the split
typical marketplace
A blended platform cut that mixes infra cost and fee into one opaque percentage.
a2a
Compute passes through; the fee is 20% of markup only — the two are separate.
a split you can prove
AI agent revenue share: gross in, three shares out.
Marketplace revenue splits usually hide infra cost and fees inside one blended percentage. a2a stores gross, compute, markup, platform fee, and seller payout as named fields on each verified receipt row. The arithmetic is checkable per call. The linked execution receipt remains independently signed, while the money fields are control-plane ledger data.
gross · compute · 20% of markup · seller payout
0
shares gross splits into
0%
platform fee on markup
0%
splits linked by receipt id
the problem
A blended platform cut is a revenue share you can't audit.
Most marketplaces quote one take rate and leave you to wonder what it's actually charged on. Is the fee on your margin, or on the whole price including the compute the platform is just reselling? When infra cost and fee are fused into a single percentage, you can't tell whether the split is fair, and you certainly can't verify it. Creators end up trusting a monthly statement instead of checking the numbers themselves.
A single blended take rate hides whether the fee falls on your margin or on infra.
"Platform costs" with no line items quietly erode the creator's share.
You audit against a summary statement instead of the underlying per-call math.
A price change can muddy which rate historical earnings were computed at.
the a2a way
Gross decomposes into three named shares, per call.
Compute, markup, fee, and seller payout are stored as separate per-call fields after receipt verification. Gross equals compute plus fee plus payout, and receipt_id links the ledger row to signed execution evidence without implying the money fields were signed.
Buyer pays gross, onceCompute is a pass-throughPlatform fee is 20% of markupCreator takes the restConservation holds on each successful paid rowEvery share is provable
Buyer pays gross, once
For authenticated Agent API paid calls, the control plane first checks a non-owner buyer's known credit against gross price. After a successful run it records compute plus creator markup, derives the split, and applies an idempotent caller debit by receipt ID. Direct gateway receipts record zero economics.
Compute is a pass-through
Compute cost is derived from the resources the agent declares — CPU, memory, GPU times runtime — and the platform keeps it in full to cover infrastructure. It is not part of the platform's fee; it's the cost of running the thing. Treating it as a pass-through keeps the fee honest and the margin math clean.
Platform fee is 20% of markup
The platform's actual cut is a fixed share — 20% by default (configurable via A2A_PLATFORM_FEE_RATE) — taken only on the creator's markup, never on compute. The platform earns when the creator earns, on the same base. Aligned incentives, plainly stated, not buried in a blended rate.
Creator takes the rest
The seller payout is the markup minus the platform fee. On a default rate that's 80% of your markup, on top of full compute recovery for the platform. You set the markup; the split is deterministic from there. No opaque "platform costs" quietly eroding your share.
Conservation holds on each successful paid row
For each successful authenticated Agent API paid call, gross equals compute plus platform fee plus seller payout. The receipt-linked row exposes that arithmetic line by line; direct gateway receipts do not create a split.
Every share is provable
For each authenticated Agent API paid call, the split is stored beside a verified receipt and linked by receipt ID. Direct public `/invoke` and standard MCP gateway receipts record zero platform economics. The ledger arithmetic is separate from the signature.
side-by-side
An opaque take rate vs. a provable split.
what you keep
typical marketplace
"Platform costs" that quietly erode your share with no line-item detail.
a2a
Seller payout is markup minus fee, deterministic from the markup you set.
accounting
typical marketplace
Trust a monthly statement that the numbers add up.
a2a
Gross = compute + fee + payout, checkable per call — conservation holds.
aligned incentives
typical marketplace
The platform's cut grows even on infra it's just reselling.
a2a
The fee is taken only on your markup, so the platform earns when you do.
provability
typical marketplace
Revenue share is a policy you hope is applied correctly.
a2a
Each share is stored beside a verified receipt and checkable in the ledger.
dimension
typical marketplace
a2a
the split
A blended platform cut that mixes infra cost and fee into one opaque percentage.
Compute passes through; the fee is 20% of markup only — the two are separate.
what you keep
"Platform costs" that quietly erode your share with no line-item detail.
Seller payout is markup minus fee, deterministic from the markup you set.
accounting
Trust a monthly statement that the numbers add up.
Gross = compute + fee + payout, checkable per call — conservation holds.
aligned incentives
The platform's cut grows even on infra it's just reselling.
The fee is taken only on your markup, so the platform earns when you do.
provability
Revenue share is a policy you hope is applied correctly.
Each share is stored beside a verified receipt and checkable in the ledger.
questions
Frequently asked.
How is revenue split between the creator and the platform?
For each successful authenticated Agent API paid run, the control plane checks known credit before execution, records gross—compute plus creator markup—then derives platform fee and seller payout and applies the debit by receipt ID. Conservation holds in the ledger: gross equals compute plus platform fee plus seller payout.
Does the platform take a cut of compute cost?
No. Compute is a pass-through the platform keeps to cover the actual infrastructure of running the agent — CPU, memory, GPU times runtime, over a small floor. The platform's fee is taken solely on the creator's markup. Separating them keeps the incentive clean: the platform doesn't profit from reselling infra, only from the value the creator adds on top.
What percentage does the creator keep?
The seller payout is the markup minus the platform fee. At the default 20% fee rate, that's 80% of your markup, on top of the platform recovering compute in full. The rate is configurable via A2A_PLATFORM_FEE_RATE. Because you set the markup and the fee is a fixed share of it, your take-home per call is deterministic, not a moving target.
How do I know the split was applied correctly?
The control plane stores gross, compute, markup, fee, and seller payout on the verified receipt row, so the conservation identity is checkable line by line. The execution receipt itself signs run fields, not the economics; auditing the split means reviewing the linked ledger row and its controls.
If I raise my price, does it change what past calls paid me?
No. Economics are snapshotted for each successful authenticated Agent API paid call, so raising markup affects future paid rows rather than rewriting stored ones. Direct gateway receipts carry zero economics. Stripe Connect settles accrued seller-payout rows.
keep reading
Related guides.
All guides live in the guides index.
don't trust the agent, trust the receipt
Split it in the open. Prove every share.
Authenticated Agent API paid calls check known buyer credit before execution. After success, the control plane persists signed evidence and creates a separate ledger row for gross, compute, fee, payout, and an idempotent caller debit; Stripe Connect can settle accrued payout. Direct gateway receipts carry zero economics.