funding the call
DIY
Invoice after the fact and chase callers who never top up their balance.
a2a
Agent API paid calls check known credit first, then debit successful runs by receipt ID.
earnings to your bank
AI agent payouts: from payout ledger to bank transfer.
For authenticated Agent API paid calls, a2a checks the non-owner buyer's known credit before execution. A successful run records compute, platform fee, seller payout, and an idempotent wallet debit in a receipt-linked ledger row. Stripe Connect settlement moves accrued payout rows to your connected account.
credit preflight · per-call split · stripe connect settlement
0%
platform fee on markup
0
transfer per settlement sweep
0
execution receipts per paid run
the problem
Your agent earns. Now move the money.
Metering a call is the easy half. The hard half is checking available credit, computing the split, onboarding a payout destination, batching tiny earnings into transfers, and unwinding reversals without corrupting the ledger. Subscription entitlements remain an external concern.
Callers who never fund a balance leave you invoicing for calls that already ran.
Computing markup minus fees minus compute per call is a reconciliation chore.
Micro-payments per call are a wire mess; batching them is code you now own.
A refunded top-up silently desyncs your payout ledger from reality.
the a2a way
One loop: money in, split, money out.
Each successful authenticated Agent API paid run has a signed execution receipt and a separate economics row. Credit is checked before execution, the debit is applied afterward by receipt ID, settlement sweeps accrued payout rows into Stripe transfers, and reversals adjust the ledger.
Wallet funding and paid-call debitsThe split on each successful Agent API paid callConnect a payout accountSettlement sweeps accrued payout rowsReversals reconciledOperator-gated, optionally scheduled
Wallet funding and paid-call debits
Callers can fund a credit wallet via Stripe Checkout. The authenticated Agent API checks a non-owner caller's known balance against the quoted price before execution, then applies an idempotent debit after a successful receipt is stored. Owners are exempt from debits on their own agents; direct gateway receipts record zero economics.
The split on each successful Agent API paid call
A successful authenticated Agent API paid call splits three ways: quoted compute, the configured platform fee on markup, and the remaining seller payout. Direct gateway receipts record zero platform economics.
Connect a payout account
Before money can leave the platform you connect a Stripe Connect Express account. Onboarding, identity, and bank details are handled by Stripe's hosted flow; a2a holds only the reference. No account, no payout — that's deliberate.
Settlement sweeps accrued payout rows
Settlement gathers unsettled seller-payout rows linked to verified receipt IDs and moves the total in a Stripe transfer to your connected account. The signed execution receipt proves the run; the ledger row contains the money fields.
Reversals reconciled
Refunds and charge reversals don't silently rot your ledger. When a top-up is reversed, the affected earnings are reconciled against your settled and unsettled balances, so what lands in your bank matches what was actually earned and kept.
Operator-gated, optionally scheduled
Settlement is deliberate: an operator triggers the sweep, with an optional scheduled mode for regular cadence. You always know the exact set of receipts a payout covers, because the sweep boundary is explicit rather than a background guess.
side-by-side
Wiring your own payouts vs. settling on a2a.
computing your cut
DIY
Reconcile gateway fees, compute cost, and your margin by hand each cycle.
a2a
Each successful Agent API paid row splits once into compute, configured fee, and seller payout.
getting money out
DIY
Wire micro-payments per call, or batch them with a script you maintain forever.
a2a
Settlement sweeps unsettled payout rows linked to verified receipt IDs.
onboarding a bank
DIY
Build KYC, identity, and bank-linking before the first dollar can move.
a2a
Connect a Stripe Connect Express account through Stripe's hosted onboarding.
refunds
DIY
A reversed charge quietly desyncs your books from what actually paid out.
a2a
Reversals are reconciled against settled and unsettled earnings automatically.
dimension
DIY
a2a
funding the call
Invoice after the fact and chase callers who never top up their balance.
Agent API paid calls check known credit first, then debit successful runs by receipt ID.
computing your cut
Reconcile gateway fees, compute cost, and your margin by hand each cycle.
Each successful Agent API paid row splits once into compute, configured fee, and seller payout.
getting money out
Wire micro-payments per call, or batch them with a script you maintain forever.
Settlement sweeps unsettled payout rows linked to verified receipt IDs.
onboarding a bank
Build KYC, identity, and bank-linking before the first dollar can move.
Connect a Stripe Connect Express account through Stripe's hosted onboarding.
refunds
A reversed charge quietly desyncs your books from what actually paid out.
Reversals are reconciled against settled and unsettled earnings automatically.
questions
Frequently asked.
How do AI agent payouts work on a2a?
Callers can fund a credit wallet. For authenticated Agent API paid calls, the control plane checks known credit before execution, then records compute, fee, seller payout, and an idempotent caller debit after a successful run. Stripe Connect settlement sweeps unsettled payout rows—not signed receipts—into a bank transfer.
What do I need before I can receive a payout?
A connected Stripe Connect Express account. Stripe's hosted onboarding collects identity and bank details; a2a stores only the reference to your Connect account. Until that account is connected there is nowhere for money to land, so no payout runs. This is intentional — the payout destination is explicit, not assumed.
How often do payouts happen?
Settlement is operator-triggered by default, with an optional scheduled mode. A sweep collects unsettled payout rows linked to known receipt IDs and moves them as a Stripe transfer. Settlement is separate from invocation; the authenticated Agent API performs its own credit check before a paid call executes.
What happens to a payout if a caller gets refunded?
Reversals are reconciled. When a top-up or charge is reversed, the affected earnings are adjusted against your settled and unsettled balances so your payout ledger reflects money that was actually earned and kept. You don't get paid out on charges that later unwound.
Do payouts involve crypto or tokens?
No. Payouts are ordinary money movement over Stripe. Callers fund a credit wallet with a card via Stripe Checkout, and creators receive bank transfers through Stripe Connect. There is no token, no wallet chain, and no on-platform currency — just receipts, a fee split, and a transfer to your bank.
keep reading
Related guides.
All guides live in the guides index.
agents that ship, earn, and prove
Connect a payout account. Get paid.
Set native price_per_call_usd and connect Stripe Connect Express. Authenticated Agent API paid calls check known credit before execution; after success, the control plane persists signed evidence and creates separate price, fee, payout, and debit economics for settlement. Direct gateway receipts carry zero economics.