Sierra and Stripe let AI phone agents take card payments mid-call
Sierra, the AI customer service startup led by Bret Taylor, announced a partnership with Stripe that lets its voice agents take card payments during a phone call, according to The Next Web and a Sierra blog post. When it is time to pay, the agent switches into a secure mode and the caller types card details on the keypad, which are routed to Stripe; the agent then confirms the transaction and continues the call. Sierra says the agent never sees card details, only payment status and the last four digits. Healthcare billing firm Cedar was an early user, and Sierra says 71.3% of calls in which patients start a payment with Cedar's agent Kora end in a successful payment — a vendor figure also repeated by The Next Web. Sierra is now listed in the Stripe App Marketplace, and the companies are also working on the Personal Agent Protocol open standard that Sierra and Meta announced, including how agents pay on someone's behalf.
Sierra says the integration removes the handoff to a separate system or payment link, letting a customer talk, pay and get a receipt on one call, and the Stripe App Marketplace listing means other Stripe businesses can connect an agent without a one-off integration.
Payments are becoming increasingly important, as agents move from one-and-done support conversations to interactions that can drive revenue. Yet all too often at the moment of purchase, customers are transferred to another system or sent a payment link — bifurcating what should be a seamless process.
Our partnership with Stripe removes this friction so customers can have a conversation, pay, and get their receipt all on the same call.
Cedar shows how it works
Cedar was one of the first companies to take payments over the phone through Sierra’s integration with Stripe. Medical bills can be confusing and stressful to navigate. One visit can produce separate charges or insurance adjustments that are hard to follow. Cedar helps health systems and physician groups make billing and payments easier for patients.
Now patients who call about a bill can get their questions answered and pay in the same conversation. When it’s time to pay, the agent moves into a secure payment mode. The customer then enters their card details on the keypad, which are routed to Stripe to process the payment. Once it’s gone through, the agent comes back on the line to confirm the transaction and help with whatever the patient needs next.
#Sierra#Stripe#Cedar#Kora#Personal Agent Protocol#Meta#Instinct#Bret Taylor