Stripe's AI Commerce Push Triggers Network Token Arms Race at Visa and Mastercard

Stripe has established an early foothold in AI-assisted shopping, forcing Visa and Mastercard to rapidly deploy competing infrastructure to maintain control over payment credentials as AI agents handle more transactions on behalf of consumers. The shift reflects a fundamental change in how online commerce could operate—machines negotiating and executing purchases instead of humans—and has triggered competing visions of who should ultimately control the payment layer.