Adyen has released the Hong Kong edition of its Adyen APAC Retail Index 2026, revealing that while Hong Kong consumers are increasingly using AI for product discovery, many remain reluctant to let AI complete purchases on their behalf.

The report highlights the emergence of “agentic commerce,” where AI agents browse, decide and complete purchases on behalf of shoppers.

Although 74% of surveyed consumers have used AI shopping assistants, 45% are uncomfortable letting an AI complete a purchase, even after manually reviewing the product and price.

The trend is strongly generational, with 26% of Gen Z using AI shopping assistants daily, compared to just 17% of Gen X and 2% of Baby Boomers.

The payment trust gap

The reluctance to adopt AI at checkout stems primarily from security and reliability concerns.

According to the data, which surveyed 1,026 Hong Kong consumers and 324 enterprise retail merchants with annual turnovers exceeding HK$150 million, payment failures carry clear reputational risks.

Two-thirds (66%) of respondents stated that payment errors damage their perception of a retailer, and 26% would abandon a purchase entirely following a checkout issue.

The survey also found that Hong Kong shoppers prioritise visible security measures over convenience; 41% feel more confident when retailers require two-factor authentication, while only 9% are willing to bypass security checks for a faster checkout.

“Consumers already consider payments as part of the wider brand experience, meaning that if checkout fails, trust breaks,”

said Kai Tang, Head of Hong Kong, Adyen.

“As agentic commerce moves closer to reality, the next challenge is making sure the retail backend systems can keep up while maintaining trust at every transaction.”

Merchant integration hurdles

The shift toward AI-driven commerce is forcing retailers to adapt their infrastructure.

The index indicates that 94% of Hong Kong merchants are familiar with agentic commerce, and over half (52%) plan to integrate such solutions into their revenue growth plans by 2026.

However, merchants cited several barriers to scaling these systems.

The primary concerns include the potential loss of direct customer relationships (43%), data privacy and security vulnerabilities (38%), and the technical complexity of integrating AI into existing operations (35%).

With different AI platforms operating on varying protocols and requiring unique checkout processes, merchants face a fragmented landscape.

Without a universal integration framework, retailers risk undertaking resource-intensive integration projects for each new AI platform.

Featured image credit: Edited by Fintech News Hong Kong, based on image by akshaychauhanakki123 via Magnific