The news: Mastercard will support Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) and will bring Agent Pay to Microsoft’s Copilot Checkout. 

The network will also deepen its commitment to agentic commerce by expanding its Start Path fintech startup program to boost AI payment solutions, per a press release.

Why this matters: As agentic commerce tries to enter the mainstream, payment providers are scrambling to secure their positions as consumers’ pathway to purchase changes. PayPal also announced that it would support Google’s UCP protocol. 

Depending on the success of agentic commerce, Mastercard has the opportunity to increase its payment network share through early integrations, giving its volume growth an added boost: We forecast that Mastercard will be the leader in network transaction value growth at 8.9%—versus Visa’s 5.4%. 

Implication for payment networks: Agentic technology offers an opportunity for payment providers to snag more payment transaction volume, as AI technology becomes a core part of consumers’ lives. Early integrations offer time for providers to perfect their technology to solidify long-term use from consumers looking for secure, trustworthy providers.