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Stripe says AI agent purchases on Link grew 38-fold, but won't share the numbers

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Stripe says AI agent purchases on Link grew 38-fold, but won't share the numbers

AI agents are increasingly using Stripe's payment service Link to shop for their users, according to a report by Upstarts Media that The Decoder summarises. In September, the number of transactions grew 38-fold and payment volume grew 20-fold. Stripe hasn't disclosed how many purchases or how much money are behind those figures. According to the report, the growth started from a small base, so it says little about the actual scale. Stripe executive Dan Hill says the volume is now becoming significant, though.

About 70 agents were using the service when Stripe ran the analysis. Hill says that number has since grown to around 200, including Meta's Muse and Grok Bot. Most agents spend about $100 per transaction, according to Hill, but some users have them book flights or buy furniture worth thousands of dollars. By category, retail made up 36 percent of transactions and 32 percent of volume. Travel came next with 28 percent of volume.

On safety, Link doesn't give agents the user's real credit card number. Instead, it issues a separate 16-digit number, and users can set spending limits. Anthropic and OpenAI also use Link, but not yet for agent purchases.

Hill admits Stripe won't stay the only option and names PayPal and Shopify's Shop Pay as competitors. He says the market is still in its very early days.

Key facts

  • In September, transactions by AI agents using Stripe's Link grew 38-fold and payment volume grew 20-fold, but from a small base and with no absolute figures disclosed.
  • About 70 agents used Link when Stripe ran its analysis; Stripe executive Dan Hill says it is now around 200, including Meta's Muse and Grok Bot.
  • Most agents spend about $100 per transaction, per Hill, though some users have agents book flights or buy furniture worth thousands of dollars.
  • Retail made up 36 percent of transactions and 32 percent of volume; travel followed with 28 percent of volume.
  • Link issues agents a separate 16-digit card number instead of the user's real one, and users can set spending limits.

Why it matters

Agents that buy things on a user's behalf need a way to pay, and Stripe is describing early traction for its answer. The headline multiples are large: 38-fold in transactions and 20-fold in volume over September. But the report itself stresses that the growth started from a small base and says little about actual scale. The more concrete signal is the agent count, which went from about 70 at the time of the analysis to around 200 now, per Hill. Hill also says the market is still in its very early days.

Who it affects

Stripe, as the operator of Link, and the agents built on it, including Meta's Muse and Grok Bot. It also affects users who let agents shop for them, since their spending limits and card protections come from Link. Hill names PayPal and Shopify's Shop Pay as competitors, so they are the players Stripe expects to share this market with. Anthropic and OpenAI use Link, but not yet for agent purchases.

How to use it

The source describes Link as a service through which agents pay for users. Users can set spending limits, and the agent gets a separate 16-digit card number rather than the user's real one. Typical agent spend is about $100 per transaction, per Hill, with retail and travel the main categories. The source gives no pricing, fees or sign-up details.

How solid is it

Thin on hard numbers. The growth multiples are relative, and Stripe hasn't disclosed how many purchases or how much money are behind them. The baseline is not stated beyond a small base, and the source does not give the year of the September figures. The details on agent counts, spend per transaction and category split come from Hill, a Stripe executive, so they are the company's own account. The Decoder is relaying a report by Upstarts Media rather than presenting its own data. The $100 figure is what "most agents" spend per Hill, not a stated mean or median.

Risks and caveats

Percentage growth from a small base can look dramatic while the real volume stays modest, as the report itself notes. The category shares are only partly given: retail at 36 percent of transactions and 32 percent of volume, travel at 28 percent of volume, with no breakdown of the remainder. Link's protections rest on the separate card number and user-set spending limits; the source describes no other safeguards. Hill concedes that Stripe won't remain the only option in this market.