Claude Code + Agent Payments: The 5-Minute Quickstart

August 10, 2026 · Iris · 6 min read · 3 days to auto mode

On August 14, Claude Code auto mode becomes the default. Your agent will be able to discover APIs, read payment instructions, and spend money — without asking you. Here is how to set it up in 5 minutes, with zero API keys and zero KYC.

What you'll have after 5 minutes: Claude Code agent with access to 306 pay-per-call APIs (gas prices, CAPTCHA solving, web scraping, crypto data, AI inference, and more), 500 free credits, and the ability to auto-pay for API calls via USDC on Base.

1 Install the MCP Server (30 seconds)

$ npm install -g minia2a-mcp@latest

added 1 package in 2s

This installs 8 tools into Claude Code: list_services, get_service, get_stats, register, credits, buy_credits, call_service, and check_endpoint. Version 1.1.3 includes the auto-mode readiness validator.

$ claude mcp add minia2a -- npx -y minia2a-mcp

MCP server "minia2a" added to Claude Code

2 Register and Get 500 Free Credits (10 seconds)

$ curl -X POST https://minia2a.uk/api/v1/register-simple \
       -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
       -d '{"name":"my-agent"}'

{"ok":true, "wallet":"0x9a3f...", "credits":500,
 "message":"500 credits granted (~.50). Spend with ?wallet="}

That's it. You now have a wallet address, 500 credits, and the ability to call any of 306 pay-per-call APIs. No API key. No KYC. No gas fees for registration.

Save your wallet address — you'll use it as a query parameter when calling services.

2 Discover What Your Agent Can Buy (30 seconds)

Ask Claude Code to list available services:

You: list the top 10 most popular APIs on minia2a

Claude Code runs list_services → returns 306 endpoints.
Top 10 by trial usage:

1. x402-recall    1,972 trials  Search memory for agents
2. x402-gas       1,582 trials  Multi-chain gas prices
3. x402-find      1,283 trials  Service discovery
4. x402-captcha   1,203 trials  CAPTCHA solving
5. x402-time        892 trials  Time/date utilities
6. x402-polymarket  829 trials  Prediction market data
7. x402-screenshot  381 trials  Web page screenshots
8. x402-uuid        338 trials  UUID generation
9. x402-web-scrape  309 trials  Web scraping
10. x402-store       299 trials  Key-value storage

Or browse the full catalog at discover-new.html.

3 Make Your First Paid API Call (30 seconds)

Before spending credits, test any endpoint for free (15 free trials per IP):

$ curl https://minia2a.uk/x402/gas

{"_trial":true,"data":{"base":"0.001","optimism":"0.001",...},
 "trial_remaining":14,"message":"14 free trials left"}

Now spend credits on a paid call using your wallet:

$ curl "https://minia2a.uk/x402/gas?wallet=0x9a3f..."

{"_trial":true,"data":{"base":"0.001",...},
 "credits_remaining":499,"credits_spent":1}

Or ask Claude Code to do it:

You: check current gas prices on Base, Optimism, and Arbitrum

Claude Code runs call_service(x402-gas) → returns live gas prices.
1 credit spent. 499 remaining.

4 Set Up a Spending Budget (Optional, 60 seconds)

Create a .agent-budget file in your project root so Claude Code knows your spending limits before auto mode goes live:

$ cat > .agent-budget << 'EOF'
{
  "daily_limit_usdc": 5,
  "max_per_call_usdc": 1
}
EOF

When auto mode activates on Aug 14, Claude Code will read this file and autonomously approve any API call under $1.00 as long as the daily total stays under $5.00. Calls exceeding the limit will pause and ask for your approval.

How it works: Agent hits a 402 Payment Required → reads x-402-amount: 500 header (500 cents = $0.05) → checks .agent-budget → $0.05 under $1.00 limit → authorizes payment → transaction settles on Base in seconds → agent gets the data.

5 Top Up Credits (When You Run Out)

When your 500 free credits run out, buy more with USDC on Base:

$ curl -X POST https://minia2a.uk/api/v1/buy-credits \
       -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
       -d '{"wallet":"0x9a3f...","amountCents":100}'

$1.00 = 100 credits. Most endpoints cost 1–5 credits per call ($0.01–$0.05). 100 credits = 20–100 API calls.

What Happens on August 14

When auto mode goes live, your Claude Code agent will be able to:

  1. Discover APIs without you browsing a catalog — it searches, finds, and evaluates endpoints autonomously
  2. Test endpoints for free (15 trials per service) before spending money
  3. Pay for API calls within your .agent-budget limits without asking permission
  4. Verify endpoints are working before spending credits using the check_endpoint tool

All of this happens through HTTP headers and JSON. No browser. No human in the loop. No API keys to manage. The agent reads the 402 response, checks the budget, pays, and gets the data — all at machine speed.

What Your Agent Can Actually Buy

CategoryExample EndpointsTypical Cost
Blockchain DataGas prices, token security, ENS resolution, ABI lookup, transaction decode, wallet intelligence1–5 credits
Web AutomationScreenshots, web scraping, CAPTCHA solving, form filling, HTTP analysis1–10 credits
Market DataPolymarket odds, crypto prices, DEX prices, funding rates, fear & greed index1–3 credits
AI ToolsCode review, commit messages, blog outlines, SQL generation, translation, summarization1–5 credits
Developer UtilitiesUUID generation, JSON validation, JWT decoding, regex explanation, base64, hash functions1 credit
SecuritySSL checks, email verification, domain intelligence, IP lookup, DNS records1–3 credits

One Command to Verify Everything Works

$ curl -s https://minia2a.uk/api/agent-ready | python3 -m json.tool

{
  "status": "ready",
  "protocols": ["x402", "mcp"],
  "payment": {"chain": "base", "token": "USDC"},
  "registration": {
    "endpoint": "POST /api/v1/register-simple",
    "description": "Auto-creates wallet, 500 free credits"
  },
  "trial": {
    "anonymous": "15 free calls per IP",
    "registered": "500 free credits on registration"
  },
  "auto_mode": {
    "budget_file": ".agent-budget",
    "budget_format": "{daily_limit_usdc:5,max_per_call_usdc:1}"
  }
}

If you get this JSON response, your agent can discover, register, trial, and pay — all without touching a browser.

3 days to auto mode. Set up agent payments now so your Claude Code agent is ready on Day 1. 5 commands, 5 minutes, zero friction. Check readiness →

Published by minia2a — the open agent API marketplace. 306 verified x402 endpoints, trial-first, auto-mode ready. Install: npm install -g minia2a-mcp · Register: curl -X POST https://minia2a.uk/api/v1/register-simple -H content-type:application/json -d '{"name":"my-agent"}' · Validate: auto-mode-validator.html