With Artificial Intelligence being the biggest tech buzzword in recent years, expert companies have already figured out that what you do with it matters much more than implementing AI for the sake of implementing AI. In this context, all the attention must be turned to the actual value AI can bring to your business and, most of all, to your end-users.

Moving away from Large Language Models (LLM), which became the hype after ChatGPT exploded for businesses and for regular people alike, Agentic AI has been more and more discussed – especially in the context of payments and e-commerce, where it can open up the doors to extraordinary new features, shopping experiences, and ways to connect with your audience.

That is why, in this blog post, we will dive into what is Agentic AI, the potential it holds for global online merchants, how it can improve and innovative shopping and payment experiments, and why the customer must remain at the center of all your AI strategies.

What is Agentic AI and why it matters for e-commerce

Unlike traditional AI models that require human input, Agentic AI introduces autonomous agents capable of making decisions and executing tasks independently. These agents can act on behalf of users or businesses, opening up new possibilities for automation, personalization, and efficiency.

In the context of e-commerce, Agentic AI enables a customer’s personal agent to interact directly with a merchant’s agent. This interaction can cover everything from product discovery to delivery selection and payment completion. The result is a frictionless, highly personalized shopping experience that doesn’t require the user to manually browse or click through a website.

One of the most critical aspects of this transformation is the payment process itself. Agentic AI can facilitate secure, autonomous transactions by allowing agents to verify payment credentials, apply user-specific preferences such as installment plans or loyalty points, and complete the checkout without manual intervention.

This not only streamlines the user experience but also reduces cart abandonment and transaction errors. For merchants, it means faster conversions and more consistent revenue flow; for consumers, it offers convenience and control over how their money is spent — even when they’re not actively involved in the transaction.

Not to mention payment and banking companies, for which Agentic AI can open up a whole new world of customization, advising, and tailor-made solutions for the client, based on their financial history, current moment, priorities and challenges, and so much more.

Agentic Commerce and the future of the shopping experience

This new scenario, known as Agentic Commerce, is gaining traction as one of the most promising trends in digital retail. It envisions a future where online shopping becomes effortless and deeply aligned with individual preferences. Imagine an AI agent selecting the perfect gift, handling logistics, and finalizing payment — all while staying within budget and meeting delivery expectations. Or finding that perfect basic white shirt that is exactly what you need, but couldn’t properly find through regular web browsing.

If (or when) Artificial Intelligence and companies using Agentic AI reach a higher level of trust, a customer’s AI agent could autonomously purchase travel essentials based on an upcoming trip in their calendar, select items from preferred brands for travel essentials, and coordinate delivery to match their departure date. In another scenario, a professional buyer might rely on an agent to restock office supplies monthly, negotiating prices and choosing vendors based on past preferences and performance. These interactions would happen without manual browsing, checkout, or even direct approval — provided the agent operates within predefined parameters.

Such a transformation could redefine convenience and personalization in e-commerce. However, it also introduces new challenges around system integration, user control, and – most of all – trust. For Agentic AI to become part of everyday life, and be trusted to make financial transactions on behalf of a human, these agents must be reliable, secure, and aligned with the user’s best interests.

Building reliable payments with Agentic AI

Trust is the cornerstone of agentic transactions. Consumers must feel confident that their AI agents understand their preferences, protect their data, and make decisions that reflect what they actually need and want. Without trust, these agents will remain sophisticated assistants, unable to complete the most critical step: the payment transaction.

Establishing trust requires more than technical excellence. It demands transparent workflows, clear success metrics, and a human-centered approach to design. Consumers need to believe that their agent is not only capable but also acting in their best interest, especially when financial processes are involved.

With that fundamental layer of trust, Agentic AI could be able to handle complex payment scenarios while maintaining user control and confidence. The key is to ensure that every transaction is traceable, secure, and aligned with the user’s intent — turning trust into a functional pillar of agentic commerce.

How Agentic AI delivers real value to customers

It’s not enough to deploy advanced technology for its own sake – Agentic AI must deliver tangible value to consumers. The focus must be on solving real problems, saving time, and enhancing the overall shopping experience. Companies that adopt Agentic AI with a customer-first mindset will be better positioned to offer personalized services, relevant product recommendations, and seamless agent-to-agent communication.

For e-commerce merchants, this opens up a wide range of possibilities. Agentic AI can enable dynamic storefronts that adapt in real time to a user’s preferences, browsing history, and purchase intent — without requiring manual input. Merchants could also create autonomous customer service flows, where agents resolve issues, process returns, or offer tailored discounts based on user behavior and sentiment analysis.

In this context, Agentic AI might help improve conversion rates by reducing friction in the checkout process, increase average order value through intelligent bundling and upselling, and boost customer retention by delivering hyper-personalized post-purchase experiences – such as proactively suggesting complementary products after a purchase, scheduling follow-ups, or even initiating reorders based on usage patterns.

This is where Agentic AI becomes more than a trend, but a strategic advantage. When innovation is driven by consumer needs rather than technological novelty, it fosters loyalty, differentiation, and long-term growth.

The future of e-commerce may well be agent-to-agent. But it will only succeed if consumers trust the agents acting on their behalf — and if those agents consistently deliver outcomes that matter. At the end of the day, as always, it’s all about solving the real problems of real people.

For more relevant insights about the trends and opportunities shaping the industry, subscribe to our monthly newsletter! And to know how PagSeguro can help your business succeed in Latin America, click below to get in touch with us: