AI agents begin using Stripe Link for autonomous purchases

Stripe reports that AI agents are increasingly using its Link payment service to shop for users. According to The-decoder, transaction numbers grew 38-fold in September while payment volume grew 20-fold. Stripe did not disclose the specific figures for these growth rates. The report notes that the growth started from a small base of about 70 agents. Stripe executive Dan Hill says the number of agents using the service has since grown to around 200.

Why it matters

For Swiss businesses, this shift signals a transition from human-led browsing to autonomous purchasing. You must prepare for a customer journey where an AI handles the final transaction. This requires moving beyond simple chatbots to systems that can manage secure payments, set spending limits, and navigate specific retail categories like travel or furniture.

• You need to ensure your checkout flow supports non-human users.
• You must define clear price boundaries for autonomous agents.
• You should audit how your data handles automated payment requests.

What to watch

Audit your current checkout flow for machine readability. If an agent cannot interpret your product data or navigate your cart, you are invisible to this new buyer. You should also establish clear protocols for spending limits and automated refunds. Businesses need to decide how they will verify intent when a human is not clicking the final button.

By next year, AI agents will initiate B2B orders without human clicks. This requires your checkout to accept machine-readable tokens and your data protocols to verify non-human identities.