Alchemy and Visa introduce AgentCard: AI agents get their own payment instruments
The market for autonomous digital agents is taking another step towards full economic independence. The Alchemy platform, together with payment giant Visa, has launched the AgentCard service — a solution that provides AI agents with a set of data for making online transactions on behalf of the user.
AgentCard is based on integration with the Visa Intelligent Commerce infrastructure. Each agent receives a virtual Visa card, an email address, a phone number, and a cryptocurrency wallet. Developers need just one API request to configure the neural network's access to paying for goods and services — the entire process takes less than a minute.
AI agents operating on models from OpenAI or Anthropic can now independently book tickets, order groceries, or renew subscriptions. User participation in the process is not required — the agent acts within specified parameters.
The system supports flexible spending limits, restrictions by store category, and customizable budgets. By default, payments are processed through Visa tokens, allowing users to retain bank bonuses and credit lines. If the merchant accepts digital assets, the service automatically switches to the crypto wallet.
"Every shift in technology has created new economic participants. AI agents are the next stage; they need access to the global economy," noted Alchemy CEO Nikhil Viswanathan. Visa representatives emphasize that their infrastructure guarantees the security and scalability of such transactions. The AgentCard protocol independently selects the optimal payment method depending on merchant support.
Recall that earlier MetaMask announced a wallet for the era of autonomous AI, and Coinbase launched a service connecting agents to user accounts for trading and payments. AgentCard from Alchemy and Visa logically complements this trend, turning AI agents into full-fledged participants in the global economy.
Expert opinion: This step marks a transition from conceptual discussions to the practical implementation of an autonomous agent economy. However, the key challenge remains — security and control. While limits and budgets are set manually for now, in the future agents will be able to manage finances themselves, which will require fundamentally new mechanisms for protection against fraud and errors.