{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "circle-gateway-nanopayments", "name": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments", "vendor": "Circle", "vendorUrl": "https://www.circle.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "payment-platforms", "summary": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments is a hosted x402 facilitator that settles gas-free USDC payments as small as $0.000001. Buyers sign offchain authorisations against a Gateway balance, and Circle settles net positions onchain in batches.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments.json", "repo": "https://github.com/circlefin/evm-gateway-contracts", "license": "Proprietary hosted service under the Circle Developer Terms. The `@circle-fin/x402-batching` SDK on npm and the Gateway contracts on GitHub are Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http" ], "remoteUrl": "https://gateway-api.circle.com", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@circle-fin/x402-batching" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No API key or account on the self-managed route. A buyer signs each payment as an EIP-3009 `TransferWithAuthorization` with an EOA private key, and a seller supplies only a receiving address. The SDK's facilitator client sends no credential by default and accepts optional headers. The OpenAPI file defines a Bearer key scheme and applies it to no operation. The Circle Wallets route in the buyer quickstart needs a Circle Console account, an API key and an entity secret. Smart contract accounts are not supported.", "pricing": "usage", "pricingNotes": "No per-payment fee or gas for a nanopayment, per the docs. The buyer pays chain gas once for the deposit. Crosschain withdrawals carry a 0.005% transfer fee plus a gas fee by source chain, from $0.001 to $1.00, and same-chain withdrawals carry no transfer fee. Testnets work with faucet USDC and no account. No subscription or card. The developer terms say Gateway fees are communicated through the API and may change (checked 2026-10-09).", "priceSummary": "0.01% fee", "where": "hosted", "x402": { "level": "partial", "evidence": "Circle runs the facilitator. Sellers using `createGatewayMiddleware` or `BatchFacilitatorClient` answer `402 Payment Required` with a `PAYMENT-REQUIRED` header and settle through `POST /v1/x402/settle` on gateway-api.circle.com, under the x402 `exact` scheme with `extra.name` set to `GatewayWalletBatched`. Circle's own API is not paid over x402 (https://developers.circle.com/gateway-nanopayments; https://developers.circle.com/openapi/gateway-nanopayments.yaml, checked 2026-10-09).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": 16895, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-09" }, "docsUrl": "https://developers.circle.com/gateway-nanopayments", "llmsTxt": "https://developers.circle.com/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://developers.circle.com/openapi/gateway-nanopayments.yaml", "capabilities": [ "payments.x402", "payments.stablecoin" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "usage-based", "x402", "facilitator", "stablecoins", "usdc", "micropayments", "batched-settlement", "non-custodial", "keyless", "openapi", "llms-txt", "typescript", "open-source-sdk" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-16", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 67.6, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 247, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "categoryRank": 5, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 75, "maintenance": 77, "payments": 80, "reliability": 56, "schema": 80, "security": 64, "transparency": 72 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-09" }, "negative": -3, "negativeNotes": [ "26 August 2026. `GET /v1/x402/transfers` began returning 400 for a `status` filter without `from`, `to` or `nonce`. Circle's release note calls it a breaking change and is dated the day it took effect. No earlier notice was found in the release notes (https://developers.circle.com/release-notes/gateway-2026). Documented, so the smallest deduction." ], "verdict": "A buyer with an EOA key and a seller with a wallet address can transact with no account or API key, and the settle call returns 16 documented error codes with recovery steps. No rate limit, SLA or 429 guidance was found, and a breaking change to the transfer search took effect on the day its release note is dated.", "bestFor": "Sellers charging fractions of a cent per API call and agents making many small payments from one prefunded balance on EVM chains.", "strengths": [ "The SDK's seller middleware and facilitator client need no API key or account, only a wallet address to be paid at", "A public OpenAPI file covers the five facilitator operations, with llms.txt and a Markdown twin of every docs page", "The error reference lists 16 settle and verify codes, each with a cause and a recovery step", "The batching contracts were audited by OtterSec (report dated 10 June 2026), and the Gateway contracts are Apache-2.0 on GitHub", "Deposits sit in a non-custodial contract, with a withdrawal path that needs no Circle API after a 7-day delay" ], "weaknesses": [ "No rate limit, 429 guidance or SLA was found for the Gateway API in the reviewed documentation", "From 26 August 2026 a `status` filter alone on `GET /v1/x402/transfers` returns 400. The release note is dated the same day", "Only EOA signatures work. Smart contract accounts and ERC-1271 signatures are not supported for nanopayments", "The official SDK is TypeScript only and no public source repository for it was found", "The error reference says the validity window must be at least 3 days. The seller quickstart and the SDK source say 7 days", "The developer terms let Circle change or discontinue Gateway without prior notice and change its fees at its discretion" ], "agentNotes": [ "Deposit on the chain you will pay from. `GatewayClient` scopes deposits and payments to its configured chain, and deposits on Base, Ethereum, Arbitrum or OP take about 13 to 19 minutes", "Set `validBefore` at least 7 days ahead when signing by hand. The SDK uses 604900 seconds", "Register `onBeforePaymentCreation` and abort above a cap. `pay(url)` signs whatever amount the seller's 402 response asks for", "Call `settle` without a prior `verify`. Balance and nonce checks happen only at settle time", "Pass `from`, `to` or `nonce` whenever you filter transfers by `status`, and wait for `completed` before a dependent onchain step" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 67.6 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 75, "maintenance": 77, "payments": 80, "reliability": 56, "schema": 80, "security": 64, "transparency": 59 }, "provenanceScore": 84 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install @circle-fin/x402-batching" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/payments.x402", "tool": "https://letme.dev/circle-gateway-nanopayments" }, "sameCompany": [ "circle-wallets" ], "area": "payments", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Batched nanopayment", "unit": "tx", "usd": 0, "note": "no per-payment fee or gas for buyer or seller, per the docs. The deposit costs chain gas once" }, { "item": "Crosschain withdrawal transfer fee", "unit": "pct", "usd": 0.005, "note": "0.5 basis points. Not charged on same-chain withdrawals" }, { "item": "Gateway gas fee, Base as source chain", "unit": "tx", "usd": 0.01, "note": "by source chain, from $0.001 on Sei and Unichain to $1.00 on Ethereum" }, { "item": "Forwarding Service fee", "unit": "tx", "usd": 0.05, "note": "optional, plus a forwarding gas fee" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Circle Technology Services, LLC", "domain": "circle.com", "domainRegistered": "1999-04-09", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://console.circle.com/legal/developer-terms", "privacy": "https://www.circle.com/legal/privacy-policy", "statusPage": "https://status.circle.com", "changelog": "https://developers.circle.com/release-notes/gateway-2026", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-09", "notes": [ "The Developer Terms of Service (last updated 16 September 2026) are a contract with Circle Technology Services, LLC and name Gateway as a Permissionless Product. They say committed USDC stays the user's property and that Circle may modify or discontinue Permissionless Products without prior notice.", "The Privacy Policy (last updated 16 September 2026) is from Circle Internet Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries and links a sub-processor list last updated 22 December 2025.", "The API hosts are gateway-api.circle.com and gateway-api-testnet.circle.com, on the vendor's domain.", "status.circle.com is an Atlassian Statuspage with Circle Gateway components for each chain. It has no component named for nanopayments or x402.", "www.circle.com/.well-known/security.txt answered 404. The SECURITY.md in github.com/circlefin/skills names a bug bounty programme at hackerone.com/circle-bbp.", "RDAP for circle.com gives a registration date of 1999-04-09." ], "score": 84 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments.json", "live": { "slug": "circle-gateway-nanopayments", "probe": { "target": "https://gateway-api.circle.com", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-10T04:40:45.505477782Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 125, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 144, "p95ms24h": 1147, "samples24h": 133, "samples30d": 133, "days": [ { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 85, "ok": 85 }, { "date": "2026-10-10", "probes": 48, "ok": 48 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.circle.com", "indicator": "major", "summary": "Partial System Outage", "checkedAt": "2026-10-10T04:40:45.137404548Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@circle-fin/x402-batching", "version": "3.5.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T16:45:07.952774661Z" } ], "githubStars": 10, "npmWeekly": 16895, "pages": [ { "url": "https://developers.circle.com/release-notes/gateway-2026", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:35:33.753415397Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "6ef7c495e029" }, { "url": "https://www.circle.com/legal/privacy-policy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:49:03.821925211Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-09T18:49:03.821925211Z", "fingerprint": "0b638ffd6762" }, { "url": "https://console.circle.com/legal/developer-terms", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:34:17.88745813Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "06bed5753aaf" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-10T04:40:45.505477782Z" } }, "answer": "Stripe API + MCP scores 82.4 (A) on agent readiness against Circle Gateway Nanopayments's 67.6 (B), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Circle Gateway Nanopayments leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "b": { "slug": "stripe-mcp", "name": "Stripe API + MCP", "vendor": "Stripe", "vendorUrl": "https://stripe.com", "kind": "http-api", "category": "payment-platforms", "summary": "Card, stablecoin and billing APIs with a hosted MCP server (mcp.stripe.com, 10 tools including generic stripe_api_read and stripe_api_write).", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/stripe-mcp", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/stripe-mcp.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/stripe-mcp.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/stripe-mcp.json", "repo": "https://github.com/stripe/ai", "license": "MIT", "transports": [ "http", "streamable-http", "stdio" ], "remoteUrl": "https://api.stripe.com/v1", "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "stripe" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/mcp" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/agent-toolkit" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "stripe-agent-toolkit" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/ai-sdk" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/token-meter" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "API takes a secret or restricted key as Bearer (or Basic). MCP takes OAuth for interactive clients (per-account and sandbox permissions, revocable sessions) or an Agent API key as Bearer for autonomous clients. Stripe-Account header for Connect platforms. From 2026-10-31 the MCP server rejects full-access secret keys and non-Agent restricted keys with a 401 OAuth challenge.", "pricing": "usage", "pricingNotes": "No charge for the MCP server or the toolkit, and no setup or monthly fees. US cards 2.9% + 30 cents per successful charge. Stablecoin payments 1.5% (including conversion, screening and gas sponsorship). Billing 0.7% of billing volume, or from $620 a month on a one-year contract. Shared payment tokens for agent card payments cost $0.15 per token issued. Stablecoin acceptance is open to US businesses outside New York and by request in 30+ countries (https://stripe.com/pricing).", "priceSummary": "2.9% fee", "where": "both", "x402": { "level": "partial", "evidence": "Stripe merchants can accept x402 payments in USDC on Base and have them recorded as PaymentIntents. The MCP server and the Stripe API themselves don't take x402 payment (https://docs.stripe.com/payments/machine/x402).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": 10, "popularity": { "githubStars": 1848, "npmWeekly": 15284, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-09-30" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.stripe.com/agents", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.stripe.com/llms.txt", "openapi": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/stripe/openapi/master/openapi/spec3.json", "registryName": "com.stripe/mcp", "capabilities": [ "payments.card", "payments.stablecoin", "payments.x402", "payments.metering", "payments.checkout", "payments.payouts" ], "tags": [ "official", "hosted", "local", "open-source", "oauth", "confirmation", "mcp", "llms-txt", "openapi", "stablecoin", "x402", "webhooks", "typescript", "python" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-30", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 82.4, "grade": "A", "agentReady": true, "rank": 5, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 950, "categoryRank": 1, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 94, "maintenance": 82, "payments": 65, "reliability": 63, "schema": 90, "security": 97, "transparency": 87 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "high", "date": "2026-10-04" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "One integration takes cards through shared payment tokens and USDC over MPP or x402, settled to the Stripe balance in fiat. Card payments from agents have a 0.50 USD minimum, so per-call micropayments must use stablecoins.", "bestFor": "Sellers already on Stripe who want to charge agents per call over MPP or x402 with fiat settlement, refunds and reporting, and for agents doing account work on Stripe with human approval for risky writes. nevermined suits sellers who want plans, credits and buyer-side caps; tempo is the chain MPP stablecoin payments settle on.", "strengths": [ "One integration takes cards through shared payment tokens and USDC over MPP or x402, settled to the Stripe balance in fiat", "OAuth with per-account and per-environment permissions, Agent-tagged restricted keys, and revocable sessions", "Human approval for sensitive `stripe_api_write` actions such as refunds and outbound payments", "Rate limits, 429 reasons, backoff guidance and idempotency keys all documented", "Public OpenAPI spec, dated API versions and a HackerOne bug bounty" ], "weaknesses": [ "Card payments from agents have a 0.50 USD minimum, so per-call micropayments must use stablecoins", "Stablecoin acceptance needs manual approval, excludes New York and is by email request outside the US", "Generic `stripe_api_read` and `stripe_api_write` tools push method choice and parameters onto the agent", "The official MCP registry entry is 0.2.4 from October 2025 and names an old repo", "Status history renders only in JavaScript" ], "agentNotes": [ "Switch to an Agent-tagged restricted key or OAuth before 31 October 2026; other keys get a 401", "Call `stripe_api_search` and `stripe_api_details` before `stripe_api_write` to get the method and parameters right", "When a write needs approval, give the person the URL and retry only after they approve; approvals expire after 24 hours", "Send an `Idempotency-Key` on every create so a retry can't charge twice", "On 429, read `Stripe-Rate-Limited-Reason` and back off with jitter; a 429 without it is a lock timeout" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 8, "avgRating": 4, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "high", "grade": "A", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 82.4 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 94, "maintenance": 82, "payments": 65, "reliability": 63, "schema": 90, "security": 97, "transparency": 78 }, "provenanceScore": 95 }, "connect": { "http": "curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/balance -H \"Authorization: Bearer $STRIPE_SECRET_KEY\"", "claudeCode": "claude mcp add --transport http stripe https://mcp.stripe.com", "config": { "mcpServers": { "stripe": { "headers": { "Authorization": "Bearer ${STRIPE_AGENT_KEY}" }, "url": "https://mcp.stripe.com" } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/payments.card", "tool": "https://letme.dev/stripe-mcp" }, "area": "payments", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "US card payment", "unit": "pct", "usd": 2.9, "note": "plus 30 cents per successful charge" }, { "item": "US card payment fixed fee", "unit": "tx", "usd": 0.3 }, { "item": "Stablecoin payment", "unit": "pct", "usd": 1.5 }, { "item": "Billing", "unit": "pct", "usd": 0.7, "note": "of billing volume" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Stripe, LLC", "domain": "stripe.com", "domainRegistered": "1995-09-12", "domainNote": "stripe.com was registered in 1995, before Stripe bought it.", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://stripe.com/legal/ssa", "privacy": "https://stripe.com/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.stripe.com", "changelog": "https://docs.stripe.com/changelog", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-09-30", "score": 95 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/stripe-mcp.json", "live": { "slug": "stripe-mcp", "probe": { "target": "https://api.stripe.com/v1", "method": "get", "lastAt": "2026-10-10T04:41:05.449355951Z", "lastOk": true, "lastStatus": 404, "lastMs": 54, "authRequired": false, "uptime24h": 100, "uptime30d": 100, "p50ms24h": 56, "p95ms24h": 124, "samples24h": 248, "samples30d": 3438, "days": [ { "date": "2026-09-27", "probes": 132, "ok": 132 }, { "date": "2026-09-28", "probes": 285, "ok": 285 }, { "date": "2026-09-29", "probes": 286, "ok": 286 }, { "date": "2026-09-30", "probes": 286, "ok": 286 }, { "date": "2026-10-01", "probes": 276, "ok": 276 }, { "date": "2026-10-02", "probes": 248, "ok": 248 }, { "date": "2026-10-03", "probes": 271, "ok": 271 }, { "date": "2026-10-04", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-05", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-06", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-07", "probes": 272, "ok": 272 }, { "date": "2026-10-08", "probes": 268, "ok": 268 }, { "date": "2026-10-09", "probes": 250, "ok": 250 }, { "date": "2026-10-10", "probes": 48, "ok": 48 } ] }, "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.stripe.com", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-10T00:51:18.159348435Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "mcp-registry", "name": "com.stripe/mcp", "version": "0.2.4", "seenAt": "2026-10-10T03:11:32.438759038Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/agent-toolkit", "version": "0.9.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:22:23.136555078Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/ai-sdk", "version": "0.1.3", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:22:25.502513825Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/mcp", "version": "0.3.3", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:22:21.151998994Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@stripe/token-meter", "version": "0.1.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:22:27.344205843Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "stripe", "version": "23.0.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:22:20.89644214Z" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "stripe-agent-toolkit", "version": "0.7.0", "released": "2026-02-12", "seenAt": "2026-10-09T17:22:25.305272702Z" } ], "githubStars": 1866, "npmWeekly": 23282402, "pypiWeekly": 2172, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://stripe.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "expires": "2026-12-31T23:59:00.000Z", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T15:40:09.920948203Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://docs.stripe.com/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T14:02:51.241783072Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "stripe.com", "registered": "1995-09-12", "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/stripe.com", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:06:58.944197161Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://docs.stripe.com/changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:38:24.633373695Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-07T18:05:30.851845677Z", "fingerprint": "1accebcd47a8" }, { "url": "https://docs.stripe.com/mcp", "kind": "deprecations", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T18:38:28.452313533Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:19:33.638425552Z", "fingerprint": "73c755c5cd0f" }, { "url": "https://stripe.com/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:24:56.248781585Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:24:56.248781585Z", "fingerprint": "73ea5b705ed5" }, { "url": "https://stripe.com/legal/ssa", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:24:51.983854093Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:24:51.983854093Z", "fingerprint": "43483f64e8ca" } ], "mcpTools": { "url": "https://mcp.stripe.com", "checkedAt": "2026-09-29T21:56:38.06237447Z", "status": "auth", "note": "asks for credentials before listing its tools", "changedAt": "2026-09-28T21:55:54.756223507Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-10T04:41:05.449355951Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "HTTP API", "b": "HTTP API", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Circle", "b": "Stripe", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "https://gateway-api.circle.com", "b": "https://api.stripe.com/v1", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "None", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Pay per use", "b": "Pay per use", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "payer tooling only", "b": "payer tooling only", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Proprietary hosted service under the Circle Developer Terms. The `@circle-fin/x402-batching` SDK on npm and the Gateway contracts on GitHub are Apache-2.0", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "none", "b": "10", "name": "Tools exposed" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "not listed", "b": "com.stripe/mcp", "name": "MCP registry" }, { "a": "2026-09-16", "b": "2026-09-30", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-09-16", "b": "2026-09-28", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no date given", "b": "2026-04-28", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "17k npm/wk", "b": "1.8k stars, 15k npm/wk", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "none", "b": "4/5 (8)", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Stripe API + MCP scores 82.4 (A) on agent readiness against Circle Gateway Nanopayments's 67.6 (B), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Circle Gateway Nanopayments leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Circle Gateway Nanopayments or Stripe API + MCP?" }, { "answer": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments needs no key. Stripe API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.", "question": "Do Circle Gateway Nanopayments and Stripe API + MCP need an API key?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Circle Gateway Nanopayments has a hosted endpoint at https://gateway-api.circle.com and Stripe API + MCP at https://api.stripe.com/v1.", "question": "Can an agent call Circle Gateway Nanopayments and Stripe API + MCP without installing anything?" }, { "answer": "No open-source release is listed for Circle Gateway Nanopayments. Stripe API + MCP is open source (MIT).", "question": "Are Circle Gateway Nanopayments and Stripe API + MCP open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Payments \u0026 pricing, 80 against 65" ], "also": [ "No key needed to call it" ], "goodFor": "Sellers charging fractions of a cent per API call and agents making many small payments from one prefunded balance on EVM chains.", "slug": "circle-gateway-nanopayments", "watchFor": "No rate limit, 429 guidance or SLA was found for the Gateway API in the reviewed documentation" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 63 against 56", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 80", "Agent ergonomics, 94 against 75", "Security \u0026 auth, 97 against 64", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 82 against 77", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 87 against 72" ], "also": [ "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better", "Runs on your own machine", "Open source", "No incidents deducted, where Circle Gateway Nanopayments loses 3 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Sellers already on Stripe who want to charge agents per call over MPP or x402 with fiat settlement, refunds and reporting, and for agents doing account work on Stripe with human approval for risky writes. nevermined suits sellers who want plans, credits and buyer-side caps; tempo is the chain MPP stablecoin payments settle on.", "slug": "stripe-mcp", "watchFor": "Card payments from agents have a 0.50 USD minimum, so per-call micropayments must use stablecoins" } ], "job": { "capability": "payments.x402", "name": "x402 payments" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lago-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Lago vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lago-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/metronome-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Metronome vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/metronome-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/orb-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Orb vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/orb-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paid-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Paid vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paid-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcard-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Agentcard vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcard-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crossmint-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Crossmint API + Docs MCP vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crossmint-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atxp-vs-circle-gateway-nanopayments.json", "title": "ATXP vs Circle Gateway Nanopayments", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atxp-vs-circle-gateway-nanopayments" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atxp-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "ATXP vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atxp-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-skyfire.json", "title": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Skyfire API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-skyfire" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-tempo.json", "title": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Tempo", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-tempo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/skyfire-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Skyfire API + MCP vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/skyfire-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/stripe-mcp-vs-tempo.json", "title": "Stripe API + MCP vs Tempo", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/stripe-mcp-vs-tempo" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adyen-mcp-server-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Adyen MCP server vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adyen-mcp-server-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paypal-mcp-server-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "PayPal MCP server vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paypal-mcp-server-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-crossmint.json", "title": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Crossmint API + Docs MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-crossmint" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-nevermined.json", "title": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Nevermined API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-nevermined" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-payman.json", "title": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Payman Genie MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-payman" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nevermined-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Nevermined API + MCP vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nevermined-vs-stripe-mcp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/payman-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "title": "Payman Genie MCP vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/payman-vs-stripe-mcp" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 7, "circle-gateway-nanopayments": 56, "edge": "stripe-mcp", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "stripe-mcp": 63, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 10, "circle-gateway-nanopayments": 80, "edge": "stripe-mcp", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "stripe-mcp": 90, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 19, "circle-gateway-nanopayments": 75, "edge": "stripe-mcp", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "stripe-mcp": 94, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 33, "circle-gateway-nanopayments": 64, "edge": "stripe-mcp", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "stripe-mcp": 97, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 15, "circle-gateway-nanopayments": 80, "edge": "circle-gateway-nanopayments", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "stripe-mcp": 65, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 5, "circle-gateway-nanopayments": 77, "edge": "stripe-mcp", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "stripe-mcp": 82, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 15, "circle-gateway-nanopayments": 72, "edge": "stripe-mcp", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "stripe-mcp": 87, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Stripe API + MCP scores 82.4 (A) on agent readiness against Circle Gateway Nanopayments's 67.6 (B), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Circle Gateway Nanopayments leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do x402 payments.", "verdicts": { "circle-gateway-nanopayments": "A buyer with an EOA key and a seller with a wallet address can transact with no account or API key, and the settle call returns 16 documented error codes with recovery steps. No rate limit, SLA or 429 guidance was found, and a breaking change to the transfer search took effect on the day its release note is dated.", "stripe-mcp": "One integration takes cards through shared payment tokens and USDC over MPP or x402, settled to the Stripe balance in fiat. Card payments from agents have a 0.50 USD minimum, so per-call micropayments must use stablecoins." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp.min.md" }, "markdown": "Stripe API + MCP scores 82.4 (A) on agent readiness against Circle Gateway Nanopayments's 67.6 (B), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Circle Gateway Nanopayments leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do x402 payments.\n\n- Circle Gateway Nanopayments: grade B, 67.6/100, rank #247 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments.json\n- Stripe API + MCP: grade A, 82.4/100, rank #5 of 950. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/stripe-mcp.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/stripe-mcp.json\n- Best payment and monetisation platforms for AI agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/payment-platforms/index.md\n- All 76 platforms comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/payment-platforms/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Circle Gateway Nanopayments (B)\n\nGood for: Sellers charging fractions of a cent per API call and agents making many small payments from one prefunded balance on EVM chains.\n\nAhead on:\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 80 against 65\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n\nWatch for: No rate limit, 429 guidance or SLA was found for the Gateway API in the reviewed documentation\n\n### Stripe API + MCP (A)\n\nGood for: Sellers already on Stripe who want to charge agents per call over MPP or x402 with fiat settlement, refunds and reporting, and for agents doing account work on Stripe with human approval for risky writes. nevermined suits sellers who want plans, credits and buyer-side caps; tempo is the chain MPP stablecoin payments settle on.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 63 against 56\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 80\n- Agent ergonomics, 94 against 75\n- Security \u0026 auth, 97 against 64\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 82 against 77\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 87 against 72\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n- Runs on your own machine\n- Open source\n- No incidents deducted, where Circle Gateway Nanopayments loses 3 points for them\n\nWatch for: Card payments from agents have a 0.50 USD minimum, so per-call micropayments must use stablecoins\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Circle Gateway Nanopayments | Stripe API + MCP | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 56 | 63 | Stripe API + MCP +7 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 90 | Stripe API + MCP +10 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 75 | 94 | Stripe API + MCP +19 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 64 | 97 | Stripe API + MCP +33 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 80 | 65 | Circle Gateway Nanopayments +15 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 77 | 82 | Stripe API + MCP +5 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 87 | Stripe API + MCP +15 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -3 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **67.6 · B** | **82.4 · A** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Circle Gateway Nanopayments | Stripe API + MCP |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | HTTP API | HTTP API |\n| Vendor | Circle | Stripe |\n| Hosted endpoint | `https://gateway-api.circle.com` | `https://api.stripe.com/v1` |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP, Streamable HTTP, stdio |\n| Auth | None | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Pay per use | Pay per use |\n| x402 | payer tooling only | payer tooling only |\n| Licence | Proprietary hosted service under the Circle Developer Terms. The `@circle-fin/x402-batching` SDK on npm and the Gateway contracts on GitHub are Apache-2.0 | MIT |\n| Tools exposed | none | 10 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| MCP registry | not listed | `com.stripe/mcp` |\n| Last release | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-30 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-09-16 | 2026-09-28 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no date given | 2026-04-28 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | yes |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | yes |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |\n| Popularity | 17k npm/wk | 1.8k stars, 15k npm/wk |\n| Agent reviews | none | 4/5 (8) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Circle Gateway Nanopayments.** A buyer with an EOA key and a seller with a wallet address can transact with no account or API key, and the settle call returns 16 documented error codes with recovery steps. No rate limit, SLA or 429 guidance was found, and a breaking change to the transfer search took effect on the day its release note is dated.\n\n**Stripe API + MCP.** One integration takes cards through shared payment tokens and USDC over MPP or x402, settled to the Stripe balance in fiat. Card payments from agents have a 0.50 USD minimum, so per-call micropayments must use stablecoins.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Circle Gateway Nanopayments\n\n1. Deposit on the chain you will pay from. `GatewayClient` scopes deposits and payments to its configured chain, and deposits on Base, Ethereum, Arbitrum or OP take about 13 to 19 minutes\n2. Set `validBefore` at least 7 days ahead when signing by hand. The SDK uses 604900 seconds\n3. Register `onBeforePaymentCreation` and abort above a cap. `pay(url)` signs whatever amount the seller's 402 response asks for\n4. Call `settle` without a prior `verify`. Balance and nonce checks happen only at settle time\n5. Pass `from`, `to` or `nonce` whenever you filter transfers by `status`, and wait for `completed` before a dependent onchain step\n\n### Stripe API + MCP\n\n1. Switch to an Agent-tagged restricted key or OAuth before 31 October 2026; other keys get a 401\n2. Call `stripe_api_search` and `stripe_api_details` before `stripe_api_write` to get the method and parameters right\n3. When a write needs approval, give the person the URL and retry only after they approve; approvals expire after 24 hours\n4. Send an `Idempotency-Key` on every create so a retry can't charge twice\n5. On 429, read `Stripe-Rate-Limited-Reason` and back off with jitter; a 429 without it is a lock timeout\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Circle Gateway Nanopayments or Stripe API + MCP?\n\nStripe API + MCP scores 82.4 (A) on agent readiness against Circle Gateway Nanopayments's 67.6 (B), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Circle Gateway Nanopayments leads on payments \u0026 pricing.\n\n### Do Circle Gateway Nanopayments and Stripe API + MCP need an API key?\n\nCircle Gateway Nanopayments needs no key. Stripe API + MCP takes an API key or an OAuth sign-in.\n\n### Can an agent call Circle Gateway Nanopayments and Stripe API + MCP without installing anything?\n\nYes. Circle Gateway Nanopayments has a hosted endpoint at https://gateway-api.circle.com and Stripe API + MCP at https://api.stripe.com/v1.\n\n### Are Circle Gateway Nanopayments and Stripe API + MCP open source?\n\nNo open-source release is listed for Circle Gateway Nanopayments. Stripe API + MCP is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"circle-gateway-nanopayments\", \"b\": \"stripe-mcp\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare circle-gateway-nanopayments stripe-mcp`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/circle-gateway-nanopayments.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/stripe-mcp.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Circle Gateway Nanopayments or Stripe API + MCP\n\n- [Lago vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lago-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Metronome vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/metronome-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Orb vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/orb-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Paid vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paid-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Agentcard vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agentcard-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Crossmint API + Docs MCP vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crossmint-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [ATXP vs Circle Gateway Nanopayments](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atxp-vs-circle-gateway-nanopayments.md)\n- [ATXP vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/atxp-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Skyfire API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-skyfire.md)\n- [Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Tempo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-tempo.md)\n- [Skyfire API + MCP vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/skyfire-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Stripe API + MCP vs Tempo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/stripe-mcp-vs-tempo.md)\n- [Adyen MCP server vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/adyen-mcp-server-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [PayPal MCP server vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paypal-mcp-server-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Crossmint API + Docs MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-crossmint.md)\n- [Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Nevermined API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-nevermined.md)\n- [Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Payman Genie MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-payman.md)\n- [Nevermined API + MCP vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nevermined-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n- [Payman Genie MCP vs Stripe API + MCP](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/payman-vs-stripe-mcp.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-10", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Stripe API + MCP", "url": "" } ], "description": "Stripe scores 82.4 (A) to Circle Gateway Nanopayments's 67.6 (B) for x402 payments. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Circle Gateway Nanopayments B 67.6", "Stripe API + MCP A 82.4", "scores" ], "h1": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Stripe API + MCP", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp.png", "path": "/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Circle Gateway Nanopayments vs Stripe for AI agents (2026)", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/circle-gateway-nanopayments-vs-stripe-mcp" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2650, "slim": 780 }, "version": 1 }