, controlled, and scalable payments for machine commerce. Watch the explainer video or read the announcement below.  

Contact your Mastercard representative to learn more.

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