A recent study by Visa on the 2025 digital commerce landscape in the Asia-Pacific region indicates that as artificial intelligence becomes more integrated into e-commerce, consumers are increasingly using AI to assist their shopping decisions. However, concerns regarding security and transparency during payment and checkout processes continue to foster a cautious approach.
Within this context, China's digital market is at the forefront of the Asia-Pacific region in terms of digital consumption frequency, payment experience maturity, and the depth of AI shopping applications. China is progressing earlier into a phase focused on leveraging AI effectively while ensuring safety and control, thereby steering digital commerce from sheer scale growth towards high-quality development.
The maturity of China's digital consumer market is high, with consumers placing significant emphasis on the overall shopping experience and associated costs. The study reveals that 79% of Chinese respondents engaged in online shopping at least 2-3 times per month over the past six months. In this high-frequency, mature digital environment, the decision-making logic of Chinese consumers is evolving.
Regarding factors expected to drive online spending growth in the next six months, the importance of 'cost of consumption' and 'overall shopping experience' was nearly equal, each cited by 72% of respondents. This suggests a shift in consumer focus from simply "buying more" to seeking greater value and convenience, aiming for a higher-quality digital consumption experience that balances cost, experience, payment convenience and security, and AI integration.
On the cost side, 45% of respondents were motivated by "limited-time or seasonal promotions," while 41% were driven by "better offers from merchants" and 36% by "increased income or spending flexibility." Regarding the experience aspect, consumers prioritized "ease of returns and refunds" (37%), and valued "personalized recommendations" (30%), "more efficient checkout" (29%), and "faster delivery" (28%). The competitive focus in China's digital consumption market is shifting from price advantages alone to comprehensive capabilities covering the entire customer journey.
In a high-frequency, mature digital market like China, payment security has become a baseline expectation—not an added advantage, but a fundamental prerequisite for the continued integration of new technologies into transactions. The research shows that Chinese consumers balance their considerations for payment methods: 49% of respondents cited "payment convenience" as a primary factor, while 48% equally valued "trust and security." Additionally, "ease of refunds or cancellations" (45%) and "system stability" (44%) were also significant considerations.
Payment tokenization, a key technology for achieving both security and convenience, is deeply embedded in the daily payment experiences of Chinese consumers. The report indicates that 43% of Chinese respondents are aware of the concept of payment tokenization. Among those aware, 70% are frequent users of the technology; even among those previously unaware, 31% were frequent users, demonstrating the high, often "invisible," penetration of payment security capabilities.
Using cross-border payments as an example, on January 15, 2026, Visa announced support for Chinese cardholders to link their Visa cards to Apple Pay for payments at overseas merchants, within apps, and on websites. Yin Xiaolong, President of Visa China, stated, "As consumer demand for mobile payments continues to grow, Visa will leverage security technologies like tokenization to provide Chinese cardholders with a more secure and convenient cross-border payment experience."
Payment security is identified as a critical factor for overcoming trust barriers in AI-assisted shopping, with Visa's solutions poised to advance AI-driven commerce. Across the Asia-Pacific region, AI is widely used to assist in shopping stages. The study shows that 74% of consumers have used AI tools for product discovery, information queries, or order tracking. Penetration of AI shopping is even higher among Chinese consumers, with 86% using AI in the aforementioned scenarios, a figure projected to rise to 94%.
However, when AI transitions from "assisting decisions" to "directly completing transactions," consumers remain cautious. In China, only 30% of respondents expressed willingness to let AI directly complete a purchase or booking. Sixty-five percent of respondents had trust concerns regarding AI shopping, primarily centered on worries about hidden fees or unintended purchases (38%), doubts about recommendation accuracy (37%), and concerns about personal and payment data security (34%).
These findings underscore the importance of establishing a trustworthy framework within AI-driven business models. Visa is developing a secure, scalable trust layer through initiatives like its Intelligent Commerce and Trusted Agent Protocol, designed to help businesses connect consumers, AI agents, and merchants.
T.R. Ramachandran, Head of Products and Solutions for Visa Asia Pacific, commented, "The way consumers shop is changing rapidly, with AI playing an increasingly important role in product discovery and selection. But when AI enters the payment and checkout phase, trust and controllability become paramount. Consumers want to understand how their data is used and be confident that every transaction is secure. Establishing this trust will determine whether AI-driven business models can achieve true scale."
In more advanced agent-based commerce scenarios, Chinese consumers show relatively higher acceptance. Thirty-nine percent of respondents expressed high willingness to try such services, with only 7% explicitly opposed. The core prerequisites remain centered on enhanced payment security (51%), better offers (48%), and more convenient refund and cancellation mechanisms (47%), reflecting that consumer expectations for AI are not about "complete replacement" but about achieving efficiency gains within a framework of safety, transparency, and control.
T.R. Ramachandran added, "Consumers are ready for AI to take a more active role in shopping, and intelligent commerce is moving from concept to everyday application. To accelerate this, trust and security authentication are essential. Through solutions like payment tokenization and Visa Payment Passkeys, Visa is providing smooth and secure payment experiences, enabling people to shop with greater peace of mind as AI becomes increasingly integrated into daily commerce."
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