Definition
The controls that let an AI agent pay for things on a user's behalf without handing over a raw credit card or broad spending power. It typically involves tokenised credentials, per-purchase approval, and bot-detection so merchants can tell an agent from a person. These controls bound the money and the liability to a defined, auditable scope.
Why it matters
If agents are to transact, spending and liability have to be bounded and traceable, or autonomous payments become an open fraud channel.