---
title: "Know Your Agent (KYA), defined | Agent Ready Checkout"
description: "Know Your Agent (KYA): Verification of an AI agent's identity and operator before it may transact, by analogy with Know Your Customer."
canonical: https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/know-your-agent-kya
site: "Agent Ready Checkout"
last_updated: 2026-11-04
section: "Glossary"
---

# Know Your Agent (KYA), defined | Agent Ready Checkout

> Know Your Agent (KYA): Verification of an AI agent's identity and operator before it may transact, by analogy with Know Your Customer.

Source: https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/know-your-agent-kya
Site: Agent Ready Checkout
Last reviewed: 2026-11-04

Glossary

# Know Your Agent (KYA)

In short

Know Your Agent (KYA): Verification of an AI agent's identity and operator before it may transact, by analogy with Know Your Customer. Know Your Agent (KYA) appears in 2 sourced facts on this site, the first in Mastercard Agent Pay. Example: Mastercard named Skyfire's KYA technology in its 30 Sep 2026 release.

## Definition

Verification of an AI agent's identity and operator before it may transact, by analogy with Know Your Customer.

## Example

Mastercard named Skyfire's KYA technology in its 30 Sep 2026 release. [mastercard.com](https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/news-and-trends/press/2026/september/new-trust-and-intelligence-services.html), read 4 Nov 2026.

## Where it appears in the sourced facts

-   The same release names Cloudflare (privacy-preserving signal sharing) and Skyfire (Know Your Agent identity) as partners. [mastercard.com](https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/news-and-trends/press/2026/september/new-trust-and-intelligence-services.html), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Mastercard Agent Pay](https://agentreadycheckout.com/protocols/mastercard-agent-pay).
-   Mastercard said on 30 Sep 2026 it is working with Skyfire's KYA technology so issuers and merchants can recognize trusted agents. [mastercard.com](https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/news-and-trends/press/2026/september/new-trust-and-intelligence-services.html), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Skyfire](https://agentreadycheckout.com/processors/skyfire).

## Nearby terms

-   [Amex ACE](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/amex-ace)
-   [Agent Purchase Protection](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/agent-purchase-protection)
-   [Agent Pay for Machines (AP4M)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/agent-pay-for-machines-ap4m)
-   [All terms](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary)

## Sources

1.  [Mastercard trust and intelligence services](https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/news-and-trends/press/2026/september/new-trust-and-intelligence-services.html), read 4 Nov 2026

Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026

## Edition

Matrix edition of 4 Nov 2026.

Reviewed 4 Nov 2026, [1 sources](#sources-h).

## Method

[How cells, sources and read dates are defined](https://agentreadycheckout.com/method)