A new PYMNTS survey finds AI is changing where shoppers start looking, but Amazon still wins most of the final purchases, especially those that begin with AI.
People are starting to shop with AI, but they are still checking out at Amazon. New data from PYMNTS Intelligence shows Amazon gets 29% of online research starts but 49% of main purchase completions. Among recent AI-assisted purchases, Amazon's share rises to 59%.
AI tools can search the web, compare products and boil dozens of browser tabs down to one answer. Many shoppers now use them for that. About 58.4 million U.S. adults begin online retail research with an AI tool. Roughly 132 million have bought something with AI assistance.
Still, finding a product and paying for it are different steps. PYMNTS found 57.5 million AI-assisted shoppers research through AI things they once searched for on Amazon. Yet 54.5 million still buy on Amazon even when an AI tool found the product.
At checkout, Amazon already has what a recommendation tool lacks: stored payment details, a known identity, familiar delivery, loyalty benefits and an established returns process. The report's point is that AI is disrupting where shoppers look much faster than where they pay. One caution: the figures come from separate surveys, not from tracking the same shoppers from search to purchase.
Shoppers are not handing over the wallet. Willingness to let AI both shop and buy fell from 32% in September 2025 to 24% in August 2026. Only 62.9 million would let an agent shop and buy, and just 36.8 million would let an AI app hold their card.
PYMNTS describes this as a ladder of trust, not an on/off switch. People seem to decide task by task, based on risk. A likely model is a tightly limited spending card: a set amount, approved stores, clear conditions, and a request for approval if the limits are passed.
Among merchants surveyed, 87% see AI-driven shopping as an opportunity and 90% have started product and catalog work. They report spending an average of 2% of annual revenue to prepare. Only 23% say they are very or fully prepared to connect with AI platforms or agent networks.
If you sell online, being found by AI helps, but a trusted checkout and easy returns may decide who actually gets the sale.
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