Global Merchants Partner with Ant International to Scale Internationally Amid rise of Agentic Commerce

SAN FRANCISCO, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Global businesses are partnering with Ant International to navigate the rapidly evolving commerce landscape in Asia and other international markets. As "agentic commerce"—where AI agents autonomously manage the shopping journey from discovery to settlement—reaches more consumers, Ant International is providing the essential payments and FinAI tools necessary for global merchants to scale across fragmented digital markets.

Agentic Commerce could drive further growth for global merchants. Asia has established itself as the "beating heart" of global retail, leading growth globally. By the 2030s, it is projected that one out of every two consumer transactions globally will take place in Asia¹. The region is already a critical hub for American businesses, accounting for 27.4% of U.S. exports in 2025, according to federal data.

This mobile-first economy could become the global "pilot field" for agentic commerce. In 2025, the Asia-Pacific region accounted for 24.5% of global agentic commerce revenue, making it the world's fastest-growing market for AI-driven transactions.² Digital wallets are expected to be one of the mainstream payment methods for agentic commerce as they already account for the majority of both e-commerce and point-of-sale transactions, with near-universal adoption within "Super-App" ecosystems and real-time payment networks.

Navigating Payment Fragmentation and the AI "Trust Gap" Despite high growth potential, the region remains deeply fragmented, with hundreds of local digital wallets and over a dozen national payment schemes. For global merchants, providing these localized payment options is no longer elective; the absence of preferred wallets leads to immediate cart abandonment.
Furthermore, the rise of AI-assisted shopping introduces new challenges regarding accountability and security. Merchants face concerns over brand identity and service quality when interacting with AI agents, while consumers seek greater assurance when using AI for purchases.

FinAI Partnerships essential to Unlocking the Next Era of Growth "For global merchants, success across international markets demands a partner that delivers both deep digital wallet excellence and comprehensive coverage of payment methods, utilizing a sophisticated AI 'trust layer' to turn transactional friction into seamless, agent-led growth," said Gary Liu, CEO of Antom and Senior Vice President of Ant International.

Antom is currently accelerating Adobe's expansion into high-growth markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. By launching seven new alternative payment options through a single, unified integration point, Adobe is bypassing traditional card-centric hurdles and utilizing Antom's extensive local acquiring network.

Ant International is also collaborating on new agentic protocols with AI platforms and payment networks to ensure secure and accessible payments. Key collaborations include:

Google: Supporting the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), co-developed by Google and other industry leaders.

Visa: Developing the "trust layer" for AI-driven commerce. "Our focus is on building the necessary 'trust layer' through advanced authentication and tokenization to secure agent-driven payments. This provides the secure infrastructure required for consumers to move from discovery to confidently executing autonomous transactions," said Rubail Birwadker, SVP, Global Head of Growth Products and Strategic Partnerships at Visa.

Through its merchant payment service brand, Antom, Ant International offers global merchants in Asia:

• Broad Coverage of Payment Methods: Antom provides merchants with the access to over 300 payment methods through one point of integration, covering a broad range of credit cards, local wallets, bank transfers, etc. This ensures global businesses can reach customers among over 200 markets worldwide.
• AI-Enhanced Risk Control and Conversion: The EasySafePay solution manages the trust issues inherent in the agentic age, providing 100% account takeover protection and eliminating page redirects, which drives a 10% boost in payment conversion. Additionally, Antom Copilot offers 24/7 AI-powered assistance to resolve payment integration, risk management and chargeback disputes efficiently for merchants.

¹ https://www.eastspring.com/sg/insights/asian-expert-series/asias-consumer-fuelled-growth#:~:text=Put%20together%2C%20they%20present%20a,will%20take%20place%20in%20Asia.

² https://www.grandviewresearch.com/horizon/outlook/agentic-commerce-market/asia-pacific#:~:text=In%20terms%20of%20revenue%2C%20Asia,USD%2020%2C100.5%20million%20by%202033.

SOURCE Ant International