Banco do Brasil and Visa have conducted Brazil's first AI agent-initiated payment using the Visa Intelligent Commerce platform and tokenisation.
The transaction was conducted in a controlled production environment, using the Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC) platform. An AI agent executed the payment on behalf of a client using a Banco do Brasil Visa card, without requiring real-time user intervention at each step of the process.
The operation relied on two security mechanisms: tokenisation, which replaces actual card data with encrypted codes, and integrated authentication with real-time risk monitoring carried out through Visa's global network. The model enables issuing banks such as Banco do Brasil to support agent-initiated transactions without exposing sensitive cardholder data.
Visa Intelligent Commerce provides application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow AI agents to initiate transactions within parameters pre-authorised by the cardholder. Under this model, a consumer defines the limits and scope within which the agent may act, including product searches, price comparisons, and payment initiation, without needing to approve each individual action. The framework is designed to meet existing regulatory standards.
Context and implications
According to the announcement, the transaction comes as Brazilian ecommerce marks its 30th year, reflecting a longer-term shift in the country's digital payments infrastructure. Brazil has in recent years emerged as one of the more active markets for real-time and digital payment adoption in Latin America, supported in part by the widespread uptake of the Pix instant payment system introduced by the central bank in 2020.
With the transaction completed, Visa has indicated that authorised agents and merchants will be able to operate under the VIC framework in Brazil. Broader adoption across the country's payments ecosystem is expected to follow, though no specific timeline has been confirmed.
Moreover, a company official at Banco do Brasil stated that the initiative aims to improve client convenience without compromising security or reliability. A Visa representative also noted that the transaction signals the Brazilian market's readiness for the next generation of digital commerce.
