Visa and Santander: Is AI Changing Product Discovery?

Banco Santander and Visa have completed a controlled pilot of agentic commerce transactions across five Latin American markets. The test marks the first multi-market demonstration of AI agents completing purchases within regulated banking frameworks.

AI agents bought books in Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay. In Brazil, an AI agent purchased chocolate.

The transactions used Visa Intelligent Commerce technology and operated within the existing payment frameworks of both Visa and Santander.

The pilot follows Santander's announcement of an agentic payment test with Mastercard. Both tests examine how AI agents can execute purchases on behalf of consumers who grant specific permission for automated transactions.

The VIC platform uses Visa's payment infrastructure to enable transactions that require consumer consent before execution. The technology allows consumers to delegate defined shopping tasks to AI agents while maintaining control over which purchases can be completed.

Marketing implications of automated shopping

According to Visa, more than 70% of Latin American consumers have integrated AI into their shopping journeys. The data could show that consumer behaviour in the region is shifting towards technology-assisted purchasing.

The pilot tested whether AI agents can operate across different markets while maintaining security standards. Transactions in five countries used different credentials and payment systems, examining whether the technology can function in varied regulatory environments.

Matías Sánchez, Global Head of Cards and Digital Solutions at Banco Santander, says: "This is a major step toward making AI-assisted shopping a practical reality. By testing real transactions, we demonstrated how these technologies act as enablers of secure, interoperable agentic commerce that maintains strong consumer protections and issuer controls."

The framework established during the pilot will support the adoption of AI-driven commerce in Latin America. Both companies state the test validates the technical infrastructure needed for agents to move from product discovery to payment execution.

Consumer consent and payment control

The pilot focused on ensuring consumers retain control when AI agents execute purchases. The test validated the process from permission granting to final payment settlement.

Agents operated within consent parameters defined by users in five markets. The test examined whether credentials from different countries could function within a single commerce framework.

Catalina Tobar, Head of Growth Products and Partnerships for Visa Latin America and the Caribbean, says: "The pilot with Santander marks a defining moment for commerce in Latin America. Through Visa Intelligent Commerce, we're laying the foundation for AI-driven transactions that are secure, seamless and built for scale – ensuring every player in the ecosystem is ready for what comes next."

The technology requires consumers to specify which types of purchases an AI agent can complete. Permission structures determine whether agents can initiate payments and which merchants can receive automated transactions.

Technical validation across payment networks

The book and chocolate purchases tested whether AI agents can handle real transactions while meeting supervisory standards. Both Visa and Santander state the pilot proved agents can operate within regulated payment frameworks.

The test examined consent capture, secure data handling and interoperability across merchants. The framework allows AI agents to access payment credentials only when specific permission has been granted.

Catalina says the technical groundwork is now in place for more complex retail applications. The two companies validated that agents can execute payments across different payment networks and merchant systems.

The test demonstrates how agentic commerce could function in 2026 as the technology becomes available to consumers. The pilot examined whether existing payment infrastructure can support AI-initiated transactions without requiring new regulatory frameworks.