delegare

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Delegare is a specialized authorization layer and middleware designed for autonomous AI agent payments. Technically, it functions as a cryptographic credentialing system that sits between a user's funding source (Stripe or a crypto wallet) and an AI agent, implementing an enhanced version of the x402/402 payment protocol. It allows developers to issue "spending mandates"—scoped, revocable, and time-limited permissions—that enable agents to negotiate and settle transactions independently.

2. Core Value Proposition: Delegare provides AI agents with real spending power while ensuring users maintain absolute control over their capital. By decoupling the authorization (the right to spend) from the credentials (private keys or card numbers), it eliminates the risk of "rogue agents" or unauthorized drain of funds. Its primary value lies in its ability to facilitate secure, autonomous agentic workflows for SaaS subscriptions, API consumption, and real-world service procurement with a maximum transaction cost of just $0.03.

Main Features

1. Cryptographic Spending Mandates: At the heart of the platform is the mandate system. Instead of receiving a credit card number or a private key, an AI agent is issued a signed spending mandate. This mandate is a cryptographic proof that defines the agent's identity, its specific spending limits, approved merchant IDs, and expiration timestamps. When an agent attempts a transaction, Delegare validates this mandate against its atomic server-side counters to ensure compliance before any funds move.

2. Dual-Rail Settlement (Stripe and Base): Delegare offers a hybrid infrastructure to bridge traditional finance and Web3. For fiat transactions, it leverages Stripe Connect to facilitate payments across 190+ countries in over 135 currencies, maintaining PCI DSS compliance. For on-chain settlement, it utilizes the Base (Coinbase L2) network and USDC/USDT stablecoins. This dual-rail approach allows agents to pay for both traditional SaaS products and decentralized API services with instant settlement and near-zero gas fees.

3. Atomic Governance and Guardrails: To prevent race conditions or concurrent overspending, Delegare employs atomic server-side validation. Users can set hard spend limits (e.g., $30 per month or $5 per transaction) that are mathematically impossible to override. Additionally, the Merchant Allowlist feature ensures that a mandate authorized for a specific API provider cannot be diverted to an unauthorized merchant, providing a "walled garden" for autonomous agent liquidity.

Problems Solved

1. Credential Exposure Risk: Traditionally, giving an AI agent "spending power" required sharing sensitive data like credit card details or wallet private keys. Delegare solves this by acting as a proxy; the agent never sees the underlying credentials. If an agent is compromised, the attacker only gains access to a limited, revocable mandate rather than the user's entire bank account or crypto portfolio.

2. High Transaction Friction for Micropayments: For API-to-API or agent-to-agent transactions under $1, traditional payment fees (like Stripe's base fee) often exceed the transaction value. Delegare addresses this with a micro-optimized pricing model (3% for transactions under $1 with a $0.005 minimum), making agentic micropayments commercially viable.

3. Target Audience:

• AI Agent Developers: Building autonomous workflows for research, ordering, or procurement.
• SaaS and API Providers: Looking to accept 402/x402 payments from autonomous agents.
• Enterprise Operations: Requiring strict budget controls for departmental AI tools and automated purchasing systems.
• Web3 Developers: Integrating stablecoin payments into agentic session keys on the Base network.

4. Use Cases:

• Automated Procurement: An AI agent tasked with ordering office supplies or dinner can be given a specific budget and merchant list.
• API Pay-per-use: A developer agent autonomously paying for LLM tokens or vector database queries on a granular, per-call basis.
• Subscription Management: Agents that monitor and pay for dynamic SaaS tiering based on real-time usage metrics.

Unique Advantages

1. Authorization Layer vs. Processor: Unlike traditional payment processors, Delegare does not seek to replace Stripe or on-chain wallets. It acts as an identity and permissions middleware. This means merchants can integrate Delegare in under 5 minutes using the SDK without overhauling their existing Stripe or Base setup.

2. Predictable Flat Pricing: While many fintech solutions use tiered pricing or complex volume thresholds, Delegare maintains a simple, flat fee of $0.03 per successful transaction for amounts over $1. This transparency is critical for developers scaling agentic swarms where transaction frequency is high but individual values vary.

3. Zero-Latency Revocation: Mandates can be revoked in under one second via the Delegare dashboard. Because the validation happens at the authorization layer before settlement, access is killed instantly, providing a kill-switch for autonomous systems that traditional banking "stops" or "voids" cannot match.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How do AI agents pay for things without my credit card number? AI agents use a Delegare "Spending Mandate," which is a signed cryptographic permission set. When the agent presents this mandate to a merchant, Delegare's API validates the mandate against your pre-set rules and then triggers a payment through Stripe or Base. The agent only interacts with the mandate, never the raw card data or private keys.

2. What is the x402 protocol and how does Delegare use it? The 402 (Payment Required) status code is an HTTP standard for digital payments. x402 is an evolving extension for agent-to-machine payments. Delegare adds an authorization layer on top of x402, handling the negotiation, identity verification, and spending limits required for an agent to successfully fulfill a 402 challenge autonomously.

3. Can I use Delegare for both fiat and cryptocurrency? Yes. Delegare is "rail-agnostic." It supports fiat payments (credit/debit cards and bank accounts) via Stripe Connect and cryptocurrency payments (USDC/USDT) via the Base Layer-2 network. The authorization logic remains the same regardless of which payment rail is used for final settlement.

4. What are the fees for using Delegare for AI micropayments? For transactions under $1, Delegare charges 3% of the transaction value. The minimum fee is $0.005 (half a cent), which includes the cost of gas on the Base network. For any transaction over $1, the fee is capped at a flat $0.03. Buyers can connect and set limits for free; fees are generally handled at the merchant/transaction level.