The payments & online selling stories our desk judged worth your time, written so anyone can follow them.
Google says shopping and task helpers are coming to the Gemini app's 1 billion users later this year, which could change how people buy online.
Read more: Google wants AI helpers to book, buy and fill out forms for youCircle and Proof showed a test where an AI agent proves who approved a purchase, then pays in digital dollars. It could decide whether stores let AI shoppers in.
Read more: Circle and Proof test a way for AI shopping agents to prove who they work forShopify has added AI shopping payment tools from Visa, Mastercard and American Express to Shop Pay, so assistants may soon buy from online stores.
Read more: Shopify adds card-network tools so AI assistants can buy for youA Microsoft filing shows OpenAI brought in $10 billion for the company in one quarter, about 11% of its revenue. Here is why that tie matters to anyone using their tools.
Read more: Microsoft got $10 billion from OpenAI in just three monthseBay's third-quarter sales rose 14% and beat analyst forecasts, a sign of steady demand for buyers and sellers on the online marketplace.
Read more: eBay sales jump 14% and beat Wall Street forecastsBanks are using AI to find money mule accounts, which scammers use to pass along stolen cash. Some mules are tricked, so the risk reaches ordinary people.
Read more: Banks are using AI to spot accounts that move scammers' stolen moneyMcKinsey has published new evidence on AI agents that shop for you. Who gains, and which sellers get seen, could affect your wallet and your business.
Read more: AI shopping assistants are starting to buy things for peopleEU governments backed a privacy law change that would let AI companies use personal data without consent. It is not final, but it could reach old posts and chats.
Read more: EU countries back letting AI firms use your data without askingPNC and ADP are building payroll and HR tools into PNC's digital banking, so small business owners may run both from one login.
Read more: PNC Bank Adds ADP Payroll Inside Its Small Business BankingMastercard says banks and shops should strengthen the fraud defenses they already have against attacks aimed at specific cardholders. Here is what that means.
Read more: How banks and shops can strengthen defenses against targeted card fraudStripe, the payments company, is buying Parafin, which helps small businesses get financing. Stripe users may soon see funding offers, so costs matter.
Read more: Stripe buys Parafin to help small businesses get fundingShopify's register software can now spot shoppers who have used other Shopify stores, so first-time customers can get receipts without spelling out an email.
Read more: Shopify will now recognize first-time shoppers at the store registerShopify says shoppers can now find products and check out through AI assistants like ChatGPT and Claude, and store owners can run their shops from those chats too.
Read more: Shopify lets shoppers buy through ChatGPT, Claude and other AI assistantsSouth Korea fined Apple and Google for steering app makers to their own payment systems, and told Apple to let developers link to outside payment options.
Read more: South Korea fines Apple and Google over app payment rulesMorgan Stanley lifted its Visa price target to $471, betting that fraud and data add-ons will help profits hold up if shoppers spend less.
Read more: Morgan Stanley Raises Its Visa Price Target to $471Google Wallet appears to be preparing QR-code payments abroad, but the only country named so far is Singapore, and Google has not confirmed anything.
Read more: Google Wallet may soon let you pay by QR code abroadBanks warn that if an AI shopping tool makes a mistake with your account details, you may be the one who pays. No clear rules exist yet.
Read more: Who pays when an AI shopping assistant buys the wrong thing?Mastercard has published a guide for small business owners on using AI, getting funding and finding new customers. Here is what is known and what is not.
Read more: Mastercard shares ways small businesses can use AI and find fundingMastercard has described a virtual finance chief for small businesses, but details on features, cost and launch are not yet confirmed.
Read more: Mastercard Describes a Virtual Finance Chief for Small BusinessesHome Depot says AI agents can shop and buy on your behalf, but only if they prove they are not just bots and that a real person is behind them.
Read more: Home Depot will let AI shopping agents buy, but they must show IDAmazon now lists 250 million products from rival stores, as AI shopping assistants start to compete for where people begin their shopping.
Read more: Amazon now lists 250 million products from rival storesAI is changing how people find and buy products faster than it is changing how card payments work, and that matters for shoppers and store owners.
Read more: AI is changing how people shop more than how they payEleven payments companies say 2026 showed that speed, automation and more information do not always mean better results for customers or cash flow.
Read more: Payments Leaders Admit Which Business Beliefs They Got Wrong in 2026Azoma raised $11.2 million for tools that help brands get seen when shoppers ask AI assistants what to buy, which could change how products get found.
Read more: Azoma raises $11.2 million to help brands show up in AI shopping
