What is a network token?

A substitute for a card number, issued through the card network, that stands in for the real card in a payment and stays linked to the underlying account.

How does it work?

The token replaces the sensitive card details, so the agent never handles the real card number. The payment still runs on the customer’s own card, with its rewards and controls. The other common approach for agents is a one-time virtual card number: a separate card created for one approved amount. On Mastercard’s October 29, 2026 earnings call, CEO Michael Miebach called the virtual card approach “a bridge” while processors get ready for transactions that are tokenized all the way through. He said it is “not a long-term solution that we will support.”

Why does it matter in finance ops?

The credential is how a payment agent’s authority gets narrow. The portal essay, Can an AI Agent Pay a Supplier Invoice Through a Portal?, names three conditions. One of them is a credential that works for one payment only.

In the Visa, BILL and Billtrust pilot, the agent pays with a tokenized card credential tied to the buyer’s approved payment instruction. Nobody shares a portal login. Ask a vendor how long the token lives and whether it can be used twice. Also ask what it shows on the statement so the payment can be coded.

Agents Can Pay. They Can’t Buy. adds a caution. Scoped, one-time credentials solve the security problem well, and they are becoming a commodity. They do not solve credit terms, which is where business buying is hard.

Where has it come up?

• An AI agent now pays supplier portal invoices without a shared login
• Visa and Revolut run France’s first live AI-initiated card payment
• Anthropic’s Claude Duet can send invoices and issue refunds for small businesses (purchases complete with a virtual card)

Which essays cover it?

• Can an AI Agent Pay a Supplier Invoice Through a Portal?
• Agents Can Pay. They Can't Buy. An MPP Update?

Which terms are related?

• agentic commerce
• Know Your Agent
• AP portal

@misc{couch2026whatisanetworktoken,
  author = {Couch, Chris},
  title = {What is a network token?},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Ends at Cash},
  url = {https://chriscouch.ai/what-is/network-token/}
}