There may well be a "Secret Sant-AI" behind your holiday presents this year, as a growing number of consumers turn to advanced technology to navigate the stresses of the festive season. New research published by Visa reveals that 41 percent of Americans would not tell someone if artificial intelligence played a role in choosing their gift, reflecting a broader trend of shoppers quietly handing over the tedious tasks of gift-hunting and deal-tracking to algorithms. Overall, more than half of U.S. adults—specifically 54 percent—have already utilized AI for at least one shopping-related task this season, marking a notable increase from the 47 percent who reported doing so last year.
These findings stem from Visa’s 2026 Holiday Spending Shift Survey, which polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults in late September. The research was commissioned through Morning Consult and paints a comprehensive picture of modern consumers juggling persistent cost pressures, rapidly evolving technology, and heightened concerns regarding fraud, all while attempting to check every single box on their holiday gift lists.
"Consumers are approaching the holidays with both value and security in mind," said Michael Brown, principal U.S. economist at Visa. "They’re looking for deals, experimenting with tools like AI, and changing how they shop in response to fraud concerns. It’s a consumer who is adapting as the shopping experience itself continues to change."
AI Becomes an Indispensable Holiday Helper
When it comes to integrating artificial intelligence into their seasonal routines, shoppers have shown the highest comfort levels with practical, time-consuming tasks. According to the survey, consumers are most likely to rely on AI for comparing prices, with 61 percent utilizing it for this purpose. Additionally, 59 percent use AI to check product availability, 57 percent lean on it to hunt down discounts and promotions, and 54 percent look to it for gift ideas. Furthermore, nearly a quarter of respondents noted that they feel significantly more comfortable using AI for their shopping needs than they did during the previous holiday season.
Demographics play a critical role in the adoption of these tools, with Gen Z leading the technological shift. More than eight out of ten young consumers express openness to AI assistance, and an impressive 73 percent are willing to let algorithms suggest gift ideas—a figure that sits 19 points higher than adults overall.
Despite this enthusiasm, a distinct gap remains between browsing and actually buying. While consumers are increasingly comfortable using AI assistants for discovery, research, and general decision-making, trusting an autonomous system to complete a financial transaction on their behalf remains a much larger leap. Only 23 percent of U.S. consumers currently trust generative AI to handle payment transactions on their behalf, according to data from the Visa Trust Index. Industry analysts note that this pattern is entirely familiar: transformative technology almost always arrives and gains widespread utility long before consumers fully trust the underlying transaction experience, echoing the historical anxieties that accompanied the initial shift of payments to the online space and, later, the migration of commerce to mobile devices.
What ultimately shifts the equation for hesitant consumers is the presence of familiar, trusted brands. The Visa Trust Index revealed that 61 percent of consumers trust Visa to secure an AI-powered payment. That confidence climbs even higher among specific segments, reaching 68 percent for individuals aged 18 to 34 and 71 percent among frequent AI users. As agentic commerce continues to grow and evolve, this institutional confidence may well prove to be the vital bridge that transforms AI from a mere shopping assistant into a trusted shopping agent.
Shoppers Stretch Budgets as Financial Pressures Persist
Cost-conscious shopping behaviors are showing no signs of fading away. The survey highlights that 84 percent of consumers have taken at least one deliberate action to manage higher everyday costs over the past year. The most common responses include actively hunting for discounts, cited by 47 percent of respondents, cutting back on discretionary spending, noted by 35 percent, and trading down to lower-cost brands, reported by 33 percent of shoppers.
These economic headwinds force consumers to balance their desire for meaningful celebrations with the practical reality of stretched household budgets, making efficiency tools and bargain-hunting strategies more critical than ever.
Experiences Top Wish Lists, While Physical Gifts Win Wallets
There is a fascinating disconnect between what Americans say they want and how they ultimately spend their money during the holidays. Aside from cash, when it comes to dream gifts, Americans overwhelmingly favor experiences. Travel leads the preference list at 60 percent, closely followed by live-event tickets at 55 percent, representing what people are most excited to either give or receive.
However, the reality of actual gift purchases tells a substantially different story. Only 15 percent of respondents are actively prioritizing experiences with their purchasing power, while 27 percent remain focused on traditional physical items. Once again, Gen Z comes closest to aligning their actual wallets with their expressed wishes, with 39 percent splitting their spending evenly between experiences and physical goods, compared to just 26 percent of all adults.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Fever Shapes Gift-Giving Trends
Cultural events and major global happenings are also leaving a distinct mark on holiday shopping lists this season. The upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 is driving significant interest, with nearly a third of Americans reporting that the tournament has boosted their enthusiasm for sports-related gifts. This sporting fever is particularly pronounced among households earning $100,000 or more, as well as adults under the age of 35, where the enthusiasm climbs to about half of all respondents.
Cross-Border Shopping Goes Mainstream
The digital economy has made international commerce easier than ever, and this holiday season, three in 10 Americans expect to buy at least one gift from an overseas seller. Among Gen Z consumers, that figure jumps to more than half, demonstrating a growing comfort with global marketplaces.
Intriguingly, the primary draw of cross-border shopping is not necessarily lower prices. Quality, cited by 32 percent of respondents, and uniqueness, noted by 31 percent, stand as the top reasons shoppers are looking beyond U.S. borders, outpacing the pursuit of better deals, which was cited by 25 percent.
Gen Z and Cross-Border Senders Warm to Stablecoins and Crypto
As international shopping expands, payment methods are evolving in tandem. While stablecoins remain a novel concept to many Americans, more than half—56 percent—can see their potential benefits, a sentiment shared by 77 percent of Gen Z. Furthermore, among Americans who regularly send money abroad, 51 percent state that after understanding the operational benefits, they are likely to utilize stablecoins within the coming year.
Cryptocurrency resonates similarly within these specific cohorts. Half of those who send money abroad—51 percent—call cryptocurrency a useful medium for cross-border transfers, compared to just 26 percent of adults overall. Additionally, Gen Z demonstrates a notably higher comfort level when shopping with retailers that accept crypto, standing at 34 percent compared to 25 percent for the general adult population.
Fraud Concerns Drive Meaningful Behavior Changes
The undeniable convenience of digital shopping continues to be tempered by growing unease surrounding scams, phishing attempts, and fraudulent activity. Nearly three in 10 shoppers reported that they were targeted by fraud during the previous holiday season, a troubling figure that climbs to 39 percent among younger Gen Z consumers.
In response to these persistent threats, three-quarters of Americans have actively altered their shopping habits. Common protective measures include enabling two-factor authentication, reported by 34 percent of respondents, changing online account passwords more frequently, also at 34 percent, declining to save payment details on merchant websites, noted by 25 percent, switching from debit cards to credit cards for added protection, cited by 24 percent, and utilizing digital wallets, favored by 21 percent.
"Consumers are navigating a lot this season, from higher costs and new technology to real concerns about fraud," Brown concluded. "But they’re adapting. They’re hunting for deals, shopping smarter, and staying alert. That resilience is the real story."
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