Visa: 47% of Americans Use AI Tools for Holiday Shopping

Forty-seven percent of Americans are using artificial intelligence tools to help with shopping during this holiday season, according to Visa.

The most common uses for AI tools include finding gift ideas (21%), conducting product research (16%), using AI-powered search for shopping (15%) and trying out products online with virtual fitting room or other tools, the company said in an article posted Tuesday (Dec. 2).

While shoppers are integrating AI into their routines, they also have some reservations about the technology. Sixty-one percent of those surveyed said they prefer human interaction for customer service, while 60% want a better understanding of how AI-powered shopping tools use their data, Visa said in a Tuesday press release.

“The data tells a fascinating story about the spending shift we’re witnessing: shoppers are embracing AI and digital tools at remarkable speed, with nearly half of Americans now using AI to enhance their shopping experience,” Bruce Cundiff, vice president, consumer insights at Visa, said in the release.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Black Friday Shopping Trends Expose Shift to Budget-Driven Buying” found that 50% of consumers used generative AI at least once for their Black Friday purchases this year.

This survey found that shoppers most commonly used AI assistants to find discount codes or deals (42%), track prices or monitor price drops (35%), research and compare product options (31%) generate gift ideas (30%) and understand product specifications or features (28%).

“Conversational AI, in the form of prompt-based AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude or Gemini, is becoming a mainstream shopping concierge,” the report said.

The Visa survey released Tuesday also found that digital currencies have become mainstream during this holiday shopping season.

Twenty percent of Americans said they would be excited to receive cryptocurrency as a gift, according to the release.

In addition, about 10% of Americans believe stablecoin usage will increase by 2030, while 28% believe that will happen by 2035, per the release.

Digital wallets are also gaining ground. About 20% of Americans prefer to use digital wallets, Visa said. Among Generation Z, 36% use a digital wallet while 34% use a physical card, per the release.