The EMV Agentic Payments – Framework for Specifications has been developed by EMVCo’s newly formed Agentic Payments Task Force, chaired by Clinton Allen. The organisation is now seeking feedback from industry stakeholders on the draft, with submissions open until 30 September 2026.
The framework focuses on card-based payments where a consumer gives an AI agent authority to make purchases on their behalf, including scenarios involving recurring payments, spending limits and activity that continues beyond the initial transaction.
A central proposal is the introduction of Intent Services, an interoperable layer designed to allow payment participants to register, reference, retrieve and manage a consumer’s authorised purchasing intent throughout the transaction lifecycle.
The approach is intended to address situations where a consumer is not directly involved at the point an AI agent executes a payment. It would work alongside existing cryptographic technologies, including Verifiable Intent, to give payment participants a consistent way to understand what a consumer has authorised.
EMVCo said the framework could also influence future developments across existing payment technologies, including EMV 3-D Secure, EMV Payment Tokenisation, EMV Secure Remote Commerce and the EMV Digital Payment Credential.
The organisation is also exploring additional concepts including Know Your Agent checks and Agentic Transaction Indicators. These could help payment participants establish when an AI agent is involved in a transaction and provide additional information about the agent.
The work comes as payment providers, technology companies and standards organisations develop different approaches to agent-led commerce, increasing the risk of fragmented systems and competing technical requirements. To support interoperability, EMVCo has been working with organisations including the FIDO Alliance, OpenID Foundation, OpenWallet Foundation and World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
EMVCo develops global specifications for secure card payments across online and in-person transactions, with its standards supporting payment systems used by consumers and businesses worldwide. The draft framework represents the organisation’s first formal step towards developing specifications for card payments in which purchasing authority is delegated to AI agents.
