American Express Launches Agentic Commerce Playbook to Prep…

Event summary

American Express released the Amex Business Playbook for Agentic Commerce on October 6, 2026, offering research-backed insights to help businesses adapt to AI-driven shopping behaviors.
83% of surveyed U.S. businesses view agentic commerce as an opportunity, but 64% struggle to keep up with AI innovation pace.
66% of U.S. consumers are likely to use AI agents for price research, and 61% for product recommendations within the next year.
American Express established a Merchant AI Advisory Council to gather merchant perspectives on evolving AI-enabled commerce.

The big picture

American Express is positioning itself as a leader in preparing merchants for the shift to AI-driven commerce, a trend that could redefine consumer shopping behaviors. The playbook and advisory council reflect the company's strategic focus on maintaining its relevance in an evolving payments landscape. The initiative underscores the broader industry trend of AI integration in financial services and retail, with potential implications for merchant readiness and consumer trust.

What we're watching

Adoption Pace: How quickly merchants will implement AI-driven commerce solutions given the 64% who struggle to keep up with innovation.
Consumer Trust: Whether consumer trust in AI agents for high-value purchases will grow beyond the current 15% comfort level.
Industry Standards: The pace at which common standards for AI-enabled commerce will be developed across different platforms.