AmEx's Intent Intelligence targets AI-agent payments

American Express is positioning its Intent Intelligence framework as a way to keep customers in control as AI agents take on a larger role in shopping and payments, embedding authentication into the transaction rather than bolting it on afterward. The framework relies on an Intent ID and a Proof of Intent Token to carry purchase intent through the process, and the token can enable secure payment credentials so agents can transact without customers' actual card numbers. AmEx has released it through its Agentic Commerce Experiences (ACE) Developer Kit and is working with industry groups on common standards.

The competitive backdrop is already crowded: Mastercard's Verifiable Intent framework, developed with Google, targets tamper-resistant proof that AI agents act within customer-approved limits, and Visa's Intelligent Commerce initiatives include its Trusted Agent Protocol and tokenization. AmEx's position as both a card issuer and a payment network could provide an advantage in connecting customers, merchants and AI platforms, though whether that translates into volumes and revenue depends on ecosystem adoption and transaction growth.

Financially, broader adoption could support payment volumes and associated revenues while lowering fraud- and dispute-related costs, benefits the body describes as uncertain. For now, the framework reads as a bid to reinforce AmEx's competitive position and customer loyalty as AI-driven commerce expands, rather than a proven growth driver.