Volodymyr Sytnikov, CEO & Managing Partner, Brainstack
with Volodymyr Sytnikov of Brainstack
Volodymyr Sytnikov introduced Brainstack as a large, multi-product subscription business operating across app and web-based services. With nearly 400 employees and six verticals, the company has evolved significantly, particularly in response to platform constraints such as Apple’s rules, which prompted a shift towards web-based payment processing and the development of in-house billing orchestration capabilities.
Reflecting on his MPE panel, he explained that while merchant payments are often perceived as complicated, they are in fact becoming easier to implement. However, this simplification is leading to increasingly complex ecosystems, where businesses must manage multiple providers, tools and integrations. Advances in agentic development are expected to accelerate testing and integration, enabling faster experimentation and optimisation.
Looking ahead, he highlighted regulatory challenges in subscription payments as a key concern, noting that this business model differs significantly from traditional e-commerce or travel. Collaboration between merchants, payment providers and card schemes will be essential.
On agentic commerce, he expressed a preference for incremental innovation driven by smaller, practical tools rather than large, complex solutions. He suggested that dynamic pricing agents could offer immediate value, while more ambitious use cases may face regulatory and operational barriers. Adoption timelines for large-scale change were estimated at eight to ten years, with broader behavioural shifts potentially taking longer.
He also raised potential risks, including inefficiencies such as AI agents entering costly decision loops, as well as more serious concerns around misuse of AI leading to regulatory intervention. Ultimately, he emphasised the need for unified rules and collaboration across the payments ecosystem.
Julia Streets MBE, Founder & CEO, Streets Consulting
with Julia Streets MBE, Streets Consulting
Julia Streets described her consultancy as focused on business development, marketing and communications within fintech, with a strong emphasis on helping clients achieve growth and transformation. These two priorities, she noted, are central to leadership teams across the industry.
At MPE, she chaired a panel dedicated to people in payments, an area she found particularly refreshing amid the heavy focus on technology. The discussion explored how organisations can support a workforce spanning five generations, each with different skills and development needs. She highlighted the growing importance of human skills in an AI-driven world, including communication, adaptability and relationship building.
Addressing the impact of agentic commerce on skills, she outlined three key perspectives. For leaders, success will depend on strategic thinking, collaboration and deep domain expertise. For employees, the focus should shift from fearing job displacement to leveraging AI as a co-pilot to enhance productivity and focus on high-value human interactions. For new entrants, the ability to use AI tools effectively will be critical to building knowledge and credibility.
From a consumer perspective, she noted that elements of agentic commerce are already present in everyday experiences, such as search and recommendation tools. However, trust remains a central issue, particularly when decisions and transactions are delegated to AI agents. Questions around permissions, risk and accountability will shape adoption.
Her key takeaway from MPE was the importance of preparing for future technological shifts, particularly the combined impact of AI and quantum computing, which she believes will drive further transformation across the industry.
Cihan Duezguen, CEO & Co-founder, Green Banana Group
with Cihan Duezguen, Green Banana Group
Cihan Duezguen outlined Green Banana Group’s role as a pan-European BNPL orchestrator, providing merchants with access to multiple providers through a single API. This orchestration layer simplifies integration and enables businesses to tailor financing options to different markets and customer behaviours.
He explained that BNPL is evolving beyond single-provider relationships, with merchants increasingly seeking flexible, multi-provider solutions to address regional differences and customer preferences. The orchestration model addresses this complexity by harmonising access through a unified infrastructure.
In the context of agentic commerce, he believes AI agents will play a role not only in product selection but also in determining how purchases are financed. Initially, consumers are likely to retain control by setting preferences and limits, gradually building trust in automated decision-making.
He suggested that adoption could accelerate relatively quickly, potentially within three years, driven by rapid technological advancement and generational shifts in behaviour. However, he acknowledged that the journey will follow a familiar pattern, with early adopters leading the way before broader acceptance.
Looking ahead, he described a future where checkout experiences are personalised and automated based on user-defined preferences, including payment methods and loyalty considerations. He also emphasised the critical role of payment service providers, particularly their access to customer data and their responsibility to enable agent-driven transactions.
Andre Moeller, Head of Payments, Risk & Fraud, Volkswagen Group Charging
with Andre Moeller, Volkswagen Group Charging
Andre Moeller reflected on the implementation of continuous invoicing within Volkswagen Group Charging, which replaced monthly billing cycles. This shift has improved fraud detection by enabling faster identification of suspicious activity and reducing exposure to fraudulent behaviour.
He noted that a hybrid model combining merchant-initiated transactions and customer-initiated transactions is now the most effective approach, particularly in a business model that includes both subscriptions and usage-based charging.
From an agentic commerce perspective, he observed that its relevance varies by industry. In the electric vehicle charging sector, where services are functional and necessity-driven, the immediate benefits are limited. However, he identified potential in adjacent areas, particularly when combined with connected car technologies.
He described scenarios where AI agents could integrate with vehicle systems, weather data and personal schedules to automate decisions such as energy management or temporary feature activation. These use cases demonstrate how agentic commerce could enhance user experience when applied in the right context.
He also highlighted unresolved challenges around liability and risk, particularly when multiple AI agents interact. Questions around responsibility for errors or fraud remain open and require further industry discussion.
While acknowledging the pace of technological development, he refrained from committing to a specific timeline for widespread adoption. He expects payment service providers to remain relevant in the near term, particularly for credit card processing, although their role may evolve as new payment models emerge.
Emre Talay, COO & Co-founder, Payrails
Emre Talay, Payrails
Emre Talay presented Payrails as a modular payment platform designed to help enterprises modernise their payment infrastructure. Drawing on his previous experience on the merchant side, he emphasised the importance of building solutions that address real operational challenges.
At MPE, his focus was on learning from merchants, understanding their pain points and strengthening industry relationships. He also highlighted the value of Payrails’ partnership with Ecommpay, which aims to deliver comprehensive solutions across areas such as reconciliation, acceptance and chargebacks.
On agentic commerce, he offered a cautious perspective, describing it as still in the early discovery phase. While the technology is promising, he questioned whether it currently solves meaningful problems for merchants or delivers clear commercial value.
He raised concerns around trust, particularly from a consumer standpoint, noting that individuals remain cautious when it comes to financial transactions. Fraud risks were also highlighted as a significant challenge, as new technologies are often exploited by malicious actors.
He suggested that adoption may vary by sector, with travel potentially leading due to its complex, multi-party ecosystems. However, broader acceptance will depend on demonstrating tangible value and addressing security concerns.
His overall view is that agentic commerce remains an emerging concept, with further development needed before it can achieve widespread adoption.
Rita Narkevičienė, Payments Operations Manager, Kiloverse
with Rita Narkevičienė, Kiloverse
Rita Narkevičienė described Kiloverse as a business-building ecosystem that supports new ventures through infrastructure, expertise and operational resources. The organisation is actively investing in AI, integrating it across functions such as marketing, product development and payments.
She expressed a balanced view on consumer readiness for agentic commerce, noting that while users are becoming more comfortable with automation, trust and security remain critical, particularly in financial transactions.
She believes early adopters will have a competitive advantage in shaping market standards and customer expectations. However, this advantage comes with increased responsibility to ensure secure and compliant processes.
A key concern she raised is the potential for increased risk, particularly in areas such as chargebacks. She questioned how disputes will be handled when purchases are made by AI agents, and whether merchants could face increased exposure to fraudulent claims.
She emphasised the importance of regulation, authentication and security in addressing these challenges. Payment service providers will play a crucial role in ensuring that systems are robust, compliant and capable of supporting AI-driven transactions.
Overall, her perspective highlights both the opportunities and the risks associated with agentic commerce, underlining the need for careful implementation and strong governance frameworks.
Closing Thoughts
Across all interviews, a consistent theme emerges: while agentic commerce presents significant opportunities, it also introduces new complexities, risks and unanswered questions. Trust, regulation and collaboration will be critical in shaping its future, alongside a continued focus on human skills and real-world value.
