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The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

GlossaryAI Search & EmergingDelegated Payment

AI Search & Emerging

Delegated Payment

Passing a limited, single-purpose payment token through an AI agent so it can pay a merchant without ever seeing the shopper's full card details.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Short answer

Delegated payment is a method of passing a limited, single-purpose payment token through an AI agent so it can pay a merchant without ever seeing the shopper's full card details. The token can be restricted by amount, merchant, or time. It allows agent-driven purchases while reducing fraud and data exposure risks.