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Agentic payments guides: sell to AI agents, let them buy, and prove it
These guides explain how AI agents find, buy and pay for APIs, data and services, and how every transaction can be proved. Start with what agentic payments are, then learn to sell to agents or let your own agent buy safely. Risk, security and compliance teams can go straight to the assurance guides on cryptographic proof, audit trails, controls, governance frameworks, liability and banking.
Start here
Explainer · 8 minWhat are agentic payments, and how do AI agents pay?Agentic payments let AI agents find, buy and pay for services inside limits you set. See how AI agents pay, the main protocols, and where cards fall short.Comparison · 10 minAgent payment protocols compared: x402, AP2, ACP, Visa, Mastercard and QatomAgent payment protocols compared: x402, AP2, ACP, Visa Intelligent Commerce and Mastercard Agent Pay side by side, with a guide to picking the right one.Explainer · 7 minThe state of x402 in 2026: real volume, security research and what it means for sellersx402 in 2026: what Visa, Artemis, TRM Labs and academic researchers found about real x402 volume and facilitator security, and how to sell to agents safely.Explainer · 8 minMicropayments for APIs and AI agents: how pay per request worksMicropayments for APIs let you charge per request, down to a fraction of a cent. See why card fees fail micropayments and which options work for AI agents.
For risk, security and compliance teams
OverviewProof and assurance for AI agent transactionsWhat the cryptographic proof shows, what it does not, and how it maps to the EU AI Act, NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001 and OSFI E-23.Explainer · 9 minCryptographic proof of payment: what it proves and how to verify itCryptographic proof of payment binds evidence to a transaction at settlement. See what it proves, what it does not, and how auditors verify it independently.Explainer · 9 minAI agent audit trail: logs, proof and what auditors can verifyAn AI agent audit trail must show what an agent did and under whose authority. See EU AI Act logging rules, where logs fall short, and what proof adds.How-to guide · 9 minAgentic payments risk controls: a practical control set for AI agentsAgentic payments risk controls for CISOs and risk teams: map each agent risk to a control and the evidence it leaves. Use the checklist before agents spend.Comparison · 9 minAI governance framework for AI agents: NIST AI RMF, ISO/IEC 42001, EU AI Act and OSFI E-23 mapped to evidenceAn AI governance framework for AI agents that pay: NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, EU AI Act and OSFI E-23 mapped to evidence and the controls you still own.Explainer · 9 minAI agent liability: who is liable when an AI agent makes a mistake, and what evidence holds upAI agent liability explained: California AB 316, the EU Product Liability Directive, Moffatt v. Air Canada, and the evidence that holds up in a dispute.Explainer · 9 minAgentic payments for banks: settlement, verifiable records and risk controlsAgentic payments for banks: what the BoE, IMF and OSFI E-23 raise, deployment options, reserves, supervisor record export, and the limits to plan around.
Sell to AI agents
How-to guide · 8 minHow to monetize an MCP server and charge per tool callHow to monetize an MCP server: MCP has no payment step, so list each tool as a paid catalog item agents can buy per call. See the steps, pricing and setup.How-to guide · 9 minHow to charge AI agents for API calls, one call at a timeCharge AI agents for API calls from 0.001 USD per request: secure the endpoint, define inputs, verify each sale and price by usage. See the full setup.How-to guide · 9 minHow to sell an API, dataset or service to AI assistantsSell an API to AI assistants: get found through MCP search, write listings agents choose, set a schema, test and announce. Step-by-step checklist inside.
Every step, in detail
The Capabilities Index covers all 106 steps.
For buyers in AI chat, sellers in the Qatom Dashboard and owners in the Qatom Console. Developers can go straight to the docs.