Barclays and Visa Expand Decades-Long Partnership to Boost AI Payments

Barclays (BCS) and Visa (V) are expanding their long relationship with a new multi-year deal that aims to speed up the shift toward smarter and faster digital payments. The two firms have worked together for six decades, and this renewal adds a new focus on AI and direct payments between bank accounts.

Meanwhile, both companies’ shares declined slightly, with V stock falling 1.62% to close at $341.28, and BCS stock declining 0.97% to close at $21.36.

Building on New Payment Trends

The agreement covers both card issuing and merchant acquiring across Barclays’ retail, business, and private banking units in the UK and the U.S. Visa will keep supporting Barclays-issued cards in the U.K. while also helping the bank grow in U.S. retail banking and expand commercial solutions to more regions.

Both firms plan to build new ways for consumers and businesses to move money quickly and securely. One area of growth is account-to-account payments, which let users transfer funds straight from one bank account to another without using a card network. These payments are becoming popular in the U.K. as card fees rise and demand for instant transfers grows. Market data shows that account-to-account payments could exceed £190 billion in value by 2025.

Step Toward AI-Driven Payments

Another key focus is what Visa calls “agentic commerce.” This involves using AI tools that can act on behalf of users to make purchases or handle payments automatically. The idea is part of a wider shift in how people shop and pay, as AI becomes a bigger part of everyday money management.

Antony Cahill, Visa Europe’s CEO, said the partnership “brings together the full strength of Visa’s capabilities, from open banking to loyalty and issuing.” Vim Maru, CEO of Barclays UK, said the companies are “investing in the future of payments” and helping customers pay and get paid more easily worldwide.

What It Means for the Industry

The global payments sector is changing fast as companies race to support faster settlements and embedded payment systems. The total value of digital payments is expected to top $38 trillion by 2030. By adding AI and direct transfers, Barclays and Visa are positioning themselves for a world where fewer payments rely on traditional cards and more rely on instant and automated systems.

The agreement also arrived after Visa posted its Q3 earnings report, which could only be described as a very strong performance, posting record EPS and net revenue.

_{Visa’s steady climb continues — delivering consistent EPS beats through 2025 with record-breaking growth in Q3.}