Global firm Ant International links up with Google's payment system protocol, acting as a pioneering partner during its initiation
Ant International, a leading global provider of digital payments, digitisation, and financial technology, has announced its partnership with Google to develop the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2). This open protocol, designed to ensure secure and reliable transactions for autonomous AI agent payments, is set to revolutionise the way AI agents transact on behalf of users.
Ant International brings extensive expertise in Alternative Payment Methods (APMs) to the table, leveraging its close ties with 36 leading digital wallets. The company's agentic payment solution combines unique APM checkout capabilities, the payment mandate model, and trusted AI technologies.
AP2, backed by over 60 merchants and financial institutions, aims to define the key components of agentic payments and provide a protocol to ensure user intent is verifiable, transactions are traceable, and accountability is clear for each participant. Apart from Ant International and Google, companies involved in AP2 development include Gr4vy, Gravitee, Global Fashion Group, and Intuit, among others.
The rise of agentic commerce, where AI agents will increasingly transact on behalf of users for services, products, and other agents, has highlighted the need for new standards in authorisation, verification, and interoperability among agents. Existing payment systems are not equipped to address these new requirements.
Ant International's contributions to AP2 include streamlining the APM checkout process and applying AI to identify and block fraudulent transactions. The company's use of its unique payment mandate model to link transaction parameters with verifiable intent evidence will offer insights for protocols seeking to strengthen traceability, compliance, and dispute resolution.
In June 2025, Ant International introduced Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit, an AI-as-a-Service platform. This platform is supported by integrations with Vertex AI and aims to enable fintechs and super apps to build AI-agentic financial services. Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit is also set to operate under the Agent2Agent protocol and comply with AP2.
Ant International's Chief Innovation Officer, Jiangming Yang, expressed excitement about shaping the future of agentic commerce. "AP2 presents a significant opportunity for us to leverage our expertise in APM payments and AI innovations to advance standards in agentic payments," he said.
The partnership between Ant International and Google deepens with the introduction of Alipay+ GenAI Cockpit. AP2's design aims to strengthen privacy and compatibility with diverse payment methods, ensuring a secure and seamless checkout process for users.
With the launch of its Model Context Protocol (MCP)-based agentic payment solution and the announcement as a launch partner for Google in developing AP2, Ant International is well-positioned to lead the way in the rapidly evolving landscape of agentic payments.
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