PRNewswire
Singapore, February 10: Visa, a world leader in digital payments, today released new survey findings on the state of digital commerce in Asia Pacific, revealing that while consumers are increasingly using AI to shop, concerns over security and transparency are creating hesitation at the crucial moment of checkout. Findings from Visa's State of Digital Commerce in Asia Pacific study, commissioned by Visa and conducted by YouGov, surveying 14,764 consumers across 14 markets.
With Asia Pacific's rapid shift towards digital commerce and mobile-first shopping, the research shows that consumers are drawing a clear line between using AI to help them browse and trusting the same technology to handle their money and personal data. Demonstrating clearly how AI is used to spark discovery and securely handle payments is critical for consumers to feel confident using the technology to shop and pay.
"The way people shop is changing quickly, with AI now playing a growing role in how consumers discover and choose products," said T.R. Ramachandran, Head of Products & Solutions, Asia Pacific at Visa. "But as AI becomes part of the checkout experience, trust and control become even more important. Consumers want to understand how their data is being used and feel confident that every transaction is secure. Building that trust is what will determine whether AI-powered commerce can truly scale."
Affluent and digitally savvy consumers show higher levels of caution toward AI-enabled shopping
Consumers across Asia Pacific are increasingly relying on AI for the early stages of shopping, with 74% using AI-powered tools to discover, track or learn about products. Yet 26% remain unsure if AI recommendations fully align with their best interests, pointing to a desire for greater transparency and user control in AI-powered shopping.
The research also reveals that this caution is more pronounced among affluent households[1], where 39% express higher expectations around how their data is used, compared to 29% among lower-income groups. Digital-first markets such as Australia (38%), New Zealand (37%) and Singapore (34%) also show above-average caution.
These findings underscore the need for trusted frameworks in AI-driven commerce, an area where Visa is enabling businesses to connect consumers, AI agents and merchants through a secure, scalable trust layer supported by Visa Intelligent Commerce and the Trusted Agent Protocol.
AI powers discovery, but trust decides the checkout
While consumers are comfortable using AI to compare prices and better understand product features, this confidence fades as transactions become more personal. The study finds that 32% of consumers remain reluctant to share personal or payment information with AI systems, and nearly half (45%) say they would be more open to AI-powered or agentic commerce if they had stronger assurances around payment security.
These findings highlight that while AI can successfully drive discovery, secure authentication and trusted payment experiences are essential to convert interest into action to unlock the full lifecycle of AI-enabled commerce.
"Consumers are ready for AI to play a more active role in shopping, and agentic commerce has already started scaling beyond concept and into daily life," added T.R. Ramachandran. "For this shift to accelerate, trust and secure authentication must be in place. With solutions such as Tokenisation and Visa Payment Passkeys, Visa is delivering the seamless and secure experiences customers need -- enabling people to shop with greater confidence as AI becomes a more natural part of everyday commerce."
Emerging markets show higher openness to AI-driven commerce
Openness to agentic commerce varies across Asia Pacific, revealing that digital maturity does not automatically translate into trust. India and Vietnam lead the region, with 42% of consumers in each market open to using AI for online purchases, indicating strong appetites to experiment with new ways of shopping.
In contrast, consumers in digitally mature economies show greater reservation towards AI-enabled online shopping, with 14% in Singapore, 14% in Japan and 16% in New Zealand expressing interest. This hesitancy reflects higher expectations for data protection, security and personal control before embracing agentic commerce. The study also finds that improved payment security is the strongest enabler of increased adoption in these markets, reinforcing the need for a secure and trusted agentic ecosystem.
About the State of Digital Commerce in Asia Pacific 2025 study
The State of Digital Commerce in Asia Pacific 2025 study was conducted by YouGov in September 2025. The study surveyed 14,764 consumers aged 18 years and above across 14 Asia Pacific markets.
[1] For the purposes of this study, "affluent households" refer to respondents with a monthly household income of US$8,000 or above.
About Visa
Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.
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