settlegrid
The settlement layer for AI agent payments. Per-call billing, 10 protocols, built-in discovery. Free forever.
Documentation
The Settlement Layer for AI Agent Payments
Monetize any AI tool with 2 lines of code. Per-call billing, 14 agent payment protocols brokered or tracked, built-in discovery.
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Quick Start
npm install @settlegrid/mcpimport { settlegrid } from '@settlegrid/mcp'
const sg = settlegrid.init({
toolSlug: 'my-tool',
pricing: { defaultCostCents: 5 },
})
const billedHandler = sg.wrap(myHandler)Every call validates the consumer's API key, checks their credit balance, executes your function, and meters usage — all with a single Redis balance check on the hot path.
Or scaffold a complete project instantly:
npx create-settlegrid-toolWhy SettleGrid?
| SettleGrid | Stripe Billing | Nevermined | Paid.ai | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol support | 14 tracked (9 brokered + 2 detection + 3 emerging) | REST only | x402 / DeFi | MCP only |
| Real-time metering | Redis hot path | Batch only | On-chain | Per-call |
| Built-in discovery | 8+ registries | None | None | None |
| Multi-hop settlement | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Agent identity (KYA) | Yes | No | No | No |
| Budget enforcement | Yes | No | No | No |
| Outcome-based billing | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Free tier (0% fees) | Yes | No | No | No |
| $1 minimum payout | Yes | No | No | No |
| Open-source SDK | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Fraud detection | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Discovery — Your Tools, Found Everywhere
SettleGrid doesn't just bill — it distributes. Every active tool is automatically discoverable across:
| Channel | How it works |
|---|---|
| **Showcase** | Consumers browse, search, and purchase credits |
| **Discovery API** | `GET /api/v1/discover` — programmatic search for directories & apps |
| **MCP Discovery Server** | AI agents find tools natively via MCP protocol |
| **HTTP MCP Endpoint** | Remote streamable HTTP transport for any MCP client |
| **Official MCP Registry** | The canonical MCP server registry |
| **Smithery** | 6,000+ MCP server directory |
| **Glama** | 14,000+ MCP server directory |
| **RSS Feed** | New tools syndicated automatically |
{
"mcpServers": {
"settlegrid-discovery": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["@settlegrid/discovery"]
}
}
}6 Pricing Models
| Model | Best for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Per-Invocation | Search, lookups, CRUD | 5¢/call |
| Per-Token | LLM wrappers, text processing | $0.001/1K tokens |
| Per-Byte | File conversion, data export | 1¢/MB |
| Per-Second | Video processing, ML inference | 2¢/second |
| Tiered | Multi-method tools | read 1¢, write 5¢ |
| Outcome-Based | Lead gen, data extraction | 25¢ on success |
Payment Protocol Coverage
The `@settlegrid/mcp` SDK adds native billing to any Model Context Protocol (MCP) tool server and provides a REST middleware for any HTTP service. On top of that, the hosted Smart Proxy at `settlegrid.ai/api/proxy/{slug}` brokers payments across agent payment protocols and tracks emerging specs as they mature.
9 brokered by the Smart Proxy (production or pending GA):
MCP · x402 (Coinbase) · Stripe MPP · AP2 (Google) · ACP (OpenAI) · UCP (Google/Shopify) · Visa TAP · Mastercard Verifiable Intent · Circle Nanopayments
2 detection-adapter-only:
L402 (Bitcoin Lightning) · KYAPay (Skyfire)
3 tracked as emerging:
ACTP (Alipay's Agentic Commerce Trust Protocol) · EMVCo agent payments · DRAIN (Bittensor Subnet 58)
Features
Billing & Metering
- A single Redis balance check on the hot path, on every call
- Budget enforcement — HTTP 402 when exceeded
- Auto-refill credits via Stripe
- Multi-hop settlement across agent chains — each hop settled as it completes
Security & Compliance
- Agent identity (KYA) with trust scoring
- Fraud detection (12 real-time signals)
- IP allowlisting (CIDR support)
- HMAC-SHA256 webhook signatures
- Audit logging with CSV export (SOC 2 ready)
- Sandbox/test mode
Developer Experience
- `sg.wrap()` — one function, any handler
- 6 pricing models configurable from dashboard
- 97 open-source templates with billing pre-wired
- CLI scaffolder: `npx create-settlegrid-tool`
- Discovery tab with badge generator, checklist, API URLs
- Consumer reviews with developer responses
- Quality gates + Verified badge for activated tools
- Proactive monitoring (onboarding drip, quality alerts, monthly summary)
Pricing
| Tier | Price | Ops/month | Take Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 forever | 25,000 | 0% |
| Starter | $9/mo | 100,000 | 5% |
| Growth | $29/mo | 500,000 | 5% |
| Scale | $79/mo | 2,000,000 | 5% |
$1 minimum payout — the lowest in the industry. Stripe Connect Express for instant payouts.
REST API Middleware
For non-MCP services (Express, Next.js, Hono, etc.):
import { settlegridMiddleware } from '@settlegrid/mcp'
const withBilling = settlegridMiddleware({
toolSlug: 'my-api',
costCents: 5,
})
export async function GET(request: Request) {
return withBilling(request, async () => {
return Response.json({ data: 'hello' })
})
}Project Structure
settlegrid/
├── apps/web/ # Next.js 15 platform (settlegrid.ai)
├── packages/mcp/ # @settlegrid/mcp SDK
├── packages/discovery-server/ # @settlegrid/discovery MCP server
├── packages/create-tool/ # npx create-settlegrid-tool CLI
├── open-source-servers/ # 1,017 indexed MCP servers
└── .mcp.json # MCP plugin config (Cursor, Claude)Links
| Website | settlegrid.ai |
|---|---|
| Documentation | settlegrid.ai/docs |
| Discovery Guide | settlegrid.ai/learn/discovery |
| Handbook | settlegrid.ai/learn/handbook |
| API Reference | settlegrid.ai/api/openapi.json |
| Discovery API | settlegrid.ai/api/v1/discover |
| RSS Feed | settlegrid.ai/api/feed |
| npm (SDK) | @settlegrid/mcp |
| npm (Discovery) | @settlegrid/discovery |
| MCP Registry | io.github.lexwhiting/settlegrid-discovery |
| Support | support@settlegrid.ai |
License
MIT © 2026 SettleGrid
Frequently asked questions
What is settlegrid?
settlegrid is The settlement layer for AI agent payments. Per-call billing, 10 protocols, built-in discovery. Free forever.
How do I install settlegrid?
Open the GitHub repository and follow its README. Most MCP servers are added to your client's MCP config, then called by your agent.
Is settlegrid open source?
Yes — it is hosted on GitHub at https://github.com/lexwhiting/settlegrid and has 1 stars.
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