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Mastercard launches Agent Pay for Machines to offer high-speed payments available 24 hours a day.

The emergence of AI has created new ways to buy and sell goods and services. It is now demanding a new class of payments. Mastercard envisions a future where companies create services for AI agents to make purchases. Operating at machine speed, these agents could continuously transact with each other at high speed, executing transaction chains, including microtransactions. This shift could unleash a new massive wave of innovation, business models, and economic activity, where any company, from individual entrepreneurs to the largest corporations, can become a virtual powerhouse.

To enable this new form of commerce, Mastercard has developed a new way to pay for these services: payments, even if they are just pennies, to be completed quickly, programmatically, and securely. The company introduces the Agent Pay for Machines (AP4M), a new service that will allow these transactions to be authorized, orchestrated, and settled at machine speed on its global payments network.

“Agent Pay for Machines will create the conditions for an explosion of AI business models,” said Jorn Lambert, Chief Product Officer at Mastercard. “Payments between machines can enable the buying and selling of services between agents on fundamentally different scales than current payments — very high volumes, very low values, with great speed and extremely low latency.”

Unlike traditional point-of-sale payments or between people and merchants, which are one-off and initiated by the user, these transactions are programmatic, always active, and executed between systems behind the scenes of digital commerce. Agent Pay for Machines allows Mastercard network participants to bring the trust and controls of the company’s global network to machine-driven commerce, helping AI innovators enable secure and trusted payments as software can perform transactions autonomously.

Building a new class of payments

AI agents are no longer just assisting in decisions. They are able to act on human intent, coordinate services, and complete transactions tailored to their users. An entrepreneur opening a florist shop could instruct an AI agent to build and launch the store’s web presence, purchasing a domain name, hosting service, images, and checkout pages within a defined budget, transforming a single request initiated by a human into a chain of transactions automatically executed among providers.

In another example, a logistics agent managing a delivery route could pay for shipping, reserve access to the loading platform, purchase temporary monitoring data for the chain, and settle warehouse handling fees automatically as a shipment moves from origin to destination.

Payments are not just increasing. They are changing form. They become continuous, embedded, authorized, and executed at machine speed. This creates a new requirement: an infrastructure capable of keeping up with this movement.

In this new environment, businesses seek the peace of mind of knowing they will receive payment. Agents need transactions to move instantly, with each transaction completed securely and as expected. The Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines is designed to meet these needs.

The service is based on the Mastercard Agent Pay program, introduced in 2025, providing a system to scale high-frequency, low-latency, low-value payments executed by agents and machines. While Agent Pay defines how trusted AI agents participate in payments, Agent Pay for Machines is designed for a complementary opportunity: automated, machine-driven microtransactions that happen continuously in the background of digital commerce.

This is where Mastercard’s global network plays a critical role. The Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines supports credentialing, controls, and guaranteed settlement across multiple payment types, from cards to stablecoins, enabling organizations to deploy automated payments with the interoperability, reliability, and governance that the digital economy demands.

How it works

The Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines establishes a trusted system for machine-driven transactions through a set of core capabilities:

· Credentialing: Each agent is credentialed and, with Verifiable Intent, can be recognized and transact confidently among ecosystems.

· Authorization: Organizations can set authorization rules and spending limits that are applied programmatically, ensuring that transactions remain within defined parameters.

· Transaction: Verified participants can connect and transact among providers and systems, enabling continuous automated and high-frequency commerce.

· Settlement: Supports reliable and guaranteed multitrack settlement among cards, accounts, and stablecoins.

Transactions occur predictably, enhancing transparency and consistency.

Partnering to scale an open ecosystem

Mastercard is collaborating with many partners to validate priority use cases, establish common rules, and accelerate adoption across industries. Initial participants and supporters include: Aave Labs, Adyen, Alchemy, Anchorage Digital, Ant International, Basis Theory, BVNK, Catena, Checkout.com, Cloudflare, Coinbase, Coinflow, Crossmint, Getnet from Santander, Global Payments, Lovable, Mastercard Merchant Cloud, MoonPay, Nevermined, OKX, PayOS, Polygon, Rain, Ripple, Sapiom, Skyfire, Solana Foundation, Stripe, t54 Labs, Tempo, Turnkey, and Utila.

Supporting the next phase of digital commerce

The Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines expands Mastercard’s efforts to enable trusted digital interactions, from identity and authentication to reliable data exchange, so businesses can adopt new technologies without compromising the security, reliability, and reach they expect from Mastercard’s global network. Along with Agent Pay and Verifiable Intent, the Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines reflects Mastercard’s ongoing investment in building an open and trusted infrastructure for autonomous, agent-driven, machine-powered payments.

Brazil brings innovation with local partners in Agent Pay

In Brazil, Mastercard has been strengthening strategic partnerships to drive agent-based commerce with Agent Pay, involving local issuers and processors such as Itaú and Santander. These institutions have already conducted live transactions using Mastercard’s infrastructure, demonstrating the viability of AI agent-initiated payments at scale and with full security. The operations involved real purchases across different segments, reinforcing the role of the Brazilian market as a leading player in adopting innovative payment solutions and consolidating the region as fertile ground for advancing AI-driven commerce.

To learn more about the Mastercard Agent Pay for Machines, visit Link.

Juspay joins the Mastercard Engage network to expand Click to Pay globally.

Juspay, the global payment technology company, announces its entry into the Mastercard Engage partner network as a certified third-party partner for Mastercard Click to Pay. The Mastercard Engage platform is a global ecosystem that connects Mastercard to qualified technology partners, helping financial institutions and merchants implement payment solutions more swiftly. Inclusion in the Engage portal represents a significant step in Juspay’s mission to provide faster, safer, and smoother digital payment experiences for merchants and consumers worldwide.

Building on the success of the operation in Brazil, Juspay is now expanding Click to Pay to other global markets, helping merchants offer a consistent, secure, and frictionless checkout experience. Click to Pay simplifies online card payments by eliminating the need to manually enter details, which improves conversion rates and makes the purchasing process more efficient.

Through this integration, Juspay offers advanced features such as:

  • Biometric authentication with passkeys, enabling secure transactions without a password
  • Card tokenization, for enhanced security and reduced fraud risk
  • Simplified checkout, reducing cart abandonment and friction at the purchase completion stage

“Integrating into the Mastercard Engage partner network is an important milestone in our global expansion of Click to Pay”, said Mark Ronayne, International Associate Director at Juspay. “At Juspay, we are focused on eliminating friction at checkout while maintaining the highest standards of security. With Click to Pay, we allow merchants to offer a one-click shopping experience, improving conversion and providing a smoother payment journey for consumers.”

With its entry into the Mastercard Engage platform, Juspay will also collaborate with Mastercard to support merchants in adopting Click to Pay. The partnership is expected to further strengthen Juspay’s position as a trusted payment partner for large companies and financial institutions worldwide.

With the aim of making payments more accessible and intuitive, Juspay continues to invest in innovations that simplify checkout while maintaining high standards of security and reliability. Processing over 300 million transactions per day in regions such as Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, the UK, and North America, Juspay serves large companies and global banks such as Amazon, Google, HSBC, Swiggy, among others.

What is an Online Marketplace?

An online marketplace is a digital platform that connects buyers and sellers, allowing them to conduct commercial transactions over the internet. These platforms act as intermediaries, providing an infrastructure for individual sellers or businesses to offer their products or services to a large number of potential customers. Some popular examples of online marketplaces include Amazon, eBay, Mercado Livre, and Airbnb.

History:

Online marketplaces emerged in the late 1990s with the advent of e-commerce. One of the first and most successful examples was eBay, founded in 1995, which started as an online auction site for consumers to sell items to each other. As the internet became more accessible and trust in e-commerce grew, more marketplaces emerged, covering a wide range of sectors and business models.

Types of online marketplaces:

There are several types of online marketplaces, each with its own characteristics and target audiences:

1. Horizontal marketplaces: Offer a wide variety of products across different categories, such as Amazon and Mercado Livre.

2. Vertical marketplaces: Focus on a specific niche or sector, such as Etsy for handmade and vintage products, or Zalando for fashion.

3. Service marketplaces: Connect service providers to customers, like Fiverr for freelancers or Uber for transportation services.

4. P2P (peer-to-peer) marketplaces: Allow consumers to sell products or services directly to each other, like eBay or Airbnb.

Advantages:

Online marketplaces offer several advantages for sellers and buyers:

1. Expanded reach: Sellers can access a much larger audience than would be possible with a physical store.

2. Convenience: Buyers can easily find and purchase products or services at any time and from anywhere.

3. Variety: Marketplaces often offer a large selection of products or services, allowing buyers to find exactly what they’re looking for.

4. Trust: Established platforms provide reputation systems and consumer protection, increasing trust in transactions.

5. Reduced costs: Sellers can save on operational costs, such as rent for physical space and staff.

Challenges:

Despite their advantages, online marketplaces also present some challenges:

1. Competition: With many sellers offering similar products, it can be difficult to stand out and attract customers.

2. Fees: Platforms typically charge fees on sales, which can reduce sellers’ profit margins.

3. Platform dependency: Sellers can become overly dependent on the marketplace, limiting their ability to build their own brand.

4. Quality issues: Ensuring the quality and authenticity of products can be a challenge, especially in marketplaces with many sellers.

Future of online marketplaces:

As e-commerce continues to grow, online marketplaces are likely to become even more prevalent and sophisticated. Some trends that are expected to shape the future of marketplaces include:

1. Personalization: The use of data and artificial intelligence to provide more personalized shopping experiences.

2. Omnichannel integration: The blending of online and offline experiences to create a seamless shopping journey.

3. Specialized marketplaces: The emergence of more marketplaces focused on specific niches or communities.

4. Globalization: The expansion of marketplaces into new international markets, connecting sellers and buyers around the world.

Conclusion:

Online marketplaces have revolutionized the way we buy and sell products and services, offering unprecedented convenience, variety, and accessibility. As technology advances and consumer habits evolve, marketplaces are expected to continue playing a central role in e-commerce and the global economy. Although there are challenges to be faced, the future of online marketplaces looks promising, with new innovations and opportunities constantly emerging.

What is e-commerce?

E-commerce, also known as electronic commerce, is the practice of conducting commercial transactions over the internet. This includes buying and selling products, services, and information online. E-commerce has revolutionized the way businesses conduct their operations and how consumers acquire goods and services.

History:

E-commerce began to gain popularity in the 1990s with the advent of the World Wide Web. In the beginning, online transactions were primarily limited to the sale of books, CDs, and software. Over time, as technology advanced and consumer trust in e-commerce increased, more companies began to offer a wide variety of products and services online.

Types of e-commerce:

There are several types of e-commerce, including:

1. Business-to-Consumer (B2C): Involves selling products or services directly to end consumers.

2. Business-to-Business (B2B): Occurs when one company sells products or services to another company.

3. Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C): Allows consumers to sell products or services directly to each other, often through online platforms like eBay or OLX.

4. Consumer-to-Business (C2B): Involves consumers offering products or services to businesses, such as freelancers providing their services through platforms like Fiverr or 99Freelas.

Advantages:

E-commerce offers various advantages for businesses and consumers, such as:

1. Convenience: Consumers can purchase products or services at any time and from anywhere, as long as they have internet access.

2. Wide variety: Online stores often offer a much broader selection of products than physical stores.

3. Price comparison: Consumers can easily compare prices from different suppliers to find the best deals.

4. Reduced costs: Businesses can save on operational costs like physical space rent and staff by selling online.

5. Global reach: E-commerce allows businesses to reach a much broader audience than would be possible with a physical store.

Challenges:

Despite its many advantages, e-commerce also presents several challenges, including:

1. Security: Protecting consumers’ financial and personal data is a constant concern in e-commerce.

2. Logistics: Ensuring that products are delivered quickly, efficiently, and reliably can be a challenge, especially for smaller companies.

3. Intense competition: With so many businesses selling online, it can be difficult to stand out and attract customers.

4. Trust issues: Some consumers still hesitate to shop online due to concerns about fraud and the inability to see and touch products before purchasing them.

Future of e-commerce:

As technology continues to advance and more people worldwide gain access to the internet, e-commerce is expected to continue growing and evolving. Some trends that are likely to shape the future of e-commerce include:

1. Mobile shopping: More and more consumers are using their smartphones and tablets to shop online.

2. Personalization: Companies are using data and artificial intelligence to provide more personalized shopping experiences for consumers.

3. Augmented reality: Some companies are experimenting with augmented reality to allow consumers to “try on” products virtually before purchasing.

4. Digital payments: As digital payment options like e-wallets and cryptocurrencies become more popular, they are expected to become even more integrated into e-commerce.

Conclusion:

E-commerce has fundamentally changed the way we do business and continues to evolve rapidly. As more companies and consumers embrace e-commerce, it is becoming an increasingly essential part of the global economy. Although there are still challenges to overcome, the future of e-commerce looks bright, with new technologies and trends constantly emerging to enhance the online shopping experience.

Research reveals high adoption of technologies in Brazilian retail and growth of e-commerce apps.

A survey conducted by Instituto Locomotiva and PwC revealed that 88% of Brazilians have used some technology or trend applied to retail. The study highlights that buying from marketplaces is the most adopted trend, with a 66% uptake, followed by picking up in physical stores after online purchases (58%) and automated online customer service (46%).

The research also showed that nine out of ten consumers prioritize brands that offer pleasant shopping experiences, convenient delivery, and actions focused on sustainability. Renato Meirelles, president of Instituto Locomotiva, emphasizes that Brazilians still shop a lot in physical stores, despite preferring to buy certain products online.

Although physical stores continue to be the most frequent experience, some products already show a predominance of online buying, varying by category. Electronics and various courses have a greater adoption of e-commerce, while supermarkets, construction materials, and hygiene and beauty products are still more commonly purchased in physical stores.

At the same time, the e-commerce app market is on the rise. According to the annual Mobile App Trends report by Adjust, there was a 43% increase in installations and a 14% increase in sessions of virtual commerce apps in 2023. Bruno Bulso, COO of Kobe Apps, states that this growth reflects consumers’ increasing preference for mobile shopping experiences.

Latin America has stood out by registering an increase in the average time spent per session in e-commerce apps, contrary to the global trend. Furthermore, Shein’s leadership in the ranking of the most downloaded apps in the world highlights the need for brands to expand their digital channels to apps.

Brazil, ranked as the fourth country in the world with the most app downloads in 2023, demonstrates the growing importance of mobile devices in the lives of Brazilian consumers. Experts emphasize that the omnichannel journey, integrating physical stores and apps, is a determining factor for completing purchases and customer loyalty.

Essential points for having a competitive e-commerce

E-commerce continues to grow. Numbers from the Brazilian Electronic Commerce Association (ABComm) indicate a revenue of R$ 73.5 billion in the first half of 2022. This reflects a 5% growth compared to the same period in 2021. 

This increase is aided by virtual stores allowing sales of products to all regions of Brazil, for instance. In addition to providing unique gifts for different styles and celebrations. However, an important point for the smooth functioning of the store is an engaged team.

For an e-commerce to harness its potential, it is necessary to employ strategies across all sectors – production, inventory, logistics, customer service, post-sale – to offer a complete experience to customers. Therefore, there are three fundamental pillars for an e-commerce to thrive: strategic planning, quality products, and efficient customer service.

Planning consists of selecting the products that the company will sell, taking good photos, and producing creative texts and content that attract consumers. It is also essential to know the partners, check the expiration date of perishable products, evaluate the logistics, adherence to deadlines, and all details that may eventually hinder the customer experience.

Quality products are a basic premise in any store, whether online or physical. When purchasing for personal use or as a gift, there is care taken to research versions, sizes, colors, in addition to the financial and emotional investment. This way, the customer may consider the store where the purchase was made and return to the location on a future occasion.

A differentiated customer service, in turn, can contribute to customer retention in e-commerce. It is an essential tool for gathering feedback, both positive and negative, from consumers, thereby enhancing the experience.

The habit of shopping online is a reality in the country, as it is a practical, efficient, convenient, and often fast way, depending on the logistics process. It has become a path that should run parallel to the physical environment, therefore, it is necessary to be careful to meet consumer expectations in the best possible way.

Tramontina launches B2B e-commerce to expand reach and facilitate business purchases

Tramontina, the renowned Brazilian company for utensils and tools, announced the launch of its exclusive e-commerce platform for B2B (business-to-business) sales and for use and consumption. This initiative marks an important digital expansion for the brand, complementing traditional service by representatives and offering a new form of interaction with business clients.

The new online channel, available at empresas.tramontina.com.br, allows customers to access the company’s vast portfolio, which includes more than 22,000 items. The range of products covers everything from household utilities and tools to furniture, also catering to the hospitality and food service sectors, including restaurants, bars, cafes, and hotels, as well as retailers, wholesalers, and resellers.

Among the main benefits of the platform are:

  1. Fast and personalized shopping
  2. Complete order management, including those made online and through representatives
  3. Specialized support tailored to the specific needs of each customer
  4. Free shipping for orders that meet the minimum purchase value

This initiative by Tramontina represents a significant step in the digitalization of its sales processes, aiming for closer engagement with the brand and facilitating business management for its corporate clients. The company hopes that this new B2B sales channel will enhance its reach in the market and provide a more efficient and convenient shopping experience for its corporate customers.

Anatel releases list of e-commerce sites with ads for illegal cell phones; Amazon and Mercado Livre top the ranking.

The National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) revealed last Friday (21) the results of an inspection carried out on e-commerce sites, focusing on advertisements for cell phones without official certification or that entered the country illegally. This action is part of a new precautionary measure published by the agency to combat piracy.

According to the report, Amazon and Mercado Livre had the worst statistics. On Amazon, 51.52% of the cell phone ads were for non-compliant products, while on Mercado Livre this number reached 42.86%. Both companies were classified as “non-compliant” and must remove the irregular ads, under penalty of fines and possible removal of their websites.

Other companies, such as Lojas Americanas (22.86%) and Grupo Casas Bahia (7.79%), were considered “partially compliant” and will also need to make adjustments. On the other hand, Magazine Luiza did not show any records of illegal ads, being classified as “compliant”. Shopee and Carrefour, although without disclosed percentages, were listed as “compliant” for already having made commitments to Anatel.

Anatel’s president, Carlos Baigorri, highlighted that negotiations with e-commerce companies have been ongoing for about four years. He specifically criticized Amazon and Mercado Livre for not engaging in the collaborative process.

The inspection took place from June 1 to 7, using a scanning tool with 95% accuracy. Anatel reported that after focusing on cell phones, the agency will investigate other products sold illegally without certification.

The precautionary measure published today aims to give companies another opportunity to comply with the regulations, starting with cell phones. Anatel emphasized that other companies, besides the seven largest retailers mentioned, are also subject to the same requirements.

Magazine Luiza and AliExpress announce unprecedented partnership in e-commerce

Magazine Luiza and AliExpress have signed a historic agreement that will allow for the cross-selling of products on their respective e-commerce platforms. This partnership marks the first time that the Chinese marketplace will make its products available for sale by a foreign company, in an unprecedented cross-border strategy.

The collaboration aims to diversify the catalogs of both companies, leveraging each other’s strengths. While AliExpress is known for its variety of beauty items and tech accessories, Magazine Luiza has a strong presence in the home appliance and electronics market.

With this initiative, the two platforms, which together receive over 700 million monthly visits and have 60 million active customers, expect to significantly increase their sales conversion rates. The companies assure that there will be no changes to tax policies for consumers and that the guidelines of the Remessa Conforme program will be maintained, including the exemption of fees for purchases under $50.

The announcement of the partnership was well-received by the financial market, resulting in a more than 10% increase in Magazine Luiza’s stock, which had been facing a nearly 50% decline this year.

This collaboration represents an important milestone in the Brazilian and international e-commerce landscape, promising to expand shopping options for consumers and strengthen the position of both companies in the market.

Deliveries and prices: how to retain customers in e-commerce?

Philip Kotler, in his book “Marketing Management,” states that acquiring a new customer costs five to seven times more than maintaining existing ones. After all, for recurring customers, there is no need to invest effort in marketing to present the brand and gain trust. This consumer already knows the company, the service, and the products.

In the online environment, this task is more strategic due to the lack of the experience face to face. Retaining customers in e-commerce requires specific actions to satisfy the consumer, strengthen the relationship, and encourage repeat purchases.

This observation may seem obvious, but it is only possible to retain buyers who were pleased with the experience they had. If they are dissatisfied due to an error in the payment process or a delayed delivery, for example, they may not return and may even speak poorly of the brand.

On the other hand, loyalty is also advantageous for the consumer. Upon discovering a reliable e-commerce platform with quality products, fair prices, good service, and timely deliveries, they do not wear themselves out and start to see that store as a reference. This generates trust and credibility that the company meets their needs in the best way possible.

In this scenario, two elements are essential to ensure the loyalty process: deliveries and prices. It is interesting to know some key strategies to strengthen these operations, especially in the virtual environment:

1) Investment in last mile 

The last phase of delivery to the consumer is one of the keys to ensuring a good experience. In a company with national reach, for example, it is essential to establish partnerships with local organizations that can handle deliveries in a more personalized way. Additionally, one tip is to promote exchanges and training sessions with regional couriers to ensure that the order arrives in perfect condition and reflects the brand’s identity. Finally, this strategy also reduces costs and lowers shipping fees for the consumer, addressing one of the major pain points in the online sales market today.

2) Packaging

The moment of packing the product is important. Treating each delivery as unique, considering the packaging needs and peculiarities of each item, is essential to ensure proper handling. Additionally, personalizing deliveries with special touches makes a difference, such as handwritten cards, spritzes of perfume, and sending gifts.

3) Omnichannel

Having data tools and careful in-depth analysis is fundamental in a business to provide this experience to the consumer. The benefits are numerous. First, there is more effective communication and smarter strategies when we implement the omnichannel approach, as the user enjoys a unified experience both online and offline. The service becomes even more personalized and accurate.

4) Marketplace

Entering a wider offering environment provides various shopping options. This way, it is possible to meet the diverse needs of the audience, bringing alternatives for all tastes and styles. Today, this tool has become essential for e-commerce. It is important to offer diverse options, with effective solutions for the demands of the public while also focusing on different offers featuring low prices.

5) Inclusion

Finally, considering inclusive platforms allows for democratic service and reaches an even larger audience. Offering purchases via phone or WhatsApp, as well as providing personalized assistance through customer service, are very common alternatives today.