Visa, BILL and Billtrust launch live AI agent invoice payment pilot
Three firms begin a pilot allowing AI agents to pay supplier invoices automatically through secure, tokenized card credentials.
Key points
- Visa, BILL and Billtrust launched a live pilot for AI-driven invoice payments.
- Agents use Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol to authenticate without manual logins.
- The system processes approved payments using tokenized card credentials.
Visa, BILL and Billtrust announced a live pilot program on Tuesday that allows artificial intelligence agents to pay supplier invoices from start to finish. The companies described this initiative as the first live pilot of its kind, marking a shift in how automated systems handle financial transactions.
The pilot is currently processing real transactions between buyers registered on the BILL platform and suppliers using Billtrust services. According to a joint release, the AI agents execute payments directly through suppliers’ own payment portals. This automation replaces the traditional requirement for a human to log in and manually type payment details into these systems.
How the technology works
The payment agent operates using credentials registered through Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol and Agentic Directory. It utilizes tokenized card credentials to complete transactions, strictly adhering to limits set by the buyer’s approved payment instructions. On the supplier side, Billtrust employs the same Visa protocol to recognize and authenticate the incoming agent.
This authentication method allows the system to bypass CAPTCHAs and other bot-blocking tools commonly found on payment portals. The agent does not require a separate login credential to access the portal. Instead, the protocol verifies the agent’s identity, enabling seamless interaction without the friction of manual security checks.
Control and adoption scope
The companies emphasized that the AI agent does not decide which invoices to pay. It only completes payments that the buyer has already approved in advance. This design ensures that buyers no longer need to share their supplier-portal login credentials with third-party agents or automation tools.
Mark Nelsen, head of product for commercial and money movement solutions at Visa, stated that businesses should not have to choose between automation and control when making payments. The system aims to provide the clarity and accountability expected from human operators while maintaining strict financial controls.
Industry impact and background
BILL reported that nearly 500,000 businesses currently use its platform for handling payables. Billtrust stated its buyer network includes more than 20 million buyers and processes $1 trillion in annual trade credit volume. Archana Prasad, BILL’s senior vice president of payments, noted that supplier portals have long been friction points requiring manual completion.
Kunal Patel, senior vice president of payments at Billtrust, added that agentic commerce requires trust across systems. This pilot follows previous efforts by Visa, which joined Mastercard and Ant International in September to check AI agents’ identities. Separately, Stripe and Sierra announced on Tuesday that AI agents can take payments during customer calls.
What should you do?
Security and finance professionals should review their current accounts payable workflows for manual bottlenecks. Organizations should evaluate whether their existing payment portals support protocol-based authentication for automated agents. Teams should verify that any automation tools strictly adhere to pre-approved payment instructions.
What to do and how to stay safe: Visa
- Audit current supplier payment portals to identify manual entry requirements and security friction points.
- Verify that any AI payment agents operate within strict, pre-approved financial limits and instructions.
- Ensure authentication methods for agents use established protocols rather than shared human login credentials.
- Monitor vendor announcements for updates on agent identity verification standards and compatibility.
Step-by-step guide: Prompt Injection Warning Signs: How to Spot AI Manipulation
General security guidance from the Threat Times newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Does the AI agent decide which invoices to pay?
No, the agent only completes payments that the buyer has already approved in advance.
How do agents access supplier portals without logins?
They use Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol to authenticate, bypassing CAPTCHAs and manual logins.
Who is involved in this pilot program?
Visa, BILL, and Billtrust are running the pilot between buyers on BILL and suppliers on Billtrust.
