Your Customers Will Soon Shop Through AI Agents. Here’s How to Prepare.

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Your Customers Will Soon Shop Through AI Agents. Here’s How to Prepare.

John Dwyer

Digital Strategist

November 13, 2025

PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard have each launched payment systems for AI shopping agents. These aren’t pilot programs. They’re rolling out in 2025 and 2026.

The simple version: your customers will ask ChatGPT to find products. The AI will search, compare, and buy without visiting your website.

What This Means for Your Business

A customer says to ChatGPT: “Find me work boots under $200, delivered to Brisbane by Friday.” The AI searches multiple retailers, compares options, checks stock, and completes the purchase. Your customer never sees your website.

This happens if your products are discoverable by AI agents. If not, you’re out of the conversation entirely.

What the Payment Companies Are Building

PayPal’s AI Shopping Integration

PayPal announced its ChatGPT integration in October 2025. Full launch is set for 2026.

Their “Agent Ready” system works with existing PayPal merchants. No new technical setup required. Your current fraud protection and dispute resolution carry over.

The key change: your product catalogue becomes searchable within ChatGPT conversations. Customers can browse and buy without leaving the chat interface.

Visa’s Agent Verification System

Visa launched its Trusted Agent Protocol in October 2025. This addresses a 4,700% increase in AI-driven traffic to retail sites.

Here’s how it works. When an approved AI agent visits your website, it provides a cryptographic signature. Your site validates this signature against Visa’s registry. This distinguishes legitimate shopping agents from malicious bots.

The benefit: secure transactions without rebuilding your checkout system.

Mastercard’s Token System

Mastercard’s Agent Pay uses “Agentic Tokens” built on existing tokenisation technology.

AI agents register and verify before executing transactions. Customers control all purchase permissions. Microsoft integration means this works across Azure and Copilot platforms.

The Numbers Behind This Change

The data shows this shift is already underway:

AI browser traffic to retail sites increased 4,700% year-over-year
These visitors spend 32% more time on sites and browse 10% more pages
Industry analysis suggests AI commerce could reach $73-292 billion annually
The AI retail market grew from $46.74 billion in 2025 to a forecast $175.11 billion by 2030

These aren’t projections. This traffic exists now. The question is whether your products are accessible to it.

What This Means for Your Online Store

The Discovery Channel Is Changing

Traditional SEO focused on ranking in search results. Research shows AI shoppers arrive further down the sales funnel with clearer purchase intent.

The practical impact: if AI agents can’t find and access your products, customers shopping through AI won’t see your offers. The sale goes to competitors with AI-accessible platforms.

Your Technical Requirements

To work with AI shopping agents, your ecommerce setup needs:

API-Accessible Checkout
AI agents need direct access to create orders, update carts, and process payments. This bypasses traditional checkout forms.

Structured Product Data
OpenAI’s specification requires structured feeds including:

Product IDs, descriptions, and current pricing
Real-time stock levels and availability
High-quality images and detailed specifications
Shipping costs and delivery timeframes
Return policies and terms in machine-readable format

Update frequency matters. Feeds should refresh every 15 minutes for accurate recommendations.

Machine-Readable Policies
Your return policy, shipping terms, and customer service information need structured formatting. AI agents read data, not marketing copy.

Generative Engine Optimisation: SEO for AI

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) optimises for AI recommendation algorithms instead of traditional search rankings.

The Key Differences

Content Structure
Research shows AI tools prefer conversational, clear information. Use numbered lists, structured headings, and concise explanations.

Source Citations
AI engines prioritise cited, authoritative content. Back claims with recent, relevant sources.

Content Freshness
75% of ChatGPT citations were updated within 12 months. Regular content updates improve AI visibility.

Human-Written Content
AI engines actively avoid AI-generated content. They prefer human-written, expert-reviewed information.

The basics are similar to SEO, but the focus shifts to how AI systems read and understand content.

Your Action Plan: Three Phases

Phase One: Assessment (Month 1)

Week 1-2: Technical Audit

Review your current API capabilities with your developer
Check product data structure and completeness
Test one product in ChatGPT to see current discoverability

Week 3-4: Content Audit

Identify pages with the best traffic and conversion potential
Review product descriptions for AI-friendly structure
Check source citations on key content

Phase Two: Foundation (Months 2-3)

Technical Setup

Implement structured product feeds with required fields
Add schema markup for FAQs, reviews, and specifications
Create machine-readable shipping and return policies

Content Optimisation

Rewrite top 10 product descriptions using GEO principles
Add source citations to key claims and specifications
Structure content with clear headings and bullet points

Phase Three: Integration (Months 4-6)

Payment Gateway Review

Evaluate current gateway for tokenisation support
Assess API compatibility with emerging protocols
Plan for automated customer service integration

Ongoing Optimisation

Monitor AI platform performance monthly
Update product feeds automatically where possible
Track which content gets cited by AI engines

This timeline can be adjusted based on your current setup and available resources.

Timeline: When This Becomes Standard

Here are the confirmed rollout dates:

Q4 2025: Mastercard Agent Pay expands to all US cardholders
Early 2026: PayPal’s ChatGPT integration goes live for all merchants
Mid 2026: Industry analysts expect major brands to have unified AI shopping experiences

Research suggests many retail marketplace projects will be paused as companies focus on AI integration instead.

The realistic view: you have 12-18 months to prepare before this becomes a standard customer expectation. That’s enough time to implement changes thoughtfully, without rushing.

Getting Ready: The Practical View

The payment infrastructure for AI shopping is being built now. PayPal, Visa, and Mastercard are setting the technical standards.

This creates an opportunity for businesses that prepare methodically. Early adopters will:

Establish relationships with AI platforms before demand peaks
Optimise their product data while competition is lighter
Build checkout experiences designed for automation
Develop expertise in AI-friendly content creation

The recommended approach: start with an assessment of your current capabilities. Identify which changes deliver the most impact for your business model. Phase the work across 6 months to avoid overwhelming your team or budget.

Most importantly, this isn’t about rebuilding everything. It’s about making your existing systems accessible to AI agents while maintaining your current customer experience.

The businesses that succeed will be those that adapt their current strengths rather than chasing entirely new approaches.

Need help preparing your ecommerce business for AI shopping agents? I work with Australian businesses to assess their AI readiness and implement changes in manageable phases. Email me to discuss your specific situation.

Your Customers Will Soon Shop Through AI Agents. Here’s How to Prepare.