The PYMNTS Intelligence report “Global Digital Shopping Index: Merchant Edition,” commissioned by Visa Acceptance Solutions, revealed that merchant-owned apps outperformed merchant websites on 11 of the 14 checkout capabilities measured. That makes merchant apps a logical proving ground for the infrastructure merchants may eventually need to serve both human shoppers and AI agents. Apps also led websites in one-click checkout and stored credentials, although by smaller margins of 3 percentage points each. The strength of merchant apps also exposes how uneven commerce infrastructure remains. For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily AI Newsletter.