Citi and US Bank customers get first access to Mastercard Agent Pay

September 11, 2025 • FinTech News

Citi and US Bank customers will become the first in the United States to access Mastercard Agent Pay, the card company’s new agentic payments technology. Mastercard first unveiled this service in April, with plans to roll it out to all U.S. users by the holiday season. The company will follow with a global launch shortly afterward.

AI-Powered Payment Technology

Agent Pay represents Mastercard’s entry into the emerging field of agentic payments, where AI-powered agents conduct transactions for consumers. This approach could enable intelligent shopping and payment experiences, allowing users to delegate tasks to AI assistants. These assistants can then make purchasing decisions efficiently and reliably.

Mastercard demonstrated the technology with a practical example: a user planning a birthday party chats with an AI agent that suggests outfits based on personal style, venue atmosphere, and weather forecasts. After refining preferences, the agent completes the purchase and even recommends the most efficient payment method.

Developer Tools and Integration

To accelerate adoption, Mastercard has also introduced an Agent Toolkit. This resource helps developers and AI assistants interpret and integrate with Mastercard’s APIs. Consequently, it ensures secure, transparent, and reliable connectivity between AI-driven shopping tools and Mastercard’s global payments network.

Strategic Importance and Industry Impact

Craig Vosburg, chief services officer at Mastercard, emphasized the significance of this launch. “AI-powered payments aren’t just a trend—they’re a transformation,” he stated. “Payments must be native to the agentic experience. We’re building the infrastructure for intelligent transactions where consumers and developers can empower AI agents to act on their behalf with trust and precision.”

By providing Citi and US Bank cardholders early access, Mastercard positions itself at the forefront of AI-enabled financial services. This move highlights the growing importance of AI-driven consumer interactions and the demand for seamless, secure digital commerce. The technology represents a significant step toward more automated and intelligent payment systems that could transform how consumers shop and manage transactions in the future.

The rollout strategy, starting with major bank partners before expanding to all users, demonstrates Mastercard’s careful approach to implementing innovative payment technology while maintaining security and reliability standards that customers expect from established financial services providers.