Google launches new agreement for proxy-driven purchases

Google has launched the Proxy Payment Agreement (AP2), an open standard for AI-driven purchases that has been supported by more than 60 merchants and financial institutions. AP2 aims to enable interoperability between AI platforms, payment systems and vendors, support traceable transactions, and support complex inter-agent negotiations. It includes a dual authorization mechanism to ensure security and allows for fully automated purchases under certain conditions. The protocol was developed by cryptocurrency partners such as Coinbase and Ethereum, and integrates cryptocurrency payment capabilities. Key supporters include Mastercard, American Express and PayPal.