Visa, BILL and Billtrust test AI payments through supplier portals
The live pilot handles real transactions, but agents can complete only payments that buyers have already approved.
Visa, BILL and Billtrust have begun testing AI agents that complete approved invoice payments through suppliers’ payment portals. The companies said the pilot is handling real transactions involving BILL buyers and Billtrust suppliers, describing it as the first live test of its kind.
The companies said buyers retain control over which payments are made: the agents execute existing approvals rather than choose invoices to pay. Buyers also do not need to share their login details for supplier portals.
BILL’s agent uses tokenized card credentials and operates within the buyer’s approved payment instructions. It is registered through Visa’s Trusted Agent Protocol and Agentic Directory. Billtrust uses that protocol to identify and authenticate the agent, allowing it to proceed without a separate login.
That authentication can take the place of CAPTCHAs and other tools designed to block bots. The companies describe portal payments as a remaining manual task in accounts payable and say automation can reduce data entry for buyers while speeding card payments and cash collection for suppliers.
The companies did not disclose how many transactions the pilot has processed or set a date for a broader launch. They said they would continue exploring agentic payments while the test runs.
