Ant Checkout Launches AI Version 'Abao', Sparking Agent Competition in Payments

Ant Checkout began public testing of AI 'Abao' this month, enabling users to complete product selection, coupon collection, order placement, and payment via a single dialog. It currently offers 72 high-frequency skills covering account checking, bill payment, government services, and travel. Concurrently, WeChat Pay launched 'AI Smart Card', embedding atomic payment capabilities into third-party agent flows, with user confirmation per transaction. The two paths diverge: Ant Checkout focuses on product-level reconstruction and opens MCP/skill protocols to attract third-party services, while WeChat Pay standardizes payment output. Additionally, Ant Checkout's 30 million offline 'Tap Here' touchpoints upgrade into an AI-powered business network, forming a dual-entry landscape of online 'Abao' and offline 'Tap Here'. JD.com released its A2P2 agent autonomous payment protocol in June, targeting B2B supply chain scenarios. For payment professionals, e-commerce platforms, and agent developers, two points are critical: first, Ant Checkout's AI open platform access standards, which can reach 1 billion users; second, WeChat Pay AI Smart Card's security mechanism (physical isolation, per-transaction confirmation), offering a controllable solution for third-party agent payment integration. Currently, multiple platforms emphasize 'keeping final decision with users', as trust-building remains the core barrier to AI payment adoption.