Visa B2AI Report: 53% of Businesses Open to AI-to-AI Negotiation in Commerce

April 3, 2026

SAN FRANCISCO – A future where artificial intelligence not only assists with commerce but actively participates in it is rapidly approaching. According to the "Business-to-AI (B2AI) Report" released by Visa on April 2, 2026, a significant majority of business leaders are preparing for this shift. The study, conducted in partnership with Morning Consult, reveals that 53% of U.S. businesses surveyed are willing to allow AI agents to negotiate prices and terms directly with other AI agents on their behalf. This finding signals that the era of AI-to-AI commerce is poised for significant growth.

The report highlights that AI is already shaping consumer behavior and influencing demand. Nearly 40% of American consumers have reportedly made a purchase they would not have typically considered as a direct result of recommendations from an AI agent or tool. This serves as an early indicator that intelligent systems are beginning to fundamentally alter how people discover, evaluate, and decide what to buy.

Visa has coined the term "B2AI" to define this next phase of commerce. It describes an emerging economic model where AI agents are not just assistants but active participants in commercial decision-making and execution. In this model, humans remain accountable for the ultimate intent and outcomes, but delegate the transactional processes to autonomous AI. "Commerce is moving from market-to-human to market-to-machine," stated Frank Cooper III, Chief Marketing Officer at Visa. "B2AI describes what happens next as AI agents begin evaluating, negotiating and transacting on behalf of people. In that world, as always, trust becomes the critical infrastructure. If we don’t build it into machine-mediated commerce, adoption stalls.”

The research underscores that while businesses are ready to embrace this new paradigm, consumer trust remains the pivotal factor for widespread adoption. While a majority of Americans are comfortable with AI performing tasks like price comparison (58%) and applying discounts (55%), only 38% are comfortable with an AI completing a purchase autonomously. A striking 60% of consumers stated they would not permit an AI to spend any amount of money without their explicit approval, highlighting a clear demand for human oversight and control.

Interestingly, the source of the AI system significantly impacts consumer trust. The survey found that 36% of consumers trust AI systems backed by their bank, and 35% trust those enabled by a payment network like Visa. In contrast, only 28% trust independent, third-party AI agents. This suggests that established financial institutions have a crucial role to play in building the trusted infrastructure required for B2AI commerce to flourish.

Generational differences also play a key role in the adoption of AI-driven commerce. The report shows a stark contrast in trust levels, with nearly half of Gen Z (48%) trusting payment network-enabled AI systems, compared to just 20% of Baby Boomers. Younger generations, who are more accustomed to using AI shopping assistants, are also more likely to make purchases based on AI recommendations.

The transition to a B2AI world is not a distant concept; it's a present-day reality that businesses are actively preparing for. The report found that 71% of businesses are willing to optimize their products, offers, and experiences specifically for AI agents, and 77% are already using or piloting AI within their operations. As AI shifts from a support system to a core transaction participant, the speed of its integration into the mainstream economy will be determined by how effectively the industry can build and maintain consumer trust.

The survey was conducted online between January 29th and February 6th, 2026, and included a sample of 2,000 U.S. adults and 512 business decision-makers in the United States.