Adyen, the payments provider, warns that AI-based chatbots and shopping assistants could reshape online purchases and weaken retailers' direct ties to customers. These AI agents can recommend products, choose merchants and even initiate payments on shoppers' behalf, which may reduce the role of merchants' direct channels.
Pieter van der Does, co-CEO of Adyen, told Reuters that about 70 percent of one partner merchant's volume currently occurs through direct channels, and Adyen aims to preserve that share even as consumers increasingly begin searches via chatbots or other AI agents. Van der Does emphasized that customer loyalty is becoming more valuable since AI can materially influence consumer behaviour.
Measures: platform, acquisitions and loyalty support
Adyen has launched a new platform designed for enterprise merchants and to handle payments initiated by AI agents. The company also acquired loyalty-program software developer Talon.One and billing provider Orb to strengthen its offerings aimed at customer retention.
Adyen already processes transactions for international brands such as Hermès and Hugo Boss. The company says it supports merchants not only with payments but also with loyalty solutions so that merchants can maintain direct relationships with consumers and avoid being sidelined in the sales chain by the rise of large language models.
Investments and capacity expansion due to AI demand
AI is also affecting payment infrastructure: Adyen moved forward investments originally planned for next year to expand computing and storage capacity because of rising prices and supplier capacity constraints. According to van der Does, roughly two-thirds of the company's capital expenditures will be spent on developing the private cloud systems that support its core services.
Why this matters for retailers
As AI agents potentially take over parts of browsing, selection and payment, maintaining direct customer relationships and loyalty becomes critical for merchants to retain sales volume. Adyen's actions show that payment providers are actively building tools and making acquisitions to help merchants preserve customer data, loyalty ties and visibility in a changing ecosystem.
(The information in this article is based on a Reuters report. An AI assistant contributed to preparing the article; the final text was edited and verified by our journalist.)
