Mastercard has completed its first agentic transaction using Portuguese card credentials, marking a milestone in the rollout of its Agent Pay framework in Portugal. The transaction was conducted at an event in Lisbon coinciding with the presentation of Mastercard's Innovation Centre of Excellence in the city.
Paulo Raposo, Mastercard's Country Manager in Portugal, confirmed the transaction was a real, live payment using Portuguese card credentials executed by an AI agent through the Agent Pay framework. He stated that commercial deployment is now the only remaining step, adding that Portuguese cards are technically ready to operate in agentic mode today. The authentication and certification infrastructure required for agent-initiated transactions is complete on Mastercard's side.
Agentic transactions through Agent Pay include authentication procedures to verify purchaser identity, validate credentials, and confirm payment legitimacy. Consumers retain the ability to cancel purchases at any point.
Prior to this, just at the beginning of April 2026, Mastercard announced the successful launch of authenticated agentic transactions across multiple ASEAN markets, as well as plans to create a regional AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore. The initial deployments covered Singapore and Malaysia, with more markets to follow, and were made in partnership with UOB, an ASEAN bank, together with local banking partners in each country.
Lisbon Innovation Centre of Excellence
The event also marked the formal presentation of Mastercard's Lisbon Innovation Centre of Excellence, which employs approximately 600 people in software engineering, data science, and management, with an average workforce age of 34. Raposo stated that 72% of the team are Portuguese nationals and that the hub has attracted international talent alongside local hires.
The Centre, which began five years ago, works in a network with other Mastercard centres of excellence across Europe, focusing on core products, cybersecurity, data platforms, fraud prevention, and AI. Raposo described AI as a layer now applied across all of Mastercard's operations and product development.
Kelly Devine, President of Mastercard Europe, noted that Portugal has the capacity to host and develop large-scale technological operations, contributing to the country's international competitiveness.
