EXPLORINEER
en

KR — 전자신문

Card Companies Open the Era of 'Agent Commerce'… Agent Pay to Launch Next Year

AI4 min read

Korean credit card companies are preparing to add AI "agent payments" to the government's "AI for Everyone" project. They plan to launch an AI agent payment service next year.

What happened

Several Korean card companies want to join the government's national AI project, 'AI for Everyone' (모두의 AI), with AI-based agentic payments. An AI agent is a program that can act on a user's behalf, such as booking a trip. The card companies want to bring shopping and payment into this project to build a new payment system. Their goal is to launch an AI agent payment service in the first half of next year.

Key facts

  • Three groups lead the project: SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT. The Ministry of Science and ICT is also involved.
  • Shinhan Card and Hana Card join the SK Telecom group. BC Card joins the KT group.
  • Samsung, Hyundai, KB Kookmin, Lotte, and NH Nonghyup Card are not in the groups but are also preparing.
  • 'AI for Everyone' started beta testing this month. Its official launch is planned for December. Financial services, including agent payments, are not included yet and may be added next year.
  • Shinhan Card was the first Korean card company to succeed in a real AI agent payment test with Mastercard.

Background

An AI agent payment means an AI program pays for a product or service for the user. Card companies see this as a new way to earn money. Global card company Visa has also started a 'Visa Agentic Ready' program with partners. Six Korean card companies, including KB Kookmin, Samsung, Shinhan, and Hyundai, joined in April. Lotte Card is expected to join next month.

Why it matters

Card payment fees are no longer growing as fast as before. Card companies want new ways to earn money. If AI agents become a common way to pay, the companies that are ready early may gain customers. A card industry official said agent payments are becoming a shared global standard, not just a rule for one country.

What to watch

  • Whether financial services, including agent payments, are added to 'AI for Everyone' next year.
  • Results of the proof-of-concept tests that card companies are running with payment providers.
  • Whether companies that are not in the consortia, such as Samsung and Lotte, sign new partnerships.
  • How Visa and Mastercard programs grow in Korea.

Glossary

모두의 AI
A Korean government national project to give many people access to AI services.

Same story, different eyes

More in this topic

AIZDNet Korea

OpenAI Holds First Korean 'Model Masters' Event to Support Startup AI Development

OpenAI held its first 'OpenAI Model Masters' event in Korea on the 23rd at its Seoul office, where 11 startups demonstrated services built on its models. The program, which provides API credits to startups recommended by venture capitalists, aims to help turn AI ideas into real products. OpenAI highlighted the selected startup Cutback's video-editing work as a standout example.

AITechCrunch

Grok releases the first seven minutes of its AI-generated ‘Odyssey’

Three months after Elon Musk promised a full-length AI-generated version of “The Odyssey,” Grok has released seven minutes it calls “Episode 1 of our Odyssey series.” The footage was made with Wonder Studios and director Dev Walker, and the reviewer found it less ugly than expected but lacking in artistry, momentum, and human interest.