American Express Secures AI Purchases with an Intent Token

American Express launches a framework that ties customer purchase intent to every step of a transaction initiated by an AI agent. At the core of the system, an intent identifier and a proof token allow for the use of a secure digital payment identifier instead of a card number, with the ambition of making it a reference for agentic commerce.

Amex targets agent errors and engages the ecosystem

American Express claims to integrate intent earlier in the transaction flow to mitigate risks upstream. Hannah Bozian cites the case where a customer requests white Nike sneakers in size 9, and the agent submits a request for Adidas shoes: the transaction could be blocked. She also notes that a log tracking what has been authorized, by which agent, and at what time could help address fraud on behalf of the agent. Meanwhile, the company is already in discussions with partners in the payments ecosystem to implement the ACE, which includes agentic tokens containing Amex payment identifiers. The company plans to actively evolve this toolkit in line with agentic commerce.

How intent is captured and linked to payment

The process begins with a Create Intent API that records purchase instructions as well as parameters, such as the merchant's name, a budget cap, or product preferences. The customer then authenticates their identity and confirms the recorded intent. A unique intent identifier is generated, accompanied by a Proof of Intent Token that contains the main constraints. This token allows for obtaining a secure digital payment identifier, used by an agent during payment instead of the credit card number. American Express specifies that this method ensures the security of the purchase and adherence to the granted authorization, adding that the Intent ID and token can be used at various times, including to prevent fraud or resolve disputes. The collection of intent may vary depending on the AI model, and the company plans for a sufficiently flexible framework to support all models of agentic commerce.

A launch embedded in ACE and without an increase in disputes

The release of the framework follows the launch in April of the Agentic Commerce Experiences, the ACE Developer Toolkit, which brings together several services, including this intent mechanism. American Express states that it has not observed an increase in disputes related to agentic commerce. The company explains that it wants to proactively develop the technology as this type of commerce expands and aims for customer purchase instructions to be respected throughout the lifecycle of a transaction.

Consumer appetite and increased autonomy of agents

According to an Amex Trendex report, 66% of surveyed American consumers say they are likely to use AI agents to search for the best price, and 61% for recommendations in the next 12 months. Today, many agents seek customer consent before a purchase, but American Express envisions cases of increased autonomy, such as the replenishment of essential products where price and size are the main constraints. In these scenarios, a loop technology can perform an additional check to ensure alignment with intent. This movement comes as AI agents conduct more transactions, the underlying models are non-deterministic, and the possibility of unauthorized transactions exists. The company hopes to make the Intent Intelligence Framework an industry standard and reminds that these transactions involve a consumer, a merchant, and an agent, with the requirement for fluidity, reliability, and security. On October 13, Hannah Bozian is set to detail this framework and its implications at the Industry Stage of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026.