Shinhan Card Becomes First Korean Card Company to Successfully Demonstrate 'AI Agent Pay' in Live Transactions

Shinhan Card announced on March 30 that it has conducted the first-ever demonstration in the domestic card industry of "AI Agent Pay," a service where artificial intelligence (AI) completes the entire process from search to payment on behalf of the user, in collaboration with Mastercard.

This live transaction test was carried out in conjunction with a global mobility service. When the AI agent found and reserved the optimal means of transportation to the destination, Agent Pay autonomously processed the payment, allowing users to complete the transaction with just a single authorization. Shinhan Card and Mastercard jointly designed all essential systems for implementing AI Agent Pay during this process, including authentication and authority management, payment process design, AI function advancement, and integration with merchants.

This achievement is notable as it marks the first case among Korean card companies where so-called "agentic commerce"—in which AI autonomously handles everything from searching to payment according to user needs—has been realized through actual merchant transactions rather than in a simulated or controlled environment. By allowing AI to handle the tedious steps of product search and reservation during the purchase process, Shinhan Card's role is expected to expand from being a simple payment instrument to serving as a partner that supports the entire consumer journey of its customers.

Starting with this test, Shinhan Card plans to promote the introduction of AI Agent Pay in frequently used areas such as travel and shopping, and gradually expand its application scope in the future.

A representative from Mastercard, who participated in the test, said, "This case demonstrates that AI can make payments safely in real-world environments," adding, "We will accelerate the expansion of the agentic commerce ecosystem and the establishment of reliable AI payment standards in the Asia-Pacific region." A Shinhan Card representative stated, "Through this live transaction, we have proven that the core values of card payment—'security' and 'control'—can be maintained even in an AI-driven payment environment, thereby securing customer trust. We will continue to pave the way for customers to make payments more easily and quickly."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.