Mastercard launches Agent Pay for Machines to settle AI-driven microtransactions at network scale

Global payments giant Mastercard has unveiled Agent Pay for Machines (AP4M), a new payment service designed to enable AI agents and machines to conduct automated transactions at machine speed across its global payments network, according to a Wednesday press release.

The company said the platform is built to support a future in which AI agents transact directly with one another, enabling always-on commerce and high-volume microtransactions. The system is supported by over 30 industry players including Stripe, Adyen, Coinbase, Checkout.com, Cloudflare, BVNK, and OKX.

As AI agents become capable of autonomous decision-making and transactions, Mastercard sees a shift toward high-speed, continuous microtransactions and automated payment flows across digital ecosystems.

The company envisions a new era where AI agents execute complex chains of transactions on behalf of users, enabling entirely new business models and unlocking large-scale economic activity.

AP4M is designed to enable programmable, secure payments at machine speed, supporting transactions ranging from traditional payments to fractions-of-a-cent microtransactions across Mastercard’s global network.

According to Mastercard executive Jorn Lambert, this infrastructure will enable “superbloom” growth in AI-powered business models driven by high-volume, low-value, ultra-fast payments.

Unlike traditional consumer payments, AP4M operates as an always-on system where transactions occur between machines in the background of digital commerce.

The system extends Mastercard’s Agent Pay ecosystem with capabilities including credentialing, permission controls, automated transacting, and multi-rail settlement across fiat and stablecoins.

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