•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Visa, a global payments technology company, announced the rollout of the Visa Agentic Ready program in the Asia-Pacific region, an initiative aimed at supporting the payments ecosystem in the AI-driven commerce era known as agentic commerce.
In its initial phase, Visa Agentic Ready focuses on building capabilities for issuing banks through a structured roadmap. Banks can test, validate, and analyze transactions initiated by AI agents in a realistic, controlled, simulated environment.
The program is designed to help issuing banks experience processes in which AI assistants act on behalf of users to perform transactions. It also supports assessment of system readiness for agentic commerce models, while emphasizing trust, control, and the core security standards of the Visa network.
Visa said the program is powered by its core capabilities, combining token encryption, identity, risk management, and governance mechanisms to study how AI-initiated transactions can be deployed safely across multiple real-world scenarios.
Visa Agentic Ready is built on Visa Intelligent Commerce, described as a platform of solutions and initiatives intended to deliver next-generation AI-enabled commerce experiences with reliability and scalable deployment.
Visa said realizing large-scale agentic commerce requires coordination across the payments ecosystem. The company has connected strategic partners across 10 markets participating in the Agentic Ready program.
In Vietnam, Visa reported that it has completed the initial trial phase with favorable results and is working closely with leading financial institutions.
Visa said the program uses a tightly controlled testing environment aligned with real-world operating standards to validate how AI-initiated transactions operate. Visa added that this helps issuing banks build trust and prepare resources as future payment experiences are rolled out.
The initiative is positioned as part of Visa’s broader strategy toward smart, programmable commerce, where reliable identity and network capabilities allow payment methods to respond safely and flexibly to consumer intent, context, and control. Visa said that as shopping becomes more automated, the approach is intended to enable AI agents to act on behalf of users while users retain control.
In the Asia-Pacific region, Visa said the program is officially ready in Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
According to Linh Le, Market Times.
Premium gym chains are entering a “golden era” that is ending or already in decline, as rising operating costs collide with shifting consumer preferences toward more flexible, community-based ways to exercise. Long-term memberships are shrinking, margins are pressured by higher rents and facility expenses, and competition from smaller, more personalized…
