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Scoped payment token
Also known as: Agent payment token
A single-transaction payment authorization used by an AI agent — limited to a specific merchant, amount, and time window. The primary payment primitive for agentic commerce.
A scoped payment token is a limited-scope payment authorization that an AI agent can use to complete one specific transaction. Unlike a stored credit card (open-ended charge authority), a scoped token is limited to a specific merchant, a maximum amount, and a short time window (typically 15-60 minutes).
Scoped tokens are the primary security primitive for agentic commerce. They prevent an agent from over-charging, from making duplicate purchases, from being intercepted for unauthorized use. Stripe issues ACP-scoped tokens; Adyen and others are adding equivalents.
For merchants, scoped tokens look like normal card charges at the processor level — the tokenization happens between the AI surface and the payment provider. Merchants should confirm their processor supports agent-payment tokens; most Stripe and Adyen accounts already do.
See also
ACP (Agentic Commerce Protocol)
OpenAI + Stripe's open protocol for agent-initiated commerce. Powers ChatGPT Instant Checkout and Copilot-adjacent commerce. Enables in-conversation purchase completion without the shopper leaving the agent.
AP2 (Agent Payments Protocol)
A cross-industry protocol standardizing how AI agents authenticate, authorize, and settle payments on behalf of shoppers. Payments-layer counterpart to ACP and UCP.
Virtual card
A single-use or scoped-use payment card issued to an AI agent for one specific transaction. Provides tokenization, spend limits, and audit trail for agentic purchases.