#Japan #Visa #Tokyo #Payment Ecosystem #Agentic Ready

Visa Launches the 'Agentic Ready' Program in Asia-Pacific

Visa Worldwide Japan, under the leadership of President Seethan Kithney, has recently unveiled its 'Visa Agentic Ready' program across the Asia-Pacific region, including Japan. This innovative initiative is designed to support the payment ecosystem in what is termed the age of agentic commerce. With over 50 partner companies from 10 regions in the Asia-Pacific joining the program, Visa is entering a new era of automated transactions.

Understanding the 'Agentic Ready' Program

In the initial phase of the 'Visa Agentic Ready' program, the focus is primarily on preparing issuers. This involves creating a controlled testing environment that simulates live situations to systematically test and verify agent-led transactions. Participating issuers will gain insights into how AI agents can initiate and complete transactions on behalf of consumers, all while maintaining the reliability, manageability, and security provided by the Visa network.

Seethan Kithney emphasizes the importance of establishing a responsible and supportive ecosystem for agent-led payments in today's automated commerce landscape. He states, "Through Visa Agentic Ready, we are committed to assisting Japanese issuers to confidently prepare for the future of commerce within a safe and structured environment."

A Foundation Built on Trust

The 'Visa Agentic Ready' program leverages core network functionalities such as tokenization, identity, risk management, and control. This foundation enables the system to explore various use cases where trusted agents can effectively lead payments. The initiative is fundamentally rooted in Visa's strategic framework, Visa Intelligent Commerce, designed to realize a reliable AI-driven commerce experience on a large scale.

Expanding from Preparation to Implementation

Realizing agentic commerce on a large scale necessitates collaboration across the entire payment ecosystem. Over 50 partner companies from 10 regions in the Asia-Pacific have pledged their participation in the Agentic Ready program. The issuers from Japan that have openly joined this initiative include:
1. SB Payment Service Corp.
2. Credit Saison Co., Ltd.
3. Mitsui Sumitomo Card Co., Ltd.
4. Mitsubishi UFJ NICOS Co., Ltd.
5. Rakuten Card Co., Ltd.

By employing a controlled test environment, the program aims to validate how agent-led payments function in real-world scenarios, ensuring that issuers can confidently adapt to the evolving landscape with ease.

Visa’s Commitment to Intelligent Commerce

This initiative not only facilitates the transition to intelligent and programmable commerce but also underscores the critical need for trusted credentials and network functionalities. These elements will ensure safe and flexible transactions tailored to consumer intent, contextual situations, and management criteria. As the shopping experience becomes increasingly automated, it is crucial to establish a seamless environment where consumers can retain control while agents carry out transactions.

Visa collaborates globally with AI platform providers, developers, merchants, and ecosystem partners to realize scalable, trusted agent-led payments. The 'Visa Agentic Ready' program is designed to prepare issuers to safely and securely support these transactions.

The program is set to kick off across various Asia-Pacific regions, including Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

About Visa

As a global leader in electronic payments, Visa connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments across more than 200 countries and territories through its payment transactions. Visa's mission is to empower individuals, businesses, and economies by creating the most innovative, reliable, and secure payment network. The company believes that an inclusive economy is vital for improving lives and connecting people to the future of payment.

For more information, visit Visa.com (English) or www.visa.co.jp (Japanese).