The announcement that Checkout.com is backing the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP) signals a pivotal moment for businesses adapting to the rise of artificial intelligence in payments. As someone who has spent years working at the intersection of deep technology and entrepreneurship, I’m fascinated by what this means for merchants, innovators, and consumers worldwide.
At its core, ACP enables AI agents to act on behalf of consumers, transacting in trusted and secure environments. Imagine virtual assistants not just managing your calendar or answering basic questions, but also comparing products, negotiating prices, and carrying out purchases, all without leaving their AI interface. This isn’t sci-fi; within five years, research by Checkout.com suggests that agentic commerce could represent 21% of household spending. That should grab the attention of every entrepreneur planning next steps for their products.
What Exactly Does "Agentic Commerce" Mean?
Agentic commerce refers to the next evolution of digital purchasing, where intelligent systems interact directly on consumers’ behalf, using defined preferences and parameters. Consumers delegate mundane tasks like ordering groceries, subscribing to services, or even booking flights. These transactions skip the “add to cart” detour we've become used to and instead happen within the AI platforms consumers trust.
By supporting ACP, Checkout.com is helping unlock this future by providing merchants with the tools they need to integrate AI-based buying mechanisms directly into their platforms. Shoppers will no longer have to toggle between apps or websites because payments can be finalized seamlessly in their AI assistant.
For example, consider OpenAI’s Instant Checkout offering, which integrates with ACP. This allows purchases to be completed within the chat or voice-command interface itself, whether it’s Alexa, Siri, or another AI. That’s a game changer for consumer convenience and business growth alike.
Why Every Digital Business Should Pay Attention
Before moving on, here is why this matters to businesses. Nearly every aspect of commerce, from initial discovery to the final transaction, could shift from being controlled by humans to being orchestrated by AI. This is a big change to how businesses attract, engage, and retain customers.
Here is how ACP can influence startups and established businesses:
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Fewer Friction Points in Sales
Customers will leave fewer abandoned carts because there won’t be carts. Purchases will streamline into daily interactions customers have with their devices. -
A Data-Heavy Advantage
These AI agents will rely on insightful data about customer preferences. Sellers need to analyze this behavioral data to customize their offers dynamically. -
Direct AI Transactions Equal Brand Visibility Challenges
No flashy ads or personalized website layouts, just the AI agent making choices. Merchants who understand how to optimize for AI discovery will win this battle. -
Merchant Control with Enhanced Guardrails
ACP’s protocols allow businesses to set up barriers that align transactions with their goals. As a founder who deeply values customer relationships, I like that ACP doesn’t leave merchants out of the loop. They stay in control by managing the buyer experience even when it happens through AI.
Integrations Driving ACP Forward
Checkout.com’s commitment deepens with strategic partnerships, including powerhouses like Visa, Mastercard, and Google. Together, they’re working to standardize secure, tokenized, and trustworthy payment services tailored for AI platforms. By doing so, they are creating the skeleton of a new digital economy.
For merchants, this includes tools that cover verified onboarding and real-time fraud detection capabilities. A perfect example is Visa’s Intelligent Commerce suite or Google’s Agent Payment Protocol (AP2). These tools ensure transactions are protected while offering seamless functionality for the end-user.
Building trust will be crucial as people let intelligent agents manage their money. Fraud is a constant concern, and tools like those offered by Checkout.com can give companies the infrastructure to create a safe environment their clients will trust.
A Simple Guide To Preparing Your Business for Agentic Commerce
To get started with agentic commerce, here’s where you should focus:
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Understand your customers’ habits. Evaluate which purchases your target audience might transfer to AI assistants. Routine spending like replenishing household items or paying bills is an excellent place to start.
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Embrace data integration. Invest in APIs and tools that align your business with ACP-compliant services like OpenAI's system or Google’s payment structures.
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Prioritize security. Leverage solutions that guard against identity theft, fraudulent transactions, or unauthorized use of customer funds. Checkout.com already offers fraud prevention measures as part of their ACP tools, making implementations easier.
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Create a strategy for AI discoverability. Since AI agents will likely rely on search algorithms, focus on data quality and visibility to ensure your products rank well within these systems.
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Experiment and iterate. Start small, perhaps with beta testers, and collect feedback on how the experience could be improved both for you and the end consumer.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Many businesses might rush into agentic commerce without fully understanding its challenges. Here are some pitfalls to sidestep:
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Neglecting Compliance: Regulations evolve as quickly as technology. If you’re entering this space, you’ll need to understand and adhere to standards developed by ACP and partners like Visa and Google.
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Ignoring Customization: Every merchant has unique pricing, risk tolerance, and operational preferences. Use your customizable guardrails to reflect these needs. Otherwise, you risk brand and reputational damage if end customers feel let down.
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Failure to Educate Your Team: Registering for ACP and adopting it means equipping your staff with knowledge about how AI handles commercial interactions. Transparency matters not just to consumers but within your organization too.
Why I’m Excited About Agentic Commerce
Having worked on AI-centered projects myself, I see how ACP aligns perfectly with a growing multi-sector demand: make things smarter and simpler. The technology isn’t just targeting one industry, any field with consistent customer transactions will feel its effects. As an entrepreneur, this opens up space to rethink existing business models, particularly subscription-based services and retail.
Let’s not overlook the importance of trust in this process. People must believe intelligent systems are working for them, not profiting from them unfairly. Businesses that build goodwill early, by aligning with trusted protocols like ACP, will thrive.
Wrapping up with Practical Impact
Checkout.com backing ACP is an opportunity for startups to put their business one step ahead. This isn’t just about making transactions more efficient, it’s about long-term readiness for changes in consumer behavior. Plainly put: getting started with technologies like this today could secure your business’s role in this new economy.
To find out more, visit Checkout.com’s detailed overview, which delves into their forward approach to secure and intelligent transactions. Similar projects, such as OpenAI’s Instant Checkout, also offer a glimpse into the future of how purchases will become as simple as a conversation. The future of commerce is happening right now, are you ready?
FAQ
1. What is the Agentic Commerce Protocol (ACP)?
ACP is an open standard that enables AI agents, users, and merchants to transact within a trusted and secure framework, streamlining commerce-led AI interactions. Explore Checkout.com's ACP adoption
2. How does ACP benefit businesses?
ACP allows merchants to integrate instant, secure checkouts directly within AI platforms, providing seamless transactions and enhancing customer convenience. Learn how Agentic commerce drives business growth
3. What role does Checkout.com play in agentic commerce?
Checkout.com supports ACP while collaborating with major partners like Visa, Mastercard, and Google. Their tools enhance security and personalization for agent-based transactions. Learn about Checkout.com’s partnerships
4. How significant is agentic commerce in spending trends?
According to Checkout.com research, agentic commerce could account for 21% of monthly household spending by 2030. Explore these findings
5. What security measures are involved in ACP?
ACP employs robust fraud detection, tokenized payment models, and verified onboarding tools to ensure secure transactions in AI environments. Discover ACP security standards
6. What are ACP's implications for merchants?
Merchants maintain control over end-to-end customer relationships by leveraging customizable ACP tools for risk management and payment personalization. Learn how merchants retain control
7. How will agentic commerce shape the future of AI transactions?
Agentic commerce shifts transactions to intelligent intermediaries that act on behalf of customers, transforming discovery and decision-making processes. Discover how ACP changes commerce workflows
8. What industries benefit the most from agentic commerce?
Almost every sector with regular customer transactions, especially retail and subscription services, can leverage agentic commerce for efficiency. Learn about ACP applications
9. How does ACP integrate with AI platforms like OpenAI?
ACP supports tools like OpenAI’s Instant Checkout, enabling purchases within chat or voice-command interfaces like Siri or Alexa. Explore OpenAI’s Instant Checkout
10. How should businesses prepare for agentic commerce adoption?
Focusing on customer data integration, robust security measures, API alignment, and AI discoverability are critical for leveraging ACP effectively. Get steps to prepare for ACP
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 5,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
- 1,000 unique business ideas for women created
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
