Green Sheet interviews Kurv's Afshin Yazdian

As AI-powered tools increasingly shape how shoppers discover, compare and decide what to buy, retailers are facing a rapidly compressed path to purchase. In this Q&A, Afshin Yazdian, chief executive officer of Kurv, shares his perspective on how AI-driven discovery, frictionless checkout, and evolving payment expectations are redefining visibility, trust and competitiveness. Yazdian discusses where merchants are most at risk of falling out of the consideration set and what practical steps retailers and payments providers can take to stay relevant.

The Green Sheet: How is widespread use of AI for price comparison, recommendations and faster browsing reshaping the customer path to purchase, and where are retailers most at risk of losing visibility?

Afshin Yazdian: AI is compressing the path to purchase. Shoppers are moving from discovery to decision faster, often before they ever land directly on a retailer's site. The biggest risk for retailers is losing visibility at the comparison and recommendation stage, where AI tools decide which brands surface first.

If ease of checkout or availability is unclear or inconsistent, AI-driven tools may skip them. Retailers that simplify these processes are more likely to stay in the consideration set.

GS: With nearly one in four consumers avoiding stores without tap-to-pay, what does frictionless checkout signal about brand trust and competitiveness today?

AY: Frictionless checkout has become a proxy for brand credibility. When consumers see tap-to-pay, they associate it with modern security standards, speed and customer respect. Conversely, the absence of contactless options can create doubt about whether a brand is keeping up or prioritizing the customer experience.

In today's environment, seamless checkout isn't a "nice-to-have." It's table stakes for trust and competitiveness.

GS: Speed, rewards and security now drive payment choice. How should merchants prioritize these factors without adding complexity or friction at checkout?

AY: Speed and security should be treated as non-negotiables, and rewards should be layered in a way that feels natural. The best experiences make the secure option the fastest option, without forcing customers to think about it.

Rewards shouldn't slow the transaction or require extra steps. Reinforcing loyalty should remain the largest priority. Merchants won't need to over-engineer the experience if customers feel recognized at checkout. Simplicity wins.

As shoppers rely more on third-party AI tools to guide decisions, how can retailers ensure they remain visible and competitive in AI-driven discovery?

Retailers need to focus on consistency and clarity across the AI tools they depend upon. Checkout experiences should reflect trust and ease, and accurate pricing is crucial. AI favors businesses that reduce uncertainty for the consumer. Retailers that invest in clean data and clear customer value will naturally perform better in AI-driven discovery, even without trying to "game" the system.

GS: Consumers are cautious but still spending. What checkout, loyalty, or payment strategies best resonate with value-conscious shoppers right now?

AY: Value-conscious shoppers respond to predictability while maintaining control. Fast checkout and flexible payment options will limit their anxiety at the moment of purchase. Loyalty programs buried behind complexity don't work for either side.

When rewards are easy to understand and redeem, shoppers feel they're making a smart and low-risk decision despite a tight budget.

GS: From your perspective, what concrete steps should payments companies take to help merchants meet rising expectations around speed, contactless payments, and AI-influenced shopping journeys?

AY: Payment companies need to remove barriers, starting with making contactless and mobile payments easy to apply without heavy hardware or operational lift. They should also provide merchants with more precise data to understand customer behavior and identify risks early, especially as AI-driven fraud continues to evolve.

The goal here should be to help merchants move faster and stay visible while protecting trust, without forcing them to become payments experts themselves.

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