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Survey of 1,007 U.S. consumers finds AI adoption for product discovery is rising, but shoppers remain reluctant to delegate payments and high-value purchases to AI agents
Wildfire Systems, a loyalty and consumer insights platform, has released its 2026 Consumer Rewards & Behavioral Shopping Trends report, Agentic Commerce’s Wallet Problem. Based on a survey of 1,007 U.S. consumers, the report identifies a growing gap between shoppers’ willingness to use artificial intelligence (AI) for product research and deal discovery and their readiness to let AI agents complete purchases independently.
The findings suggest that while AI is becoming a more common shopping tool, concerns about payment security, trust, and transaction control remain significant barriers to broader adoption of agentic commerce.
The results align with wider industry research. Mastercard’s Signals research found that 85% of consumers are open to working with an AI agent to find the best option, while only one in 10 are willing to let an agent complete a purchase autonomously.
The industry is also adapting to consumer expectations. In March, OpenAI shifted its shopping strategy toward product discovery and merchant-operated checkout experiences, citing the need for greater flexibility for merchants.
AI Shopping Adoption Outpaces Payment Trust
Wildfire’s survey found that 71% of U.S. consumers now use AI chatbots, compared with 22% two years ago. Among AI users, 56% use the technology to compare prices, while 44% use it to find deals.
However, consumers are significantly less comfortable allowing AI platforms to handle payments. Only 5% said they would trust an AI platform itself to process an AI agent’s payment, while 41% said they would trust none of the payment options presented in the survey.
Banks ranked as the most trusted named payment option, at 17%, followed by digital wallets at 14%. Credit card networks and major retailers each received 12%.
The findings highlight a central challenge for companies developing agentic commerce solutions: helping consumers discover products through AI may be easier than persuading them to hand over control of checkout.
Consumers Prefer Low-Cost, Routine AI Purchases
Consumer comfort with AI-led transactions varies considerably by purchase value.
Twenty-nine percent of respondents said they were very comfortable allowing an AI agent to make a purchase costing less than $20. That figure fell to 6% for purchases of $500 or more.
Product category also influenced willingness to delegate. Twenty-three percent were very comfortable allowing an AI agent to purchase toiletries or household essentials, compared with 17% for airfare or hotel bookings.
These results suggest that agentic commerce may initially gain traction through routine, lower-value transactions before expanding into more expensive or consequential purchases.
Economic Pressures Drive AI-Powered Deal Hunting
Financial considerations are another important factor shaping AI shopping behavior.
Among AI users, 56% said economic conditions had made them more interested in using AI to find deals. That proportion rose to 78% among households with children under 13.
When asked why they would delegate shopping to an AI agent, 45% identified getting better deals as their primary motivation, ahead of saving time, cited by 37%.
The findings position price comparison, promotions, and savings discovery as potential entry points for AI-powered shopping services, particularly as consumers remain focused on managing household expenses.
Loyalty Rewards and Cashback Could Encourage AI Checkout
Familiar financial benefits may help reduce consumer hesitation about completing purchases through AI platforms.
According to the survey, 38% of respondents said carrying loyalty rewards through to an AI-driven purchase would make them more comfortable buying directly through AI. Another 36% cited cashback as a factor that could increase their willingness to transact.
These incentives ranked ahead of an AI platform’s money-back guarantee, cited by 29%, and fraud protection, cited by 27%.
The results indicate that integrating established rewards and savings programs into AI-driven purchasing experiences could be an important way to build consumer confidence and encourage adoption.
Trust Emerges as a Key Challenge for Agentic Commerce
Wildfire’s report suggests that agentic commerce is likely to develop incrementally, beginning with lower-cost, everyday purchases before expanding into higher-value transactions.
As AI agents take on more shopping tasks, payment providers, retailers, and technology platforms will need to address concerns about transaction control while giving consumers clear reasons to trust automated purchasing systems.
“Consumers are already comfortable letting AI influence the shopping decision; they’re far less settled on who should control the payment,” said Tristan Barnum, Chief Marketing Officer and Head of AI Innovation at Wildfire Systems. He added that the trust layer, rather than product discovery, is becoming a central question for the future of agentic commerce.
The findings suggest that the next phase of adoption will depend not only on AI capabilities, but also on whether payment experiences preserve familiar consumer protections, rewards, and a sense of control.
