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Ant International, a leading global provider of digital payments, digitisation, and financial technology, has joined Google as a launch partner to develop the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open rulebook defining how AI agents can securely transact with user authorization. This collaboration addresses the limitations of existing payment systems, which are designed for direct human interactions and struggle with the demands of agentic commerce, where AI agents handle transactions for services, products, or other agents.
With the emergence of agentic commerce, AI agents are poised to conduct transactions autonomously on behalf of users, necessitating new standards for authorization, verification, and interoperability. Traditional payment systems, reliant on human oversight, fall short in these areas, risking fragmentation without a unified framework. AP2 establishes key components for agentic payments, emphasizing verifiable user intent, transaction traceability, and participant accountability throughout the lifecycle. Its architecture also bolsters privacy protections and compatibility with various payment methods, fostering a cohesive ecosystem.
Ant International leverages its deep knowledge in alternative payment methods (APMs) and partnerships with 36 leading digital wallets to shape an APM-focused protocol within AP2. Contributions include optimizing APM checkout flows and deploying AI for fraud detection and prevention, providing a blueprint for reliable agentic transactions. Additionally, its payment mandate model connects transaction details to evidence of user intent, enhancing traceability, regulatory compliance, and dispute management.
Ant International is testing AP2 in practical scenarios, where agents collaborate on credential management, payment processing, and personalized promotions. The Alipay+ Voyager, its AI travel agent launched in July 2025 for digital wallet and super app users, will incorporate multi-agent capabilities under the Agent2Agent protocol. This enables sub-agents to handle ride bookings on ride-hailing platforms and execute AP2-compliant payments seamlessly.
“Ant International is excited to partner with Google to advance standards-setting in agentic payments, leveraging our expertise in APM payments and trusted AI innovations,” said Jiangming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer of Ant International. "We are committed to working with global partners to shape the future of agentic commerce, where AI agents serve as trusted assistants for discovery, engagement, and transactions, powering merchant growth and transforming consumer experience.”
This effort builds on Ant International's collaboration with Google Cloud, including the June 2025 launch of Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit, an AI-as-a-Service platform integrated with Vertex AI. It supports fintechs and super apps in creating AI-agentic financial services with improved efficiency, security, and adaptability. Most recently, Ant International rolled out a Model Context Protocol (MCP)-based agentic payment solution, merging APM checkout, payment mandates, and AI technologies for secure, fluid experiences.
AP2, backed by over 60 industry leaders like Adyen, Coinbase, Etsy, and UnionPay International, extends protocols such as A2A and MCP to create a payment-agnostic foundation for confident transactions. Ant International's involvement positions it at the forefront of agentic payments, driving inclusive growth for financial institutions and merchants worldwide.
Ant International's partnership with Google on AP2 heralds a transformative era in digital payments, where AI agents enable secure, efficient commerce that prioritizes user trust and innovation.
With headquarters in Singapore and main operations across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, Ant International is a leading global digital payment, digitisation and financial technology provider. Through collaboration across the private and public sectors, our unified techfin platform supports financial institutions and merchants of all sizes to achieve inclusive growth through a comprehensive range of cutting-edge digital payment and financial services solutions.
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