AI can automatically answer common questions, provide order information, recommend products and pass more complex requests on to customer support staff.
Today, artificial intelligence in e-commerce does more than recommend or compare products. It is also playing a growing role in customer service, where it helps answer questions, recommend suitable goods and prevent fraudulent transactions.
One of the most visible changes AI brings to e-commerce is the rapid growth of customer chatbots. Today they can handle a large share of the routine queries that a support agent would otherwise have to deal with. Within seconds, customers can find out information about product availability, delivery, returns or the current status of their order. Round-the-clock availability is another advantage, as a chatbot can respond in the evening, at weekends or when the customer helpline is closed.
AI assistants are becoming the standard in customer support, and as they improve, they can handle more complex queries by understanding the context of the conversation, so customers get their answers instantly.
“AI isn’t only there for customers. At Responso, we see it as just as valuable for the support team itself. It can detect sentiment and flag urgent cases or prepare draft replies in different languages. That way, the support team spends less time on routine work and more time on what matters most, which is taking care of customers”
Klaudia Gawlas, Head of International Department – Responso.
The next step is a shift from merely answering questions to actively helping with product selection. But this is not just about AI chats as we know them. It’s time to get familiar with the term “agentic shopping”. An AI shopping assistant can ask the customer about their preferences, budget or delivery date and then recommend specific options.
PayU is ready for agentic shopping. Together with our partners, this September we processed the first autonomous AI transaction, in which an AI agent independently ordered and paid for goods based on predefined criteria, without human intervention. The AI agent continuously monitored the availability of a selected cream in the Your KAYA online store. As soon as the requested variant came back in stock, it added it to the cart and completed the purchase on its own.
“Whenever a technology appears that makes shopping easier for our customers, we want to be among the first to try it. Together with Juo, BLIK and PayU, we were the first in Poland to open a new chapter: shopping experiences in which an AI assistant helps customers.”
Dawid Zimny, Head of Growth and E-commerce – Your KAYA.
Instead of browsing categories and setting filters, customers can simply describe what they are looking for and get a shortlist matching their needs within seconds. At the same time, AI tools can explain the differences between individual products, point out suitable alternatives and guide the customer all the way to a purchase decision. Looking ahead, however, we also need to bear in mind that recommendations may not always be entirely independent – as advertising formats develop directly within AI chatbots, paid messages may increasingly influence the results.
AI also plays a significant role in the area of online payment security. E-commerce now processes a huge number of transactions every day, and it is not possible to check each one manually. Automated AI systems can therefore evaluate individual payments in real time, look for unusual patterns and flag transactions that may show signs of fraud.
PayU uses continuous anti-fraud monitoring 24/7, in which individual transactions are evaluated using AI. The system monitors payments continuously in order to maintain maximum security, while not limiting your business with needlessly rejected payments.
“A machine learning model and configured rules support fraud detection, while the analytics module allows us to identify trends and risks in real time. All these components help us to constantly improve our security quickly and accurately.”
Adam W., Fraud Management Manager – PayU
Security is further complemented by, for example, the security protocol 3D Secure or tokenization of card data. PayU also holds PCI DSS Service Provider Level 1 certification, which simplifies merchants’ secure handling of sensitive customer card data.
The result is a balance between high security and a smooth payment process for the customer.
Artificial intelligence is changing the way online stores communicate with customers, how shopping itself works and how payments are secured. Chatbots speed up customer support, shopping assistants make it easier to choose products, and AI also helps support secure payments. For online stores, AI is an opportunity to offer customers a faster and smoother shopping experience.
AI can automatically answer common questions, provide order information, recommend products and pass more complex requests on to customer support staff.
An AI shopping assistant helps customers choose products based on their requirements, budget or intended use, and can compare individual options. Advanced shopping agents can finish online purchases autonomously by filling in customer address, preferred delivery time and complete the payment.
AI can evaluate transactions in real time, look for unusual payment patterns and detect potentially fraudulent payments without needlessly complicating the purchase for regular customers.
Online stores that actively work with AI can use it to their advantage, for example for subscriptions, recommendations of their own products, setting up watchdogs and payment processes. The sooner an online store securely deploys AI in its systems, the greater the lead over the competition it will gain.