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Consumers place growing trust in agentic commerce, according to new UK research from payments consultancy PSE Consulting.
Bank balances have decreased, but the use of AI for shopping has increased.
AI-powered shopping is set for a major breakthrough this Black Friday (Nov, 28), according to new UK research from payments consultancy PSE Consulting.
The study reveals that AI-driven purchasing assistance is shifting from a niche curiosity to a mainstream behaviour among British consumers.
Chris Jones, Managing Director at PSE Consulting, says, “Systems designed for human-paced transactions are now under pressure to support high-frequency, autonomous agent-initiated flows. This has major implications for fintechs, merchants, and payment processors, especially around real-time authorisations, fraud detection, and liability management.”
Nearly half of UK adults surveyed (49%) now use AI tools regularly, whether for information, recommendations, or task automation. Almost a quarter (22%) intend to lean on these tools for Black Friday and Christmas shopping this year. Younger consumers are leading the shift: 42% of 18-34-year-olds plan to deploy AI in their festive purchasing, reflecting high uptake among urban and more affluent groups.
The findings indicate that what began as simple AI-powered product suggestions is rapidly evolving into full transactional support. In fact, 85% of those planning to use AI for shopping this season say they would trust it to place orders and execute payments automatically on their behalf. This willingness marks a significant behavioural turning point, with shoppers increasingly comfortable allowing autonomous systems to complete purchases end-to-end.
The research arrives at a time when analysts predict that agentic AI could reshape global commerce by the end of the decade. Automated systems capable of searching, comparing, and buying products on behalf of consumers may influence enormous volumes of spending. In the US alone, such tools could steer as much as $1 trillion in online expenditure annually by 2030, with global estimates reaching several trillion.
These projections suggest that commerce may soon shift from a consumer-initiated model to one where AI agents act continuously in the background. Instead of shoppers manually browsing sites or apps, AI tools could monitor prices, track preferences, and secure deals in real time. This shift would fundamentally change how retailers design customer journeys, how payment systems process transactions, and how consumers engage with brands.
PSE Consulting commissioned the research partly in response to this rapid acceleration and in recognition that the supporting financial infrastructure must adapt. Today’s systems were built for human-paced checkouts rather than automated, high-frequency decision-making. As AI agents begin to transact more independently, the pressure on payment networks to handle new patterns of authorisation, fraud checking, and liability management will intensify.
The findings come just months after OpenAI announced its Agentic Commerce Protocol in partnership with Stripe, aimed at enabling AI agents to complete purchases seamlessly. While the service is not expected to roll out fully across Europe for another six to nine months due to Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirements, the research indicates clear pent-up demand among UK consumers.
If adoption follows the trajectory seen in early US pilots, European retailers and payment providers may face a steep adaptation curve. AI-driven commerce could require new compliance frameworks, upgraded fraud defences, and innovative customer-consent mechanisms to ensure transactions remain both secure and frictionless. The UK’s relatively mature fintech ecosystem may help accelerate these developments, but the transition will still be complex.
Despite the clear momentum, the research shows that UK consumers retain significant reservations about agentic AI. Concerns about privacy top the list, with 49% worried about how their data is stored, used, or shared. Fraud risk is close behind at 46%, reflecting anxiety about the potential for unauthorised purchases. Another 41% fear that AI may select the wrong items, pointing to issues around accuracy, personalisation, and user control.
Only 9% of respondents say they have no concerns at all. This suggests that while adoption is rising quickly, trust is far from universal. For AI-powered shopping to become a truly mainstream behaviour, providers will need to demonstrate clear protections, user-friendly oversight, and transparent decision-making. Retailers and fintechs may also need to redesign their customer communication to explain when AI agents are acting, how orders are verified, and what recourse customers have when errors occur.
PSE Consulting’s report describes a growing “AI shopping confidence divide” within the UK. Early adopters—often aged 18-34, digitally fluent, and higher income—use AI tools daily or several times a week. They are nearly twice as likely as the general population to rely on AI for holiday shopping. Yet even within this group, concerns persist around returns processes, incorrect orders, or opaque checkout flows initiated by AI rather than by the consumer.
At the other end of the spectrum are more traditional consumers, typically aged 55 and over. More than half in this group never use AI tools, and 80% say they will not rely on them for Black Friday or Christmas shopping. Their hesitation highlights generational splits in trust, familiarity, and perceived value.
This divide carries implications for retailers, who will need to support both AI-driven purchasing and traditional browsing experiences. Businesses may find themselves catering simultaneously to early adopters seeking speed and automation, and to sceptical customers who prefer personal control and transparency.
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