Head-to-head
Visa TAP vs Visa IC
In short
TAP tells a merchant which agent is calling; Visa Intelligent Commerce supplies the tokenised credential and rules for the payment. Intelligent Commerce Connect (pilot) accepts TAP as one of four protocols. On Worldpay the matrix reads Visa TAP announced and Visa IC no statement found, and the two split on 5 more columns.
The sourced difference
TAP tells a merchant which agent is calling; Visa Intelligent Commerce supplies the tokenised credential and rules for the payment. Intelligent Commerce Connect (pilot) accepts TAP as one of four protocols. visa.co.uk, read 4 Nov 2026.
Verdicts by reader type
- Head of ecommerce engineering
- TAP lives at the WAF; VIC lives in the payment flow.
- Payments lead
- You need VIC enrolment only if you operate an agent, not as a merchant.
Side by side
| Measure | Visa TAP | Visa IC |
|---|---|---|
| Kind | Protocol | Protocol |
| Operator | Visa | Visa |
| Homepage | github.com | visa.com |
| Matrix cells with a stated status | 0 live, 1 pilot, 5 announced | 1 live, 1 pilot, 6 announced |
| Published pricing | No pricing statement on file | No pricing statement on file |
| A limit worth knowing | Does not move money or tokenise a card by itself. | Does not publish pricing for Intelligent Commerce Connect. |
| Merchant of record | N/a | Merchant |
| Dispute rules | None in spec | Yes |
| Live surfaces | None confirmed | None confirmed |
| Cost | No fee published | Not published |
Column by column: where the statuses differ
6 of 27 columns read differently for Visa TAP and Visa IC on 4 Nov 2026.
Read the profiles
Sources
- Visa opens the door to AI-driven shopping (Intelligent Commerce Connect), read 4 Nov 2026
- Visa Trusted Agent Protocol repository, read 4 Nov 2026
- Visa Intelligent Commerce, read 4 Nov 2026
- Visa Introduces Trusted Agent Protocol, read 4 Nov 2026
- Find and Buy with AI: Visa Unveils New Era of Commerce, read 4 Nov 2026
Last reviewed