Global Payments has unveiled research highlighting a significant trust gap in agentic commerce among Singaporean consumers. Whilst 59% of Singaporeans are open to AI agents assisting in shopping, only 15% would allow an agent to complete a purchase independently. The majority, 65%, prefer to approve each purchase, and 20% would not permit it at all.
The research arrives as Asia Pacific leads the global ecommerce market, accounting for over 60% of online retail sales by 2026. For Singapore, ensuring agentic commerce aligns with consumer expectations is crucial for retailers and payment providers. Phil Pomford, executive lead at Global Payments, noted, “Consumers want the confirmation step, the certification, the proof it’s secure, before they’ll delegate that final purchase click.”
Singaporeans exhibit the highest demand for government-backed AI safety certification (34%) and expect confirmation before every purchase (39%). They also prefer phone notifications (45%) and biometric sign-offs (41%) before AI-driven purchases, reflecting a desire for secure, verified transactions.
In financial services, the trust gap is pronounced. Whilst 54% of Singaporeans would allow up to S$100 for a money transfer, only 35% are comfortable with AI handling wealth management tasks. This cautious approach extends to digital content, where Singaporeans trust AI to renew subscriptions up to S$52.51 but limit spending to S$23.14 for community-support purchases.
As AI-assisted shopping evolves, retailers must design systems that incorporate these verification processes to gain consumer trust.
