Most Britons would ditch an AI shopping assistant after one error

Most people in the UK do not yet trust AI to spend their money. A YouGov poll for payments software company ACI Worldwide found that 60% of UK adults would stop using an AI shopping agent after a single mistake. Only 19% trust AI to make everyday purchases for them, compared with 55% who trust a human adviser.

What the poll found

An AI shopping agent, in ACI's words, is a tool that can search, compare and, with a consumer's permission, complete purchases for you. People liked the searching part. Half trust AI to find the best price, and 43% trust it to follow spending limits. Trust dropped when money and judgment came in.

• 18% trust AI to act in their best financial interest.
• 17% trust it to keep personal and payment data secure.
• 15% trust it to handle problems when something goes wrong.
• 69% do not trust AI even when it follows rules they set.

Savings may not win people over

Lower prices did not settle the matter. According to the survey, 44% would not trust an AI shopping agent no matter how much money it saved them. One in four said it would need to save them more than 15%. ACI blames perceived risk and loss of control, not value.

Why it matters

The poll lands as Google, OpenAI, Visa, Mastercard and a string of retailers move AI agents from recommending products toward paying for them. ACI's advice to the industry is explicit approvals, hard spending limits, protected payment details and clear accountability when things go wrong. For anyone who sells online, that points to approval steps, spending caps and clear refunds.

What to keep in mind

The poll covered 2,080 UK adults and ran online from June 19 to June 22, 2026. ACI did not publish the questionnaire, a margin of error, or breakdowns by age, region or income. It also did not say what counts as a mistake. ACI sells payments software, so it has a stake in the topic.