Global payments leader Mastercard has launched Agent Pay for Machines (AP4M), a specialized infrastructure allowing AI agents to conduct automated transactions at machine speed. The platform facilitates always-on commerce, supporting high-volume microtransactions valued at fractions of a cent.
The initiative is backed by over 30 industry partners, including Stripe, Adyen, Coinbase, and Cloudflare. AP4M extends Mastercard’s existing Agent Pay ecosystem with advanced credentialing, permission controls, and multi-rail settlement capabilities across both fiat currency and stablecoins.
Jorn Lambert, Chief Product Officer at Mastercard, stated that the technology removes traditional payment bottlenecks. By enabling instant, secure, and low-latency exchanges between machines, AP4M aims to catalyze a new generation of AI-driven business models operating beyond the scope of conventional consumer payment systems.