nvm:card-delegation scheme — your endpoint code doesn’t change.
Featured provider
Exa is the live reference. Agents pay Exa $7 via a Nevermined-delegated card and receive an Exa API key with $7 of credits. When the key runs out, the agent tops up through the same endpoint. Same key, more credits, no human touched it.- Exa integration mirror: exa.ai/docs/integrations/nevermined.md
What you build, in five steps
Create a pay-as-you-go plan
On the Nevermined App, choose pay-as-you-go pricing (one charge per purchase) and set your price (e.g. $7). That’s it: the App doesn’t ask about credits on PAYG, and one call to your purchase endpoint = one card charge of your plan price. See Manage Plans.
Expose one endpoint
Accept a
payment-signature header on a new route or an existing one. Existing customers keep their flow unchanged.Verify with the facilitator
Call
payments.facilitator.verifyPermissions(...). Missing or invalid token returns 402 Payment Required with the payment requirements body.Run your business logic
Provision an API key, top up credits, unlock a resource, whatever your product is.
Server-side handler
Your handler does three things: read thepayment-signature header, verify the token with the Nevermined facilitator, and settle after running your business logic. Examples below for TypeScript, Python, and raw HTTP.
- TypeScript
- Python
- HTTP (any language)
The handlers above set the
payment-required (on 402) and payment-response
(on 200) response headers per the
card-delegation spec §4.3. The optional
middleware below handles this for you automatically.Optional: middleware (recommended)
If you’re on Express or FastAPI, the SDK ships a payment middleware that handles the verify/settle dance and the spec-correct response headers for you. One config line gates your endpoint, your handler stays focused on business logic.- TypeScript (Express)
- Python (FastAPI)
payment-signature header, calls verifyPermissions, runs your handler, then calls settlePermissions and attaches the payment-response header before sending the response. See the Express and FastAPI integration pages for middleware options (dynamic credits, hooks, custom error handlers).
Two things to remember
402 on your regular endpoints. When the agent’s credits run dry, return
402 with a top-up hint on the resource endpoints (not just the purchase
endpoint). The agent loops back, mints a fresh token, and pays again on the
same purchase route.Vend-the-key vs full metering
Two patterns are supported. Pick whichever matches how you already meter usage.Vend-the-key
A Nevermined purchase returns a credential (e.g. an API key with $X of
credits). You meter ongoing usage internally with your existing
infrastructure. Exa works this way. Best when you already have per-key
billing.
Full metering
Nevermined settles each underlying API call. Best when you don’t have
internal billing infra or prefer per-request settlement. Use the
validate-requests and
charge-credits patterns directly
on your resource endpoints.
Make it agent-discoverable
Agents don’t read your HTML. They read yourllms.txt and the .md mirrors next to your docs pages. Whichever path you took above, you still need these published on your own domain so crawlers find them under your brand.
- Organization path
- DIY path
A Premium org auto-generates both files for you, served live from the Nevermined facilitator:Swap
api.live for api.sandbox for the sandbox environment. Copy the rendered output to your own domain at whatever path your llms.txt references — your-api.com/integrations/nevermined.md is the common convention (Exa uses /docs/integrations/nevermined.md under their docs subpath). The org endpoint gives you the canonical content; you pick the publication URL and the filename agents discover, as long as the llms.txt entry on your side matches. Updates are picked up on next render (5-minute cache).Agent-side call (for context)
What the agent runs to mint a token and call your endpoint:- TypeScript
- Python
FAQ
When do I get paid out?
When do I get paid out?
Settled funds are paid out via your connected payout provider on the
provider’s standard schedule: Stripe Connect for Stripe and Visa Trusted
Agent Protocol delegations (Visa settlement runs through Stripe Connect);
your Braintree OAuth merchant account for Braintree delegations.
Do my existing customers see any change?
Do my existing customers see any change?
No. Your existing API and billing surface stay as-is. Agent-payable signup
is a parallel path you opt into with a new endpoint.
Can I keep my current pricing model?
Can I keep my current pricing model?
Yes. Per-call, top-ups, and credit bundles map cleanly to Nevermined plans.
For subscriptions, talk to us, recurring billing is supported case-by-case.
What card rails are supported?
What card rails are supported?
Three rails today, all consumed through the same
nvm:card-delegation
x402 scheme:- Stripe — direct card enrollment and Stripe PaymentIntents settlement
- Braintree — Drop-in
enrollment and
transaction.salesettlement against OAuth-connected seller merchants - Visa Trusted Agent Protocol — Visa Agentic Token enrollment via VGS Credential Management Platform, per-delegation WebAuthn/passkey device binding, settlement through Stripe Connect
Is there a sandbox?
Is there a sandbox?
Yes, on the Stripe and Braintree rails. Integrate, run end-to-end test
transactions, and validate your handler before flipping to live. The Visa
Trusted Agent Protocol uses VGS sandbox with VTS-registered test PANs;
Visa delegations require a real device that can run a WebAuthn ceremony
(or fall back to the email OTP that VTS sends).
What languages and frameworks are supported?
What languages and frameworks are supported?
TypeScript and Python SDKs ship today, with framework helpers for
Express.js and
FastAPI. The facilitator API
is plain HTTP, so any language can call verify/settle directly. See the
Generic HTTP guide.
Do I need a Stripe account?
Do I need a Stripe account?
A Stripe Connect account is required for Stripe and Visa Trusted Agent
Protocol delegations (Visa settlement runs through Stripe Connect). For
Braintree delegations, you connect a Braintree OAuth merchant account
instead (see
Braintree onboarding).
Nevermined handles card acquisition and PCI scope on the buyer side; you
just bring your payout destination.
How are chargebacks and refunds handled?
How are chargebacks and refunds handled?
On Stripe destination charges, Nevermined is the merchant of record:
Stripe routes disputes and refunds through Nevermined, and we surface the
chargeback or charge reference so you can match it to specific agent
transactions.
Multi-currency?
Multi-currency?
Stripe Connect handles currency conversion to your destination account,
so non-USD payouts work for Stripe and Visa delegations. Braintree
requires the seller to have a child merchant account per accepted
currency. The Visa Trusted Agent Protocol currently supports
predominantly US-based issuers, with the eligibility list expanding
through the pilot.
Want a shortcut? Become a Nevermined Organization
A Premium Organization bundles the agent-discovery work above and adds tooling on top: an embeddable PCI-compliant card-capture widget for your domain, auto-generatedllms.txt and agentic-instructions.md rendered live from your plans, a customer list that auto-populates on agent purchases, webhooks, analytics, and multi-seat access. The DIY recipe above stays fully supported and is what powers Exa today; pick whichever fits your operational model. See Platform Partners (Organizations) for the org-specific guide.
Pricing
Three Nevermined Organization plans, picked at sign-up:| Plan | Cost | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | Free | Publish plans and agents on a single-seat account. No org features (no widgets, no auto-generated agent docs, no customer list). |
| Premium Organization ⭐ Recommended | $250 / month | All Premium features: widget card capture, auto-generated llms.txt / agentic-instructions.md, customer list, webhooks, analytics, 5 invitable seats. |
| Enterprise Organization | $500 / month | Premium + unlimited agents and plans. |
Pilot / whitelist / fee waiver. Talk to us before you ship if you’re a launch
partner, an early-stage API provider, or running a closed pilot. We can waive
or reduce Organization plan fees and settlement fees in select circumstances.
Email hello@nevermined.io or
contact us.
Related
- x402 Card Delegation Spec - full verify/settle protocol with JWT claims, error codes, and the four-phase flow
- x402 Facilitator: How it works
- end-to-end walk-through of the facilitator API
- Validate Requests and Charge Credits - copy-paste patterns for the verify and settle steps
- Manage Plans - set up a pay-as-you-go plan
- Nevermined Pay overview - how buyers enroll cards and create delegations
- API provider mirror template
- copy-paste skeleton for the
.mdyou publish on your own domain
- copy-paste skeleton for the
- Platform Partners (Organizations) - the recommended org path with widgets, customer list, and webhooks