Mastercard has completed a live, authenticated agentic transaction in South Korea, marking a key development in AI-powered commerce.
Agentic commerce refers to systems where AI agents search for, select, and make purchases on behalf of cardholders.
In this instance, an AI agent carried out a live ride-booking purchase through global mobility provider hoppa, using Mastercard’s AI payments infrastructure.
The transaction, facilitated by CardInfoLink and connected to hoppa’s platform, involved the AI agent automatically searching for available transportation, booking a ride, and securely paying for a car service from Incheon International Airport to a hotel in Gwanghwamun, Seoul.
This was enabled by Mastercard Agent Pay, a framework designed to allow secure, authenticated payments initiated by AI agents, ensuring interoperability between issuers, acquirers, and merchants.
By following industry standards, the framework supports consistent agent-driven experiences across different platforms.
This milestone in South Korea follows earlier Mastercard Agent Pay launches in the US in 2025. It was subsequently rolled out in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, and India in 2026.
Mastercard plans to expand the AI-enabled commerce ecosystem in South Korea.
The company will work with card issuers and digital partners. It also aims to broaden agent-driven payments across other sectors.
To reinforce AI initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region, Mastercard is establishing a regional AI Centre of Excellence in Singapore. The centre will support innovation and governance.
Mastercard is also strengthening partnerships with large language model providers and AI agent developers.
Jae-Youl Yang, Vice President of Digital Payments at Mastercard Korea, said,
“This successful live transaction represents a significant milestone for the future of AI-powered commerce. It demonstrates how AI agents can safely and reliably conduct payments in a real-world commercial environment. Mastercard will continue working closely with our financial institutions, digital partners and merchants to build a trusted ecosystem for AI-driven transactions in Korea.”
Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by Frolopiaton Palm via Freepik
