Alipay recently introduced the Agentic Commerce Trust Protocol, marking an initial open framework for agentic commerce in China.
In conjunction with Qwen App, Taobao Instant Commerce, Rokid, Damai, and Alibaba Cloud’s Bailian platform, this protocol introduces a unified language that facilitates collaboration between AI and service platforms such as e-commerce and food delivery, enhancing efficiency and security across devices, systems, and platforms.
Benefits for Merchants and Users
Through the Agentic Commerce Trust Protocol, merchants can more easily link their AI-native applications with various AI agents through a single integration, reducing the need for separate API development and lowering integration costs. For users, this improves the shopping experience by streamlining interactions and enhancing security.
On January 15, 2026, Qwen App became the first platform to adopt the Agentic Commerce Trust Protocol, integrating with Taobao Instant Commerce and Alipay’s AI payment system. This integration allows users to order food and beverages directly within the app by chatting with the Qwen App’s AI, which provides nearby options, compares prices, applies promotions, and facilitates payments via Alipay.
The protocol supports two primary payment modes:
- Instant payment: tailored for frequent purchases like food delivery and daily shopping, enabling real-time interactions with AI, informed decisions based on recommendations, and final confirmation to complete the payment process.
- Delegated authorization: allows users to set conditions such as preferred merchants, order times, and spending limits. The AI then monitors product dynamics autonomously and completes purchases without further instructions from the user.
Alipay plans to expand this protocol through continued collaboration with various stakeholders including payment service providers, merchants, platforms, AI developers, and smart device manufacturers, aiming to build a new ecosystem of trust for AI commerce.
