AP2 and x402¶
The Agent Payments Protocol (AP2) and x402 are complementary. AP2 is designed to support emerging payment methods like x402, providing a secure and interoperable framework for AI agents to conduct transactions that may involve such digital currencies.
Dedicated Repo
Check out google-agentic-commerce/a2a-x402 which is an implementation of A2A in conjunction with the x402 standard. We will be aligning this closely with AP2 over time to make it easy to compose solutions which include all payment methods, including digital currencies.
Payment Agnosticism and Future-Proof Design¶
AP2 is an open, interoperable protocol specifically engineered to enable AI agents to securely interact and complete payments autonomously. A core principle of AP2 is its payment-method-agnostic and future-proof design. The initial version supports common "pull" payment methods like credit/debit cards, with a roadmap to include "push" payments like real-time bank transfers and digital currencies. This flexible approach ensures that AP2 can evolve to support various ways people pay.
Engineering Trust for Agentic Transactions¶
AP2 introduces key concepts like Verifiable Credentials (VCs)—including Intent Mandates, Cart Mandates, and Payment Mandates—which are cryptographically signed digital objects that capture user authorization and intent. These VCs provide a non-repudiable audit trail for every transaction, establishing a clear framework for accountability and addressing the "crisis of trust" inherent in autonomous AI agent payments. This secure foundation is crucial for any payment method where validating agent authority and user intent is paramount.
Industry Collaboration and Implementation¶
AP2 is being developed in collaboration with prominent partners in the payments and web3 ecosystems, including Coinbase, CrossMint, EigenLayer, Ethereum Foundation, Mesh, Metamask, and Mysten. Shared samples are currently being built to demonstrate AP2 and x402 working together in practical implementations.
In essence, AP2 provides the overarching secure, interoperable protocol and trust mechanisms necessary for AI agents to make payments, while x402 represents a type of emerging payment method that AP2 is specifically designed to accommodate and support securely within the agentic payments ecosystem.