Visa Study: 90% in KSA Use AI to Shop, But Trust is Key at Checkout

90% of consumers in Saudi Arabia have used AI to assist with shopping, while 93% feel AI-powered tools make online shopping faster and easier.
84% believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future, but only 33% today trust AI agents to complete checkout.
73% have purchased directly through social commerce, while 51% of consumers who experienced scams report it happened on social media.
91% are concerned children struggle to recognize scams, and 67% have seen a child fall victim while gaming or shopping online.
Only 14% believe consumers should be primarily responsible for protection against fraud when shopping online. Separately, 64% say alerts when something looks suspicious would help them feel more secure paying online.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — 9 June, 2026 — Visa, a world leader in digital payments, today released the annual Stay Secure study in Saudi Arabia, which assesses consumer awareness and behaviors around digital commerce and fraud. This year’s edition, conducted by Wakefield Research, highlights how AI-enabled shopping and social commerce are changing consumer behavior even as expectations around trust and protection remain firmly in place.

Consumers Embrace AI-Assisted Shopping

Consumers are embracing artificial intelligence as part of their shopping journeys. Ninety percent (90%) in Saudi Arabia have used AI tools to assist with shopping, including comparing prices (63%), finding gift ideas (59%), and checking reviews or product ratings (53%).

The appeal is clear: 93% feel new technologies, including AI-powered tools, are making online shopping faster and easier than before. AI is also influencing discovery, with 57% typically discovering new brands or retailers while shopping online.

However, consumers remain more cautious when it comes to AI handling transactions on their behalf. Today, only 33% would trust AI agents to complete checkout, reinforcing the importance of earning consumer trust in the age of agentic commerce.

As AI adoption grows, consumers increasingly view the technology as part of the solution to fraud. Sixty-one percent (61%) feel AI has made scams easier to recognize today and 84% believe AI will play a critical role in protecting consumers from fraud in the future.

Social Commerce is Growing but so are Scam Risks

Shopping through social platforms has become mainstream, with 73% of consumers in Saudi Arabia having purchased products directly through social media platforms. As commerce expands across new channels, fraud risks continue to follow consumers online. Forty-one percent (41%) have experienced a financial scam in the past 12 months. Among those who have experienced a scam, 51% report the incident occurred on social media, more than those who encounter scams on other platforms such as websites, online marketplaces, or shopping apps.

Children are Increasingly Exposed to Scams While Shopping and Gaming Online

The study also highlights growing concern around how children encounter scams online, with 91% of consumers reporting that children in their lives struggle to recognize scams. A significant 67% have seen a child fall victim to a scam while gaming or shopping online.

That concern comes as children gain greater access to digital commerce. Forty percent (40%) of parents in Saudi Arabia have children who can access mobile payment apps or digital wallets.

Consumers Expect Institutions to Lead on Fraud Protection

When it comes to protecting against fraud while shopping online, consumers look first to institutions rather than themselves. Forty-six percent (46%) believe government authorities or regulators should be primarily responsible, followed by banks or financial institutions (40%) and payment providers (30%). Only 14% believe consumers themselves should hold primary responsibility.

They also want more proactive reassurance. Sixty-four percent (64%) would feel secure receiving real-time alerts from their bank or payment app when something looks suspicious, while 47% would feel more comfortable seeing a familiar, trusted logo at checkout.

“Visa’s Stay Secure study reveals that as online shopping and social commerce continue to accelerate, fraud and scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Consumers perceive fraud protection as a shared responsibility but expect banks and payment providers to take the lead, highlighting the importance of secure-by-design payment systems,” said Dibyajyoti Sen, Head of Risk, GCC, Visa.

He continued, “As commerce moves toward more AI-powered and agentic experiences, consumers are embracing the convenience AI can bring to shopping but remain sceptical about AI completing purchases on their behalf. With Visa Intelligent Commerce, we are enabling the next era of commerce built on trust, control and confidence.”

About the Stay Secure Study 2026

The Stay Secure study was commissioned by Visa and conducted by Wakefield Research from January to February, 2026. It involved a survey of 5,800 adults aged 18 years and older across 17 CEMEA markets, including Bahrain, Côte d'Ivoire, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia (KSA), Serbia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Disclaimers:

Study results reflect customer perception at the time of research and do not predict future behavior or outcomes.
Results may vary by country, demographic group, and market conditions within the surveyed regions.
Study findings reflect consumer observations and perceptions and should not be interpreted as professional guidance on child safety or online behavior.
References to artificial intelligence reflect supporting technologies and insights only. AI-based tools do not replace human judgment and do not constitute legal, financial, compliance, or professional advice.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.