UK AI Shopping Agents Set to Drive £99bn in Spending by 2031

New research from Global Payments reveals that nearly half of UK adults are now open to using AI agents for shopping, a significant jump from last year. For fintech professionals, this shift toward "agentic commerce" signals a fundamental change in the online checkout journey, necessitating new approaches to payment security and consumer trust.

What was announced

Global Payments Inc. has released findings showing that 48% of UK adults have used or would consider using an AI agent to shop within the next 12 months. This represents a sharp increase from the 31% recorded just one year ago. The research suggests that if adoption continues at this pace, AI agents could influence approximately £99 billion of annual UK retail spending by 2031. Consumers anticipate that within five years, these bots will handle roughly 16% of their total purchases, more than doubling the 7% predicted in previous data.

The primary driver for this adoption is efficiency; 69% of respondents would use an AI agent if it could consistently identify the best prices across multiple platforms, reducing the time spent manually comparing products. However, there is a clear limit to this autonomy. While 90% of those open to AI shopping would allow an agent to spend up to £100 on groceries, and 84% would do the same for clothing, trust diminishes as price points rise. Currently, 95% of shoppers would set a strict spending limit of £500 or less for any AI-driven transaction.

Security remains a significant hurdle to widespread adoption, with 54% of consumers expressing concern over the safety of their payment details and 48% worried about how their personal data might be used. Furthermore, 34% of users insist on confirming every purchase manually before a payment is finalised, while 33% demand access to human support when automated systems fail.

"Consumers are increasingly comfortable letting AI find the right product and the best price, but handing over the final purchasing decision is a much bigger leap. The opportunity is immense, but trust will determine how quickly AI shopping agents become standard practice. That's why we are focused on helping merchants deliver AI-powered shopping experiences that are secure, transparent and keep consumers in control."

Harsh Mehta, head of partnerships – AI and Agentic Commerce at Global Payments®.

The companies involved

Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN) is a major player in the global financial technology landscape, providing payment technology and software solutions to merchants and consumers. Headquartered in the United States, the company operates as a publicly traded entity on the New York Stock Exchange. Global Payments has established a significant footprint in the UK market, where it frequently monitors consumer sentiment regarding digital transformation and payment habits.

The company’s focus has increasingly shifted toward integrating artificial intelligence into the commerce lifecycle, a move reflected in its internal structuring, such as the appointment of specialists like Harsh Mehta to lead AI and Agentic Commerce partnerships. Global Payments positions itself as an intermediary that bridges the gap between traditional retail infrastructure and emerging digital trends, such as digital wallets and automated shopping assistants. By providing the underlying rails for secure transactions, the firm aims to support merchants as they navigate the transition from manual online search-and-buy models to more automated, agent-led consumer journeys.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has tracked Global Payments’ increasing focus on AI-driven infrastructure over the past year. In August 2026, the company hosted Global Payments Unveils Genius World: A New Era of Connected Commerce and AI-Driven POS Solutions, showcasing its vision for the future of retail. This followed the May 2026 launch of the Global Payments Unveils AI-First Genius Handheld Built for the Future of Commerce, which integrated AI capabilities directly into point-of-sale hardware.

The firm’s research into UK spending habits is also a recurring theme in our coverage. In March 2026, we reported on their findings regarding the cross-generational shift toward digital payments in From Gen Z to Retirees: Digital Wallets’ Cross-Generational Rise Will Unlock £453 BN of UK Spend by 2030. Additionally, the company has provided insights into seasonal payment trends, such as in It's a Summer of Football, but Which Payment Method Takes the Trophy?.

What this means

The rise of agentic commerce represents a pivot from "search" to "intent." If AI agents begin to dominate the discovery phase of shopping, the traditional marketing funnel—built on SEO and visual browsing—is under immediate pressure. For the fintech sector, the challenge is no longer just about processing a transaction, but about authenticating an "agent" rather than a human. This creates a new battleground for security protocols and identity verification. The industry must solve the "trust gap" identified in the research; without robust, hack-proof frameworks that allow for granular spending controls, the projected £99 billion market will remain a theoretical ceiling rather than a realized reality.