In the evolving landscape of AI-driven commerce, merchants globally are navigating how much control to yield to AI agents. While many AI tools can complete purchases autonomously, nearly half of merchants resist relinquishing control over pricing and transaction outcomes, signaling a cautious but strategic adoption of agentic commerce technologies.
- 46% of merchants reluctant to let AI set or finalize prices
- Merchants favor AI for personalization and search over checkout automation
- Consumers trust AI for product comparison more than payment handling
Market signal
Merchants around the world are increasingly deploying AI tools to enhance digital shopping experiences without surrendering full transactional control to autonomous agents. The Global Digital Shopping Index shows that while AI is common in customer research phases, only a minority of merchants allow AI to complete purchases due to concerns about pricing control and liability.
This restrained adoption reflects a broader market trend: merchants weigh the potential benefits of agentic AI against the risks of ceding economic value and escalating fraud or dispute liability. AI is thus prioritized for personalized marketing and intelligent product discovery rather than independent checkout management.
Operator impact
For operators and retailers, the key tradeoff is balancing AI-driven efficiencies with the imperative to protect revenue and reduce operational risk. Many operators find AI implementation valuable for boosting customer engagement through customization and streamlined search, which are seen as safer bets than handing over purchase finalization to AI agents.
With 42% of merchants citing fraud and dispute concerns, and 41% uncomfortable with AI redirecting customers to competitors, operational teams must build AI frameworks that integrate human oversight and preserve merchant control over critical economic decisions. This approach mitigates risks while leveraging AI’s capacity to enhance user experience and loyalty.
What to watch next
Tracking adoption rates of AI-enabled personalized offers, rules-based reordering, and automated product comparison will be crucial. Additionally, monitoring consumer comfort levels with AI accessing payment methods versus product search will provide insights into evolving boundaries and inform vendor strategies for agentic commerce solutions.