- 01Task givenA shopper asks an AI agent to find and buy something.
- 02Agent shopsIt searches, compares and adds items to a cart.
- 03Agent paysIt checks out with a payment credential issued for agents.
- 04Agent follows upIt can track orders and file returns or claims.
- 05Merchant decidesYou see an agent, not a person, on the other side.
- !Orders, returns or claims placed by automated agents at unusual speed or volume
- !Agent traffic you can't tie to a known customer
- !Returns and claims filed in bulk with near-identical wording
- !AI-generated photos or documents attached to claims
- !Agents testing your policies across many accounts
What is agentic commerce?
Agentic commerce is AI agents shopping on behalf of people: searching, comparing, buying and, increasingly, handling returns and claims. The card networks are building for it. In April 2025, Visa announced Visa Intelligent Commerce and Mastercard announced Agent Pay, both designed to let AI agents make payments with credentials issued for that purpose.
Why it matters for fraud and abuse
Most fraud tools assume a human at a browser. Agents change that. A legitimate agent may look like a bot, and a bad actor can use agents to scale abuse: filing claims, testing return policies and creating accounts far faster than a person could.
Who it affects
Every online merchant, starting with categories where agents are already used for research and purchasing, such as electronics, travel, groceries and everyday essentials.
How to prepare
Separate trusted agents from abusive automation instead of blocking all bots.
Tie agent activity back to the real customer behind it.
Check evidence attached to claims for AI-generated images and documents.
Apply the same per-person limits to agent activity as to people.
FAQ
Is agentic commerce the same as bots?
Not quite. Bots usually act for whoever runs them. Commerce agents act for a specific shopper, often with their permission and payment credentials.
Should merchants block AI agents?
Blocking all of them will likely cost sales as more shoppers use them. The goal is to recognize trusted agents and stop the abusive ones.
How Pinch stops it
AI Agents →
Free lookback · for qualified brands
See what you lost last year. Free.
01
Share 12 months of data.
Install the Shopify app or SFCC cartridge, or send order, return and claim exports.
02
Get your lookback in under two weeks.
What you lost to return and claims abuse, and who took it.
03
Qualified brands try Pinch free for three months.
Run it on live orders, then decide.