Visa poll: 54% of shoppers now use AI, 41% Hide It

Visa's report, commissioned by Morning Consult, adds detail to a pattern other recent surveys have also found: shoppers are experimenting with AI for planning and research while holding back on letting it transact. The survey shows 54% have used AI for at least one shopping task, but only 23% of U.S. consumers trust GenAI to handle payment transactions, according to separate Visa research. Visa's authors compare this to earlier shifts such as online and mobile payments, where the technology arrived before consumer trust fully caught up.

The report also connects that trust gap to fraud worries. Nearly three in 10 shoppers say they were targeted by fraud during last year's holiday season, rising to 39% among Gen Z. In response, three-quarters of U.S. shoppers say they have changed how they shop, including enabling two-factor authentication (34%) and changing passwords more often (34%). Visa's Trust Index offers a counterpoint: 61% of consumers polled said they trust Visa to secure an AI-powered payment, rising to 68% among 18- to 34-year-olds and 71% among weekly AI users.

Generation Z stands out on both fronts. More than eight in 10 young consumers are open to AI assistance, and 73% would let it suggest gift ideas, 19 points higher than adults overall. Yet Gen Z also reports higher exposure to fraud attempts, which may make familiar payment brands a bridge between AI as a shopping assistant and AI as a shopping agent. Cross-border shopping is another thread: 30% expect to buy at least one gift from an overseas seller this season, citing quality and uniqueness more than price.