WeChat Pay Is Testing AI Payment Feature, Expected to Launch as Early as This Week
Taylor Wilson
WeChat Pay is testing a dedicated AI Card with Tencent's WorkBuddy agent, letting an AI assistant spend money on a user's behalf — every transaction requires the user's password, and it could launch as early as this week.
What exactly is this "AI Card"?
WeChat plans to add a dedicated AI Card inside its Wallet, purpose-built for AI agents — AI programs that carry out tasks autonomously — to make payments.
In plain terms = you top up whatever amount you choose, and the AI can only spend that amount, no more, no diverting funds elsewhere.
This means → it is essentially a pocket-money account for AI, with the user's top-up setting a hard spending cap.
Can the AI drain a user's money without permission?
Every payment the agent initiates must be confirmed by the user's password — no silent deductions.
Users can adjust the authorization scope at any time, specifying which scenarios the AI may spend in. The permission switch stays with the user.
This means → the current design is "AI proposes, human approves" — not an AI with an open wallet.
Why is Tencent building this?
The feature is paired with Tencent's agent product WorkBuddy, positioned as an AI assistant that runs errands for the user.
This means → if an AI assistant can order food, book tickets, or top up a phone plan on your behalf, it needs a controlled payment channel — and this card is that channel.
Sources say the feature could go live as early as this week, but Tencent has not commented, and no official date is confirmed.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.