DBS Bank Pilots Visa Intelligent Commerce for AI Payments

DBS and Visa Advance Agent-Initiated Digital Transactions in Asia-Pacific

DBS Bank has emerged as the first issuer in the Asia-Pacific region to pilot Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC), marking a pivotal step in the evolution of agent-initiated digital payments. The collaboration with Visa focuses on validating AI-ready card credentials, authentication mechanisms, and payment signals, ensuring ecosystem preparedness for secure, consent-based transactions executed by artificial intelligence agents.

Driving Agent-Initiated Commerce

Visa Intelligent Commerce leverages APIs and Visa’s secure payment infrastructure to enable transparent, issuer-controlled AI-driven transactions. The pilot successfully demonstrated real-world food and beverage purchases using DBS and POSB credit and debit cards. AI agents conducted routine transactions while complying with issuer-managed authentication and authorisation frameworks.

Following initial success, the initiative is set to expand into online retail, travel bookings, and additional digital service environments, signalling broader adoption of agentic commerce models.

AI Adoption Trends in Singapore

The pilot reflects accelerating AI integration in consumer behaviour. A Visa-commissioned study indicates that 77% of Singapore residents actively use generative AI tools in daily activities. Additionally, nearly 80% of consumers rely on AI assistance for online shopping decisions.

These patterns highlight growing reliance on AI agents for transactional tasks, reinforcing the relevance of secure AI-payment infrastructure.

Security and Authentication Framework

A core feature of the pilot involves AI-ready credentials, which employ tokenisation to protect sensitive card data. Tokenised credentials operate within issuer-defined permissions, supported by intent-driven transaction controls and layered authentication safeguards. This structure ensures accountability, user consent, and fraud mitigation in agent-led payments.

Exam-Focused Points

• DBS → Headquartered in Singapore , presence in 19 markets

• Visa → Operates across 200+ countries and territories

• Agentic Commerce → AI agents performing transactions on behalf of users

• Tokenisation → Replaces card data with secure digital tokens

• Visa Intelligent Commerce (VIC) → Enables AI-driven payments via APIs