The rise of agentic commerce: What UK merchants need to know in 2026

Agentic commerce is moving from theory to reality. New research from The Payments Association’s Merchant Payments Working Group, conducted with Payments Intelligence, reveals that UK retail merchants are already beginning to encounter AI-driven purchasing activity. In this Insights Interview, Jeremy McDougall (ACI Worldwide), mentor to The Payments Association’s Merchant Payments Working Group, is joined by Peter Harmston (KPMG) and Jon Rutter (Mastercard) to discuss the findings from a survey of more than 100 senior finance and risk decision-makers at UK online merchants.

The discussion explores:

• What agentic commerce is and why it matters
• Whether AI agents are already making purchases online
• The regulatory and liability questions facing merchants
• Standards, security and fraud readiness
• How merchants can prepare for the next phase of AI-driven commerce

Featuring:

• Jeremy McDougall, Strategic Solution Consulting Director, at ACI Worldwide
• Peter Harmston, Partner and Head of Payments Consulting at KPMG
• Jon Rutter, Vice President, Products and Solutions, Mastercard