Some of the links on this site may be affiliate links. ICOBench may receive advertising commissions when users visit recommended platforms via our affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. All recommendations are based on a comprehensive review process. 
Google has announced the launch of its open-source Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), a framework designed to let AI agents make secure, compliant, and automated purchases.
Announcing Agent Payments Protocol (AP2), an open, shared protocol that provides a common language for secure, compliant transactions between agents and merchants.
AP2 can be used as an extension of the A2A protocol and MCP. Learn how it works ↓ https://t.co/RBFzpU2qUI
— Google Cloud Tech (@GoogleCloudTech) September 16, 2025
The protocol, revealed on September 17, was developed in collaboration with Coinbase, the Ethereum Foundation, and over 60 partners, bringing together both traditional finance and crypto ecosystems. It supports credit cards and stablecoins, reflecting the rapid growth of the $289 billion stablecoin market.
How AP2 Works
Google executives Stavan Parikh and Rao Surapaneni described AP2 as an “open, shared protocol that provides a common language for secure, compliant transactions between agents and merchants.”
- AP2 introduces a two-step approval process:
- Intent Mandate – The user specifies a request, such as “find a polka-dot tie” or “book a weekend trip.”
- Cart Mandate – The AI agent confirms the final purchase before completing the transaction.
- Each transaction creates a verifiable audit trail (paper trail) with cryptographic signatures, ensuring non-repudiation and authenticity.
- The full AP2 specification has been released publicly on GitHub, inviting developers worldwide to adopt and build on it.
Crypto Meets Traditional Finance
The protocol integrates stablecoin payments via Coinbase while ensuring Ethereum ecosystem compatibility with the help of the Ethereum Foundation.
It has also gained backing from Mastercard, PayPal, and American Express, alongside tech firms like Salesforce and Adobe.
Coinbase’s Engineering Lead for Developer Platforms, Eric Reppel, emphasized that “AP2 and x402 show that agent-to-agent payments are no longer experiments, but real systems developers can build on.”
AP2 uses the x402 crypto payments protocol to unify different payment types, including credit cards, debit cards, and stablecoins, under a single security and verification framework.
Why AP2 Matters
With AI agents expected to take a larger role in autonomous commerce, AP2 could standardize how AI systems interact with merchants, handle payments, and verify transactions.
This move positions Google as a key player in shaping the next era of AI-driven digital payments, blending the speed and transparency of blockchain with the reach of traditional finance.
