Speaking to the Agent: What Agentic Commerce Means for Payments

Most sponsors recognise the value of a speaking opportunity in building visibility and industry credibility. But the impact of a session extends beyond the stage. The topics discussed can shape the conversations, relationships and business opportunities that follow.

At the 6th Financial Innovation Forum – Payments & RegTech in London on 17 September 2026, Zinah Abdaki, CMO at QUBE Events, interviewed Fabian Meyer, Founder & Managing Partner at Amaranth Advisory, shortly after his session on agentic commerce.

A long-standing QUBE Events sponsor, Fabian has participated in our forums across multiple markets, including Zurich, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Cyprus, Dublin and Greece. In this interview, Fabian shares his perspective on how agentic commerce is reshaping the Payments landscape and what this shift means for Payment providers, merchants and the wider industry.

▶ Watch the full interview with Fabian Meyer: Watch the interview 

Beyond the Stage: Where Business Relationships Develop

For returning sponsors, the value of an industry forum extends well beyond speaking time. Fabian highlights the quality of interaction and the conversations taking place throughout the event as key elements of the experience.

"It's very interactive. There are a lot of very interesting speakers here. And obviously the conversations which are happening not on stage, but on the side." - Fabian Meyer, Amaranth Advisory

A speaking session establishes expertise and provides a platform to share perspectives with an engaged audience. The discussions that follow create opportunities to explore those perspectives further, exchange ideas and develop meaningful business relationships.

At QUBE Events, the combination of industry insight and focused networking is central to how our forums bring senior decision-makers and industry specialists together.

Agentic Commerce: A New Chapter for the Payments Infrastructure

Fabian's session explored how agentic commerce, in which AI agents search, compare and make purchases on behalf of customers, is changing the Payment journey.

As AI agents take on a more active role in commerce, the traditional relationship between the customer, merchant and Payment provider is evolving.

Fabian describes this as a fundamental platform shift:

"First of all, it is some kind of platform shift. Some of that commerce volume, which before was e-commerce or marketplace-based, is now driven by the agent." - Fabian Meyer, Amaranth Advisory

Rather than customers navigating e-commerce platforms themselves, AI agents are increasingly becoming the interface through which products and services are discovered and purchased.

This has important implications for Payment infrastructure. As the purchasing journey moves towards agent-driven interactions, the ability to exchange information, establish trust and support transactions across different platforms becomes increasingly important.

For Payment providers, the challenge is no longer limited to enabling transactions. It is also about ensuring their Payment solutions can operate effectively within these emerging commerce environments.

Convenience Remains Central to the Payment Experience

While agentic commerce is changing how transactions are initiated, convenience remains a defining factor in Payment adoption.

Fabian emphasises that Payment methods must be integrated into the agent-driven journey, with providers progressing at different speeds.

"Ultimately, convenience is key, as always. We see that each and every Payment method is investing into that setup, and some of them are doing this quite well." - Fabian Meyer, Amaranth Advisory

Fabian highlights stablecoin Payments operating through the x402 protocol as an example of integration into agentic environments, while noting that traditional Payment methods still have work to do in adapting to these new requirements.

The broader implications for the Payments industry are still developing. As adoption progresses, the ability of Payment providers to integrate seamlessly into agent-driven transactions will be an important consideration in how these new commerce models evolve.

For merchants and Payment providers alike, the focus remains on delivering a secure, efficient and convenient Payment experience, regardless of how the transaction is initiated.

Selling to the Agent: New Opportunities for Merchants

The discussion also explored a broader question: can an AI agent become more than a buyer's assistant and take on a role in the selling process?

According to Fabian, early examples of this are already emerging.

For businesses, the starting point is ensuring that AI agents can accurately understand their products and services. This may involve technologies such as Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, which can make product and service information accessible to AI agents in a structured format.

As Fabian explains:

"If I'm the provider of a service or a product, I need to make sure that the agent understands what I'm selling." - Fabian Meyer, Amaranth Advisory

This creates new possibilities for how businesses present their offerings and interact with potential buyers.

When an agent requests product information, providers may also be able to respond with tailored offers or commercial incentives. Fabian points to the potential for time-limited discounts and agent-to-agent negotiations as examples of what is already beginning to emerge.

"It would be thinkable that if somebody requests that information, I can give a specific discount which is time-limited. There is some kind of bargaining between these agents happening already as of today." - Fabian Meyer, Amaranth Advisory

For merchants and marketers, this introduces a new consideration: making products and services discoverable and understandable not only to customers, but also to the AI agents increasingly involved in purchasing decisions.

Product information, integration capabilities and the ability to respond to an agent's request could all become relevant to how businesses compete for attention and transactions in agentic commerce.

The underlying commercial objective remains familiar. Businesses need to communicate their value and make their offerings accessible. What is changing is the technology through which those offerings are discovered, evaluated and purchased.

Learn More from Amaranth Advisory

We thank Fabian Meyer for sharing his insights and joining us at the 6th Financial Innovation Forum – Payments & RegTech in London.

For those looking to explore the evolving Payments landscape, Amaranth Advisory publishes case reports, white papers and a podcast covering developments across the Payments market. While the content is published in German, AI translation tools can help make it accessible to a wider international audience.

Explore Amaranth Advisory: www.amaranth-advisory.com 

Bringing the Payments Industry Together

At QUBE Events, our Payments and RegTech Forum Series brings together senior industry professionals, decision-makers and technology providers to examine the developments shaping financial services.

Through expert-led sessions, curated one-to-one meetings and focused networking, we create opportunities for industry leaders to exchange insights, develop business relationships and explore emerging commercial opportunities.

Interested in speaking or exploring sponsorship opportunities at an upcoming QUBE Events forum?

Contact our team: info@qubevents.com

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