At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping business interactions, the fundamental logic of commerce is quietly evolving—from users manually "operating" to "authorizing agents to act." As agents gradually become the new entry points for search, decision-making, and shopping, the convenience and security of the payment process have become the "last mile" challenge for developers and merchants. Recently, Ant Group officially launched the Agentic Mobile Protocol (AMP) to the global market, aiming to provide a trusted and efficient global payment foundation for this new commercial model.
Although the global mobile payment market is growing rapidly, it is also highly fragmented: users in different countries and regions use various e-wallets and financial tools. For AI companies that are "naturally global," cross-border e-commerce platforms, and travel, entertainment, and digital media platforms, how to enable agents to achieve seamless payments across markets has become a key factor in customer acquisition efficiency. AMP protocol was created precisely for this purpose. It establishes a common language among e-wallets, super apps, bank apps, and AI platforms through a unified access layer, truly achieving "build once, operate globally."
In terms of user experience, AMP is designed to be extremely simple. Users need only three steps to complete the configuration: bind their regularly used wallet to the agent, issue payment instructions directly in the chat window, and monitor and set budgets for task expenditures in real-time on the wallet side. When the expenditure exceeds the set threshold, the system will automatically terminate the task, granting users deep control over AI behavior.
Beyond efficiency, AMP's trust framework is the core of the protocol. Facing the shift from "people" to "agents authorized by people," merchants are most concerned about fraud and illegal transactions. To address this, AMP introduces an upgraded "Comprehensive Agent Authentication System (Know Your Agent, KYA)." When processing orders, merchants can not only identify user information but also clearly know the identity and credit rating of the agent, allowing them to accurately intercept malicious requests and ensure that every commercial transaction originates from genuine and compliant intent.
To address potential risks in agent transactions, Ant International has upgraded its "Guaranteed Payment and Compensation" protection system into "AgentSafePay." Even if the entire transaction is completed by AI, users and merchants can still receive a fund safety guarantee. This closed-loop trust system, from identity verification to fund compensation, eliminates the biggest safety concerns for the large-scale adoption of agent-based commerce.
Currently, Ant International is connected to 2 billion consumer accounts and 150 million merchants, covering more than 200 countries and regions. With the release of the AMP protocol, it is working with global mainstream AI platforms such as Qwen and Gemini to fill the gap in payment standards for agents in the mobile ecosystem. As a representative from Ant International stated, the competition in agent-based commerce is no longer limited to model capabilities but lies in whether one can build a cross-market and cross-wallet transaction and trust network. The establishment of this infrastructure not only signals that global commerce is accelerating into the "agent economy" era but also provides a crucial lever for countless businesses to adopt AI transformation at low cost.
