What is the Agent Payments Protocol?

Definition

The Agent Payments Protocol creates a structured authorization layer for agent-led transactions. It can express what the user approved, the amount or spending limit, relevant conditions and evidence that the agent acted within that permission.

Payment authority should be bounded and revocable. AP2 complements agent communication and commerce protocols by focusing on trust and authorization around payment rather than product discovery or merchant catalogue access.

Acronyms and aliases

AP2 acronym

Frequently asked questions

What does AP2 stand for?

AP2 is the acronym for Agent Payments Protocol.

Why do artificial intelligence agents need a payment protocol?

A payment protocol makes user intent, limits and authorization verifiable so an agent cannot treat general shopping assistance as unlimited permission to spend.

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