MRC Vegas 2026: what merchants are prioritizing now in fraud and payments

Visa’s presence: more than just a booth

MRC Vegas put a spotlight on a key question for merchants: how do you keep trust strong as AI takes on a bigger role in commerce? That shaped our presence across the event, from the mainstage discussion of the 2026 Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud Report to our focus group and breakout session. The session focused on how AI agents are starting to support the full shopping journey, from discovery to checkout and post-purchase. For merchants, the opportunity is clear: less friction, faster decisions, and more personalized experiences. But the risks are real, too, including prompt injections, hallucinations, weak access controls, and poor data quality. The takeaway? As agentic commerce grows, merchants will need stronger controls around identity, access, oversight, and validation to protect both transactions and customer trust.

We carried that same theme into our focus group, where we looked at how merchants can turn risk readiness into a competitive edge. As commerce becomes more adaptive, dispute handling and post-purchase processes need to adjust. We discussed why trust now depends on transparency and speed, and how stronger post-purchase strategies can support smarter dispute decisions and reduce avoidable friction. We also explored how AI is shaping the next era of fraud defense at a time when merchants are relying more on digital tools, increasing fraud monitoring at the dispute stage, and focusing on better data use, stronger AI accuracy, and more automation. For merchants, the message was stronger signals, better controls, and a more connected approach to fraud and customer experience can help protect revenue and build trust over time. 

What we heard from attendees

One of the clearest takeaways from our teams on the ground was that merchants are dealing with growing pressure across fraud, compliance, and payment performance. That theme came through in many of our conversations at the event, including comments from other providers, who pointed to false declines, compliance complexity, and AI as key trends shaping merchant priorities this year.

We heard often that the Visa Acquiring Monitoring Program (VAMP) and Digital Commerce Authentication Program (DCAP) updates are driving new considerations for many businesses as they adapt to evolving requirements. There was also growing interest in how agentic commerce could affect chargebacks. Some providers believe better transaction data could make disputes easier to manage, while others expect new questions about responsibility and proof to make them harder. Trust and risk signals were also a major topic, as many merchants are still trying to understand how these signals can help improve decisioning, reduce friction, and manage fraud more effectively.

What stood out most was that merchants are not looking at these issues in isolation. They are looking for better ways to connect risk, compliance, and payment performance as these pressures continue to grow.

Inside the 2026 Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud Report

For merchants looking to better understand the changing landscape, the 2026 Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud Report offers insights into the trends shaping fraud, payments, and performance today. Representing Visa on the panel, Sara Craven discussed how the annual report showed a market under pressure, with merchants managing both today’s risks and the next wave of change. The report was produced with the Merchant Risk Council and is based on a global survey of more than 1,200 eCommerce merchants in 37 countries.

A few findings stood out in particular:

• 64% of merchants reported an increase in first-party misuse.¹ That matters because it shows how quickly post-purchase abuse is becoming a bigger cost and operations issue, not just a disputes issue.
• More than 80% of merchants said technology infrastructure is their biggest fraud challenge. This is important because many merchants are not just fighting fraud—they’re managing system complexity, disconnected tools, and pressure to modernize at the same time.
• 72% of merchants said they use one or more forms of payment tokenization. That points to continued investment in tools that can help improve security while also supporting a smoother payment experience.
• 63% of merchants are actively exploring or implementing solutions to process agentic AI payments in the near future. That is a strong sign that agentic commerce is moving closer to real-world adoption and that merchants are already thinking through what it means for payments, trust, and risk.

Together, these findings point to a simple but important reality: merchants are being asked to solve for fraud, efficiency, and innovation at the same time. Those that can connect these priorities more effectively will be in a stronger position to adapt and grow, and not only keep up with change, but turn it into an advantage for their business.

What this means for merchants

Our clearest takeaway from MRC Vegas 2026 was that fraud, payments, and customer experience can no longer be managed separately. They now affect each other more directly, and merchants need strategies that connect all three. Businesses that act early to strengthen their approach will be better positioned to reduce risk, improve performance, support growth—and stay ahead, always. If you’d like to talk about how we can help your business, contact our sales team to continue the conversation.

¹ Visa and Merchant Risk Council, 2026 Global eCommerce Payments & Fraud report, March 2026.