Checkout.com has published Peak Season '25: The debut of agentic commerce?, a study showcasing consumer buying behaviour.
The data comprises 4,000 customers’ answers across the US and the UK, revealing trends such as growing interest in buying and purchasing with the help of agentic AI, a new technology that can independently search, compare, and buy on behalf of shoppers. Checkout.com notices that customers want agentic AI to support them with the friction of everyday purchases, not with personal and enjoyable shopping journeys. As merchants create their strategies, they have to ensure that shoppers will continue to enjoy their experiences.
The company believes that the best strategies will combine automation with the human touch that makes shopping personal. As 48% of individuals surveyed worry about losing control over their purchases, merchants must offer both convenience and safety, featuring solutions like spending limits or category filters to give shoppers confidence in agentic commerce.
Key findings of the survey
40% of participants said they would be comfortable letting agentic AI take charge of daily purchases that they consider boring, such as groceries, phone bills, or household goods, transacting on their behalf up to GBP 200. 42% of participants in the UK said that they have already used the technology to find gift ideas for a partner, while 20% have asked AI to write birthday card messages. However, 40% of respondents said that letting agentic AI make purchases for them feels too impersonal for gifts or special occasions. This reflects how consumers want the technology to serve as a helper rather than a substitute, helping with the inconvenience of everyday purchases and preserving customer choice for more personal and enjoyable purchases.
The survey also shows a generational shift underway, as 70% of 25-34-year-olds said they would let AI agents handle transactions, and 49% of them are already using it to support shopping-related decision-making. Yet, fraud and security remain key, with four in ten shoppers worrying about the risk of fraud and data misuse. 31% said their willingness to start using autonomous agents for commerce would depend on guaranteed security, while 30% said it would depend on easier refunds and returns.
Checkout.com is working with card networks and global tech brands to bring payment security and storefront guardrails to agentic commerce. The company integrated new capabilities like Visa Intelligent Commerce and the newly announced Visa Trusted Agent Protocol, Mastercard Agent Pay, and support for Google’s Agent Payment Protocol (AP2). These features support agents in making payments securely on behalf of consumers.
