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As autonomous AI agents begin searching, comparing products and making purchases for consumers, machine-compatible payments are emerging as a critical piece of agentic commerce. Splitit Chief Executive Nandan Sheth said conventional buy now, pay later, or BNPL, can become a bottleneck because its application and identity-verification steps often require direct human involvement, increasing the risk that an automated checkout will fail.

Sheth said card-linked installment payments could address that problem by using a shopper’s existing credit card and available credit instead of requiring a separate loan application during checkout. The approach could help merchants prepare payment systems for purchases initiated by AI agents and reduce lost sales from failed transactions. The report did not disclose a rollout date, transaction value, financial forecast or new commercial partnership tied to the technology.

ThriveCart is a sales and payments platform for digital creators and online merchants. High-ticket courses and coaching services often cost $5,000–$50,000, while traditional BNPL providers typically approve only about $2,000. The new service taps consumers’ existing credit card limits and pays merchants upfront, targeting roughly $3.3 trillion in unused U.S. credit to lower checkout barriers and increase average order values.

The Fintech Times reported on March 25, 2026, that ThriveCart had launched ThrivePay Installments, allowing customers to pay over 3, 6 or 12 months while the full amount is preauthorized on their credit card on the first day. The company says the approval rate is about 85%, compared with 42% for traditional BNPL. It offers financing of up to $65,000 per transaction, has increased average order values by 3.1 times and is available in more than 30 countries, though merchants pay a 15% fee on each transaction.