# Fed Governor Waller Says AI Payments Need Clear Authorization Rules

By Simon Yoon

Canonical URL: https://www.tokenpost.com/news/technology/26822
Published: 2026-10-05T13:08:19.000Z
Updated: 2026-10-05T13:08:19.000Z
Section: Technology

> Christopher J. Waller outlined two models for AI shopping agents and raised questions about liability and fraud controls at a Sept. 29 speech.

Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher J. Waller said AI agents that shop and pay for users will need clear authorization and liability rules, along with payment safeguards that account for how software behaves.

In a Sept. 29 speech at Sibos 2026 in Miami, Waller described two approaches to agent-driven commerce. An agent could help a shopper find products while the person completes the purchase, or it could buy and pay within limits set by the user.

Consumer purchases may be an early use case. Businesses could also use agents for recurring orders guided by supplier and budget rules, though larger transactions raise the stakes if an agent makes a mistake or acts without permission.

“Who is on the hook if an agent makes the wrong purchase?” Waller asked. He said existing e-commerce liability frameworks could be adapted, while technical standards might help establish what a buyer intended and how an agent acted.

Payment systems also need to confirm that software has permission to pay on a buyer’s behalf. Waller warned that fraud controls designed around human behavior may be less effective when transactions are initiated by agents. Market participants, including technology firms, e-commerce platforms, payment service providers and card networks, are developing protocols and card-network specifications to address those challenges.

The Federal Reserve held a May 26 roundtable on artificial intelligence in payments, with a focus on agentic commerce. Representatives from Amazon, Coinbase, Google, Mastercard, Shopify, Stripe and Visa participated.