Business Wire·Oct 30, 2026, 8:00 AM ET

Secret SantAI? Visa Survey Finds Americans Quietly Turning to AI for Holiday Shopping Help

Two-thirds of U.S. consumers are open to AI assistance for holiday shopping, with Gen Z leading adoption at over 80%.
54% of U.S. adults have used AI for at least one shopping task, a rise from 47% last year.
41% of Americans would not disclose that AI helped select their gift, with tasks like price comparison & discount finding being most common.
Trust in AI to handle payment transactions remains low at 23%, though 61% trust Visa to secure AI-powered payments.
84% of consumers have taken action to manage higher costs, primarily by hunting for discounts or cutting discretionary spending.
While experiences like travel top wish lists, 27% of shoppers prioritize physical items over experiences for actual purchases.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is driving interest in sports-related gifts among nearly a third of Americans, especially those earning over $100,000.
30% of Americans plan to buy from overseas sellers, with Gen Z exceeding 50% in this trend.
Quality & uniqueness are the primary drivers for cross-border shopping, surpassing better deals.
56% of Americans see benefits in stablecoins, rising to 77% among Gen Z, with 51% of international senders likely to use them soon.
Fraud concerns remain high, with 75% of Americans altering shopping behaviors such as enabling two-factor authentication.
39% of Gen Z reported being targeted by fraud last holiday season, compared to 30% overall.
The Visa 2026 Holiday Spending Shift Survey polled 1,016 U.S. adults from September 26 to October 2, 2026.