Visa unveils CLI tool to enable AI agents to execute card payments

Visa Crypto Labs launches developer-focused tool as firms race to build infrastructure for agent-driven commerce and automated transactions.

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Add us on Google by Estefano Gomez Mar. 18, 2026

Visa has introduced a command-line interface tool that allows artificial intelligence agents to execute card payments without human intervention, marking its first public product from Visa Crypto Labs.

Excited to share Visa CLI, the first experimental product from Visa Crypto Labs. Check it out and request access here https://t.co/uxKKm2tB7y pic.twitter.com/7dh4Qckbtz

— Cuy Sheffield (@cuysheffield) March 18, 2026

The tool, known as Visa CLI, signals a deeper push by the payments giant into infrastructure for automated, machine-driven commerce.

The beta release was announced by Cuy Sheffield, who leads Visa’s crypto division. The tool is designed to simplify how developers build payment-enabled applications by removing the need to manage traditional API keys. Instead, bots and scripts can initiate transactions directly from terminal environments, streamlining automated payment workflows.

The launch comes as companies across finance and technology move to support what is increasingly described as agentic commerce, where autonomous software systems transact on behalf of users. In these environments, payments become embedded within workflows, enabling agents to pay for services, data, or infrastructure as tasks are completed.

Visa’s approach centers on integrating agent payments into its existing card network, distinguishing it from crypto-native efforts. Competitors such as Coinbase and Cloudflare have focused on stablecoin-based solutions using HTTP standards, while Visa is extending traditional payment rails to support programmable, machine-initiated transactions.

The CLI tool currently requires authentication through GitHub, indicating an early focus on developers. It builds on Visa’s broader Intelligent Commerce initiative, which includes more than 100 partners working on secure transaction protocols and programmable payment systems.

Earlier this year, Visa expanded its push into automated payments through its Agentic Ready program, bringing more than 20 European banks into pilot environments designed to support agent-initiated transactions.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Estefano Gomez. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.