Google donates Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to FIDO Alliance, releases v0.2 with 'Human Not Present' payments

Google has donated the Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) to the FIDO Alliance, an industry association focused on open security standards. Alongside the transfer, Google released AP2 v0.2 on GitHub, which introduces critical updates for autonomous transactions, including support for 'Human Not Present' payments — enabling AI agents to execute payments securely without direct user intervention, based on pre-authorized instructions.

The 'Human Not Present' feature allows agents to autonomously perform time-sensitive transactions, such as purchasing limited-run tickets the moment they go on sale, without requiring the user to be present to approve each step. This is built on pre-authorized user instructions, ensuring the agent acts within defined bounds.

AP2 v0.2 also helps drive the Verifiable Intent standard, co-developed with Mastercard and also being donated to FIDO. Verifiable Intent creates a tamper-proof log of user-authorized agent actions, providing accountability and auditability for autonomous transactions.

By transitioning ownership to FIDO Alliance, Google aims to ensure AP2 remains platform-agnostic and community-led, accelerating adoption of secure agentic payments across the industry. The protocol is designed to serve as open infrastructure for AI shopping and commerce, with support from industry leaders.