Zamp

# Fix list: Zamp

From Anchor Terminal's listing at https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/zamp, the October 2026 research run, assessed 8 October 2026. Grade D, 49.5 out of 100.

This is everything the published grade says the listing lacks, the biggest possible gain to the total first. It comes from the reason given for each score, the checklist each category was scored against (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist), the provenance checks, the deductions, what we couldn't check and what the review panel asked for. A fix counts at the next check, once it's public.

For a coding agent working on Zamp: work through the items below in the product, its docs and its public pages. Each category gives the reason for its score, with the points each checklist item earned, and the checklist itself, so the gap is the items that earned less than their points. Change the product, not the wording, and keep a note of what you changed and where it's published.

## 1. Security & auth, 40 out of 100, up to 10.5 more on the total

Why it scored 40: One Bearer API key per account or integration, emailed for the sandbox and copied from the Integrations page for production. The docs say to rotate or reset an exposed key without describing how, and no scopes or expiry were found (17). No read-only key or approval step found. `DELETE /transactions/:id` deletes permanently, though updates and deletes are refused for closed filing periods, and the API can't start registrations or file returns (5). Responses hold the caller's own transaction data and Zamp's tax codes, with no injection guidance found (8). The API product page says customers can "access detailed logs, transaction histories, and calculation outputs". No description of an audit log of key use was found (5). A trust centre exists at trust.zamp.com but is drawn by script and we couldn't read it. The site footer reads "Compliance in progress for AICPA SOC2". No security.txt, disclosure policy or bug bounty found (5).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-security):

- 0 to 30, the credential model. 30 for OAuth 2.1 with scopes, or scoped and revocable keys with rotation. 20 for plain revocable API keys. 10 for one all-powerful key. 10 off when a secret can travel in a URL query string as a documented option.
- 0 to 20, read-only or least-privilege modes, and confirmation or approval for destructive actions.
- 0 to 15, prompt-injection posture where the tool returns untrusted content (documented mitigations or guidance). A tool that returns no untrusted content gets 10.
- 0 to 15, audit logs or per-call visibility for the operator.
- 0 to 20, a security programme. security.txt or a disclosure policy, a bug bounty, SOC 2 or ISO 27001, advisories handled in public.

Models are read for retention, whether API data trains models (and whether that's off by default), zero-retention options and certifications. Frameworks for telemetry defaults, approval hooks, guardrails and sandboxing.

## 2. Payments & pricing, 20 out of 100, up to 10 more on the total

Why it scored 20: No x402, MPP or L402 (0). No price is published. The pricing page names Free, U.S. and U.S. + Canada plans, and the paid plans read "Contact sales" (0). A free 30-day sandbox key with no card, per the trial page (20). The key is emailed after a web form that asks for a business email, and a production account goes through a demo and an Order Form (0).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-payments):

The published rubric, also on the [x402 page](https://www.anchorterminal.com/x402/).

- 40, a machine payment protocol (x402, MPP or L402) on the tool's own endpoints. 10 to 30 when it covers only some endpoints or only goes through a third party, and the note says which.
- 20, per-call or per-unit pricing published without a login. 10 for public plan-only pricing, 0 for "contact sales" or prices behind a login.
- 20, a free tier or trial that doesn't need a card.
- 20, autonomous onboarding, meaning an agent can get access without a person signing up in a browser (keyless use, x402, a programmatic key API).

Payment platforms and agent wallets rarely charge for their own API over a machine protocol, so the first line has steps for them, and the highest one that applies counts. 40 when x402, MPP or L402 runs on all their own endpoints, 30 when it runs on part of their own API, 25 when their merchants can accept one, 20 for running a facilitator, 15 for paying as a buyer, and 0 when the only protocol is their own. Merchant acceptance sits above a facilitator because the platform's own customers can charge agents through it, while a facilitator settles for sellers who wire up the protocol themselves. The counter-argument (a facilitator does more for the protocol as a whole) has a point. Each note says which step applied.

Open-source software you run yourself is scored on its hosted or paid option if it has one. A free, self-hosted package with nothing to buy gets 20, 20 and 20 for the last three lines, and 0 to 40 for the first only if it ships a payment protocol.

## 3. Schema & documentation, 44 out of 100, up to 9.1 more on the total

Why it scored 44: No machine-readable contract for the API. The one OpenAPI file on the docs host, `api-reference/openapi.json`, is the documentation platform's plant store sample (0). `llms.txt`, `llms-full.txt` and a Markdown copy of every page at the page address plus `.md` (10). Guides say when to calculate and when to post, the refund guide shows invalid and correct requests side by side, and the FAQ states what the API can't do (14). Parameters are listed with types, required flags, length limits and enumerated values for `entity`, `purpose`, `marketplace` and filing frequency. There is no schema, `isResale` appears in examples but not in the property list, and the update call is listed as `PUT /transactions` while its example uses `/transactions/123` (8). cURL, Node.js and Python examples in the quickstart, full response examples, and an error table of 14 codes with two example bodies (12). No version in the path and no API changelog found. `subtotal` is marked deprecated with no date (0).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-schema):

APIs and MCP servers.

- 25, a machine-readable contract (a public OpenAPI file or similar; for MCP, typed JSON Schema inputs on every tool).
- 10, llms.txt or Markdown docs served for agents.
- 0 to 20, descriptions that say what a tool is for, when to use it and when not to, read from the tool definitions in the source or the API reference.
- 0 to 15, typed inputs with enums, constraints and required fields, and no free-form JSON blobs.
- 0 to 15, examples and documented error responses.
- 15, versioning and a public changelog.

Models are read from the API reference, the OpenAPI file, llms.txt, the structured-output and tool-use docs and the model cards. Frameworks from docs a model can follow, typed interfaces, examples and the API reference.

## 4. Agent ergonomics, 64 out of 100, up to 5.9 more on the total

Why it scored 64: List endpoints take `limit` from 1 to 100, default 10, with no field selection. A calculation returns one entry per jurisdiction for each line item and a second where shipping is taxed, and `GET /tax-codes` returns every code in one response (12). Cursor paging on lists, with filters by transaction date on `/transactions` and by state, due date and completion on `/filings` (17). Errors carry a named code and message, and validation errors add an `issues` array with the path of each field. No recovery advice per code (16). The caller sets the transaction id, a duplicate create returns 409, `PUT` replaces by id and `/calculations` saves nothing, so retries are safe. No idempotency keys (12). Few required fields, a default tax code of `R_TPP` and a default country of US. No official SDK found (7).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-ergonomics):

- 0 to 25, context cost. For MCP, the number and size of the tool definitions (25 for ten or fewer compact tools, 15 for 11 to 30, 5 for more than 30, plus up to 10 back for toolsets, dynamic loading or read-only subsets). For APIs, whether responses can be sized (field selection, limits, summaries).
- 20, pagination, filtering and output-size controls.
- 20, actionable, documented error responses, codes and messages an agent can recover from.
- 20, idempotency or safe retries, and for MCP the `readOnlyHint` and `destructiveHint` annotations.
- 15, sensible defaults, few required parameters, and official SDKs in at least two languages.

Models are read for tool use, structured output, prompt caching, context length, batch and SDKs. Frameworks for how much code and how many defaults a tool-calling agent with MCP needs.

## 5. Reliability, 72 out of 100, up to 5.6 more on the total

Why it scored 72: Graded on the public REST API at api.zamp.com with the hosted lines. Statuspage at zamp.statuspage.io, reached from status.zamp.com, with four components (Calculations API, Transactions API, Zamp API, Zamp Dashboard) (20). The incident feed is empty and the page record was last changed on 29 June 2024. A clean record earns 30, and we took 10 off because no entry of any kind has been posted in over two years, so a monitored page can't be told from an unused one (20). The FAQ gives a limit of 1,000 requests a minute (15). 429 is documented with the code `TOO_MANY_REQUESTS`, and a live response carried `x-zamp-rate-limit-remaining` and `x-zamp-rate-limit-reset`. No Retry-After, backoff guidance or idempotency keys were found. A repeated `POST /transactions` with the same id returns 409 (7). No SLA found. The Accuracy Guarantee in the terms covers penalties and interest, not availability (0). No beta or preview label on the API (10).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-reliability):

Hosted APIs, MCP servers, models and platforms.

- 20, a public status page with component history (Statuspage, Instatus, BetterStack or the vendor's own).
- 0 to 30, the incident record for the last 90 days on that page. 30 for a clean record or trivial incidents only, 20 for minor incidents only, 10 for one major outage (an hour or more of a core API down, or errors across the board), 0 for several. 5 when there's no history we could read, and the note says so.
- 15, rate limits documented with numbers.
- 15, documented 429 or overload handling (Retry-After, backoff guidance), and idempotency keys or safe-retry guidance where writes are involved.
- 10, an SLA published for any paid tier.
- 10, the surface agents use is generally available, not beta or preview.

Local packages, SDKs, frameworks and stdio MCP servers.

- 20, installs from an official package with supported runtimes stated.
- 25, a public CI and test suite, passing on the default branch.
- 0 to 25, open crash or regression issues relative to activity (25 for few and handled, 0 for many, old and unanswered).
- 15, semver discipline and breaking changes called out in a changelog.
- 15, version 1.0 or later, or declared stable.

Protocols are read from their reference implementations, the public facilitators or servers, spec stability and test vectors.

## 6. Maintenance & community, 42 out of 100, up to 5.1 more on the total

Why it scored 42: Closed service with no API changelog. The newest dated entry in the docs is the QuickBooks connector's release notes of 31 August 2026, 38 days before the check (20). Three dated entries in the last 90 days, QuickBooks on 30 July and 31 August and WooCommerce plugin 3.4.0 on 4 August 2026. All three are connectors, not the API, so we scored this in part (12). No public changelog for the API. Support by email and telephone (5). No official SDK on npm, PyPI or GitHub, and no entry in the official MCP registry (0). The Adobe Commerce extension on GitHub is at 1.0.13 with a last commit on 22 April 2026 that added a CI check (5).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-maintenance):

- 0 to 30, time since the last release, or the last published model or API change for a closed service. 30 within 30 days, 20 within 90, 10 within 180, 0 older.
- 20, at least three releases or dated changelog entries in the last 90 days.
- 0 to 25, responsiveness. Issues and pull requests answered on GitHub (the open issues and how recent the replies are). For closed services, a public changelog and a support or community channel that answers, 0 to 15.
- 15, presence in the official MCP registry under a verified namespace (MCP servers), or current official SDKs (APIs and models).
- 10, package health, current dependencies and CI.

Models are read for deprecation notice periods and model churn rather than release counts.

## 7. Transparency & trust, 50 out of 100, up to 4.4 more on the total

Made of editorial 27, provenance 73.

Why it scored 50: Closed service. The Standard Terms and Conditions are public, cover the API in section 2.2 and are governed by Delaware law. They carry no date and name the company only as ZAMP (13). The terms give 30 days to retrieve Customer Data after termination and let Zamp use data derived from Customer Data to improve its services. The privacy policy, last updated 11 February 2025, gives no retention periods and says Zamp does not support calculations outside the US, which disagrees with the countries guide. The Data Processing Agreement the terms refer to isn't linked (10). No deprecation policy found. The terms let Zamp discontinue the service in whole or in part at any time (2). No subprocessor list or data location found on the pages we could read (2).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-transparency):

- 0 to 30, source availability and licence clarity. 30 for open source under an OSI licence, 15 for closed with clear terms, 0 for unclear terms.
- 0 to 30, data handling and retention statements that agree with each other (privacy policy, DPA, retention periods, subprocessors).
- 0 to 20, a deprecation policy or notices with dates.
- 0 to 20, telemetry disclosed with an opt-out (local software), or subprocessors and data locations disclosed (hosted).

The other half of Transparency and trust is the provenance score, computed from checked facts (below). The category score is the mean of the two.

Provenance checks not met in full (half of this category, computed from checked facts):

- Terms of service: read, states 4 of the 7 things a reader expects, and has 2 clauses that cost points (3.4 of 10)
- Changelog: not found (0 of 10)
- security.txt: not found (0 of 10)

## What we couldn't check

What we couldn't read counted as absent. Publishing it on a page a plain HTTP fetch can read (not only in a browser) lets the next check count it.

- unchecked: the trust centre at trust.zamp.com, which is drawn by script. Certifications, subprocessors and data locations listed there were not read
- unchecked: the Accuracy Guarantee the terms refer to. No link to it was found on the pages we read
- unchecked: the certification spreadsheet and the connector release notes held in Google Docs
- Whether SOC 2 is complete. The site footer says compliance is in progress and the developer docs say "SOC 2 controls"
- Which countries the API calculates for. The docs home says US and Canada, the countries guide adds the UK, Australia, New Zealand and the EU, and the privacy policy says the US only
- The legal entity. The footer says Zamp Inc., the terms say ZAMP, and the Companies API example shows Zamp Technologies, Inc.
- How a key is rotated or revoked, and whether an account can hold several keys. The docs say to rotate or reset a key without giving steps
- Whether the `x-zamp-rate-limit-reset` header is supported. It was seen on a live 401 response and is not documented
- lastRelease is the date of the newest connector release note (QuickBooks, 31 August 2026), since Zamp publishes no API changelog
- The lead's coverage claim of 12,000+ US jurisdictions and Canada matches the docs home and is Zamp's own statement

## Weaknesses

- No OpenAPI file for the API. The one file on the docs host is the documentation platform's plant store sample
- No price is published. The U.S. and U.S. + Canada plans read "Contact sales", and production keys come with a Zamp account
- No API changelog, version in the path, deprecation policy or official SDK found in the reviewed documentation
- API keys have no scopes or read-only mode in the reviewed documentation, and `DELETE /transactions/:id` deletes permanently
- No security.txt or disclosure policy found, and the site footer says SOC 2 compliance is in progress
- No webhooks, and registrations can't be started or approved through the API

## What costs an agent a turn today

The notes we give agents before they call it. Each one is a workaround an agent shouldn't need.

- Call `POST /calculations` for a quote and `POST /transactions` only when the sale is final. Put the returned `taxDue` in `taxCollected` when posting
- Keep transaction and line item ids to 25 characters. A repeated `POST /transactions` with an existing id returns 409 `CONFLICT`, so a retry doesn't create a second record
- For a refund, post a new transaction with `parentId` set to the sale's id and a negative `quantity`. Never send a negative `amount` on a line item
- Send `shipToAddress.state` and `country` set to CA for Canadian orders. `POST /addresses` validates US addresses only
- Page lists with `limit` (1 to 100, default 10) and `cursor` until `nextCursor` is null. `GET /transactions` returns only transactions written with the same key
- Don't store sensitive or personal data in the sandbox. Trial data is deleted after 30 days and the trial terms forbid live customer data

## When it's done

Send what changed and where it's published as a dispute (https://www.anchorterminal.com/builders/#disputes, or `POST https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/contact` with `"kind": "dispute"`). Disputes are answered in public, and the listing is checked again by the same checklist. Paying for an audit or a listing claim changes nothing here.