8 in 10 Romanians would trust AI to make online purchases
Consumer openness toward “agentic commerce” – a model in which AI assistants help consumers discover, select, and pay for products online – is growing in Romania. According to a new study by PayU Romania, the country’s leading digital payment services provider, 8 out of 10 consumers say they would be willing to allow AI agents to make purchases and complete payments on their behalf in certain scenarios.
Openness to delegating purchasing or payment decisions to AI agents is strongest for lower-value purchases. Nearly one-third (29%) of respondents would allow AI to manage transactions between RON 100 and RON 500, while 24% would trust AI for purchases below RON 100. Willingness declines as transaction values increase: 15% would delegate purchases between RON 500 and RON 1,000 to AI agents, 6% would do so for transactions between RON 1,000 and RON 1,500, and only 3% would trust AI with purchases exceeding RON 1,500.
Meanwhile, 22% of respondents say they would never delegate purchasing decisions to AI, regardless of transaction value.
At this stage, Romanians appear more comfortable using artificial intelligence as a support tool rather than acting fully autonomously. Half of respondents would welcome personalized product recommendations, 47% would use AI to simplify product selection, and 44% would rely on AI to improve the security of the online shopping experience. At the same time, 41% of respondents say they are concerned about data security and how AI uses financial information.
“Romanians are increasingly open to AI-powered shopping experiences, but trust remains the key condition for adoption. Consumers are not looking for automation at any cost, but rather for technologies that help them make better and safer decisions. They expect transparency, security, and full control over payments,” said Elena Gheorghe, Country Manager of PayU Romania and Hungary.
“This is most evident at checkout, which remains the stage in the purchasing journey with the greatest potential for AI applications in e-commerce. According to our study, 43% of consumers believe AI can deliver the greatest value by verifying merchant credibility and recommending the most suitable payment options,” added Elena Gheorghe.
In terms of trust in AI for autonomous actions, 37% of respondents say they would feel comfortable with AI agents selecting the best payment method, while 31% would allow the technology to complete the payment autonomously.
From a demographic perspective, young adults aged 20 to 29 remain the segment most open to AI-assisted shopping and intelligent payment experiences, while consumers aged 50 to 60 are primarily interested in AI-driven personalization and enhanced security features.
For merchants, AI-powered commerce could help simplify the customer journey, reduce friction at checkout, and ultimately improve conversion rates and customer trust.
The survey was conducted by Reveal Marketing Research on behalf of PayU Romania in April 2026 on a representative sample of 1,005 Romanian online shoppers who shop online at least once every two to three months.