Visa, Stripe and Google join massive open-source project to let AI agents pay each other

A group of major financial and technology firms recently launched the x402 Foundation to develop an open standard for AI-driven commerce. This project aims to create a neutral framework that allows AI agents, machines, and human users to handle transactions directly through HTTP protocols.

Members of the foundation include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Stripe, Google, and Amazon Web Services, among others. The group seeks to address the lack of an efficient system for machine-to-machine payments. By establishing these rules under the Linux Foundation, the participants hope to avoid the walled gardens that defined the early era of the web.

Denelle Dixon, CEO of the Stellar Development Foundation, noted that current internet business models rely heavily on advertising and subscriptions. These models are often ill-suited for the automated, agent-led economy where micropayments may be necessary. The x402 protocol, which takes its name from a legacy web error code, is designed to enable a more direct, one-off payment model.

Alin Dragos of AWS serves as the board chairperson for the foundation. The committee is currently searching for an executive director to manage operations as they refine these technical standards. By providing a collaborative space for competitors to work together, the x402 Foundation aims to build a global financial system accessible to all participants in the digital economy.

The initiative signals a shift in how machines interact with financial infrastructure. As AI agents increase in prevalence, the ability to exchange value as easily as information becomes critical. The foundation remains focused on building the underlying infrastructure to support these autonomous interactions without manual intervention.