"Setting clear rules around AI-driven payments is critical," stated a participant close to the initiative. The Emerging Payments Association Asia (EPAA) and HSBC have inaugurated an AI & Agentic Payments Working Group in July 2026, aiming to enable autonomous AI systems to execute financial transactions across the Asia-Pacific region without manual confirmations. This group will focus on frameworks for liability, identity verification, and interoperability among diverse payment ecosystems.
Agentic payments refer to transactions fully managed by AI agents based on predetermined guidelines, eliminating human authorization. The group's work revolves around addressing who is accountable when an AI executes an erroneous payment and establishing secure identification methods for AI agents, a challenge given that traditional authentication mechanisms such as biometrics do not apply to non-human actors. Developing protocols to differentiate legitimate AI agents from malicious actors will be a priority.
Interoperability presents a further hurdle because Asia-Pacific hosts varied payment infrastructures and regulatory environments. Ensuring that AI systems can function efficiently across jurisdictions like Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Australia requires coordinated standards, which currently do not exist. HSBC's involvement as a founding member shows its commitment to digital payment infrastructure, aligning with Mastercard's Agentic Payments Program and Visa's AI commerce explorations.
Although the announcement omits direct references to cryptocurrencies or blockchain projects, the group's focus on interoperability could influence crypto-based payment rails. If major financial players establish proprietary standards that do not align with open protocols, blockchain networks risk exclusion. The emphasis on cross-network compatibility remains cautious, as banking definitions of interoperability often differ from those favored by crypto developers.
