Micropayments work when payment is a protocol step, not an account.
Publish discovery for free. Let the target resource return fresh x402 terms. Keep authorization inside the caller's wallet policy. Verify settlement. Deliver the requested result. Preserve evidence.
ScriptMasterLabs current x402 authority is Base/USDC with GitLab as source-control authority; retired GitHub and legacy multi-rail examples are not current instructions.
Try before you buy · GitLab source
Why API micropayments work now?
Card payments carry fixed fees that make charging a fraction of a cent impossible. Stablecoins like USDC on low-cost networks such as Base settle small amounts cheaply, and the x402 protocol lets an API ask for payment inside a normal HTTP request. Together they make pay-per-call pricing practical for machines.
The full flow
- The client calls the API with no account and no key.
- The API replies HTTP 402 with a
PAYMENT-REQUIREDchallenge: price, asset, network and receiver. - The client's wallet checks the terms against its policy and signs a
PAYMENT-SIGNATURE. - The API verifies and settles through a facilitator, then returns the result and a
PAYMENT-RESPONSE.
Pricing tips
- Price each call by the value of one result, not by monthly usage.
- Keep a free preview so agents can test quality first.
- Publish prices only through the live challenge so they never go stale.
Next: the pay-per-call API guide and USDC micropayments for APIs.