AI Agent Payments

Give Your AI Agents
the Ability to Pay

Other payment processors still redirect customers to browser forms. With Lightning, the entire payment flow stays in the conversation. One API call, one invoice string, done.

Get Your API Key View Developer Docs

Why AI Agents Can't Use Credit Cards

Every payment method was built for humans with browsers

Browser-Only Forms

Payment forms need a browser, JavaScript rendering, and 3D Secure popups. Agents don't have browsers.

PCI Compliance

Handling card numbers requires PCI DSS certification. No one wants an AI touching raw card data.

Human Verification

CAPTCHAs, SMS codes, biometric checks. Every step assumes a human is present.

Chargeback Liability

Who's liable when an AI initiates a payment that gets disputed? The legal framework doesn't exist.

Agents need a payment rail built for machines, not humans

Every traditional payment method assumes interactive browser sessions. Lightning doesn't.

How Lightning Fixes Agent Payments

One API call. One string. Done.

Pure JSON API

Create an order with one POST request. Get back a bolt11 invoice string. No HTML, no redirects, no browser.

Instant Settlement

Lightning payments confirm in seconds. Agent can verify payment and proceed immediately.

No Sensitive Data

No card numbers, no CVVs, no personal data. Invoices are safe for agents to handle and share.

Payment is Final

No chargebacks, no disputes. Once confirmed, the transaction is irreversible. Perfect for autonomous operations.

Three Steps. Zero Browsers.

Step 1

Agent Creates an Order

Your AI agent calls the SatsRail API (or uses the MCP tool) to create an order with an amount and description. SatsRail returns a Lightning invoice string.

POST /api/v1/m/orders
{ "order": { "total_amount_cents": 2500 },
  "generate_invoice": true }

Step 2

Customer Pays the Invoice

The agent presents the bolt11 string (or a QR code) to the customer. The customer pays with any Lightning wallet — Phoenix, Muun, Breez, Cash App, or dozens more.

Any Lightning wallet works

Step 3

Agent Confirms Payment

The agent calls the status endpoint (or receives a webhook). Payment confirmed in seconds. The agent proceeds with the next action.

GET /api/v1/m/invoices/{id}/status
→ { "status": "paid" }

Two Ways to Integrate

MCP Server

Recommended

Install the SatsRail MCP server and your AI agent gets payment tools natively. Works with Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and any MCP-compatible tool.

npx satsrail-mcp

12 payment tools built in
Zero configuration
Works with Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf
Full payment lifecycle management

View MCP Server on GitHub

REST API

Any agent that can make HTTP requests can use SatsRail directly. The entire flow is JSON in, JSON out. No MCP required.

curl -X POST /api/v1/m/orders \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_..." \
  -d '{"generate_invoice": true}'

Standard REST + JSON
Works with any language or framework
Webhook notifications
Full OpenAPI documentation

API Docs

What AI Agents Can Do With Payments

SaaS & API Billing

Agents that sell access to services and collect payment in the conversation. Charge per API call, per session, or per task — no checkout page needed.

Invoicing Bots

Agents on Slack, Discord, or Telegram that generate invoices, send them in-chat, and confirm payment — all without leaving the conversation.

Agent-Generated Invoicing

Agents that create fresh invoices when payment is due — weekly reports, milestone billing, or on-demand charges. Each invoice is a one-time Lightning payment.

Multi-Merchant Platforms

Build agent-powered marketplaces where AI handles the checkout flow across multiple merchants simultaneously.

Support Agents That Collect Payment

AI customer service agents that can resolve billing issues and collect payments in the same conversation.

Micropayment Services

Charge fractions of a dollar per request. Pay-per-message chatbots, metered compute, premium content — use cases impossible with card minimums.

See It in Action

User "Charge me $25 for the monthly subscription."

Agent calls create_order(amount_cents: 2500, generate_invoice: true)

Agent "Here's your Lightning invoice. Scan this QR code or copy the payment string:"

lnbc250u1pjk7...qxmetu

User "Paid!"

Agent calls check_invoice_status(invoice_id: "...")

Agent "Payment confirmed! Your subscription is now active."

Agent Payment Comparison

Capability	Credit Cards	Bank Transfers	Lightning (SatsRail)
Agent can initiate payment
No browser required
Instant confirmation
No sensitive data
Chargeback-proof
Global, permissionless
Micropayments ($0.01+)

Common Questions

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard that lets AI agents use external tools. The SatsRail MCP server gives agents 12 payment tools — create orders, generate invoices, check payment status, and more. Install it with one command and any MCP-compatible agent (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf) can start accepting payments immediately.

No. MCP is the easiest path, but any agent that can make HTTP requests can use the SatsRail REST API directly. The entire flow is JSON in, JSON out — no special protocol needed.

The agent gets a bolt11 Lightning invoice string back from the API. It can present this as a QR code or a copyable string. The customer pays with any Lightning wallet — Phoenix, Muun, Breez, Cash App, Strike, or dozens of others. Payment confirms in seconds.

Yes. Lightning supports payments as small as a few cents. This opens up use cases that were impossible with credit cards — per-API-call billing, pay-per-message chatbots, metered compute, and machine-to-machine microtransactions.

Yes. Use test API keys (sk_test_*) to create simulated payments that never touch real money. Invoices auto-complete in test mode so you can build your full payment flow without spending real sats.