---
title: "Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP), defined | Agent Ready Checkout"
description: "Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP): Visa's scheme for agents to sign requests with HTTP Message Signatures so merchants can verify the agent and receive consented."
canonical: https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/trusted-agent-protocol-tap
site: "Agent Ready Checkout"
last_updated: 2026-11-04
section: "Glossary"
---

# Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP), defined | Agent Ready Checkout

> Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP): Visa's scheme for agents to sign requests with HTTP Message Signatures so merchants can verify the agent and receive consented.

Source: https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/trusted-agent-protocol-tap
Site: Agent Ready Checkout
Last reviewed: 2026-11-04

Glossary

# Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP)

In short

Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP): Visa's scheme for agents to sign requests with HTTP Message Signatures so merchants can verify the agent and receive consented identifiers. Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP) appears in 14 sourced facts on this site, the first in Visa Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP). Example: Visa released TAP on 14 Oct 2025 with Cloudflare.

## Definition

Visa's scheme for agents to sign requests with HTTP Message Signatures so merchants can verify the agent and receive consented identifiers.

## Example

Visa released TAP on 14 Oct 2025 with Cloudflare. [usa.visa.com](https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.releaseId.21716.html), read 4 Nov 2026.

## Where it appears in the sourced facts

-   Visa announced Trusted Agent Protocol on 14 Oct 2025, developed with Cloudflare, available in the Visa Developer Center and on GitHub. [usa.visa.com](https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.releaseId.21716.html), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Visa Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/protocols/visa-trusted-agent-protocol).
-   Visa says TAP is built on the HTTP Message Signature standard and aligned with the IETF Web Bot Auth work, using agent-specific cryptographic signatures. [usa.visa.com](https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.releaseId.21716.html), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Visa Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/protocols/visa-trusted-agent-protocol).
-   The TAP README says the signature carries timestamps, a session identifier, key identifier and algorithm, is bound to the merchant domain and operation (browsing or payment), and can pass consented identifiers such as Payment Account References. [github.com](https://github.com/visa/trusted-agent-protocol), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Visa Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/protocols/visa-trusted-agent-protocol).
-   Cloudflare wrote on 24 Oct 2025 that both TAP and Mastercard Agent Pay use Web Bot Auth as the agent authentication layer, and that merchants can rely on Cloudflare to validate signatures (Signature-Input and Signature headers, Ed25519). [blog.cloudflare.com](https://blog.cloudflare.com/secure-agentic-commerce/), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Visa Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/protocols/visa-trusted-agent-protocol).
-   Visa Intelligent Commerce Connect accepts TAP alongside MPP, ACP and UCP, in pilot since April 2026. [visa.co.uk](https://www.visa.co.uk/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.3442048.html), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Visa Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/protocols/visa-trusted-agent-protocol).

## Nearby terms

-   [Web Bot Auth](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/web-bot-auth)
-   [HTTP Message Signatures](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/http-message-signatures)
-   [Human not present](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/human-not-present)
-   [All terms](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary)

## Sources

1.  [Visa Introduces Trusted Agent Protocol](https://usa.visa.com/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.releaseId.21716.html), read 4 Nov 2026
2.  [Visa Trusted Agent Protocol repository](https://github.com/visa/trusted-agent-protocol), read 4 Nov 2026
3.  [Cloudflare: Secure agentic commerce](https://blog.cloudflare.com/secure-agentic-commerce/), read 4 Nov 2026
4.  [Visa opens the door to AI-driven shopping (Intelligent Commerce Connect)](https://www.visa.co.uk/about-visa/newsroom/press-releases.3442048.html), read 4 Nov 2026

Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026

## Edition

Matrix edition of 4 Nov 2026.

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

## Method

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