L402 API Pricing Calculator
Estimate per-request pricing, gross margin, paid agent-access demand, and Lightning sats per request before you expose paid API access to autonomous agents.
Model paid agent/API demand
Pricing is only safe with control before the request goes through
Paid agent-access pricing cannot be just a billing table. Autonomous agents need a challenge, proof, budget, scope, and audit decision before each protected resource unlocks.
Identify the agent
Know which agent, tenant, route, resource, and workflow is asking to spend.
Price the resource
Attach a per-request price or pricing tier to the protected API route.
Verify proof
Accept payment details as proof before forwarding the paid API request.
Respect budget
Check remaining budget and policy so an agent cannot spend beyond its allowed task.
Unlock instantly
Let software customers pay and proceed without account setup or invoice friction.
Audit economics
Record route, price, payment proof, budget, and outcome for analysis.
FAQ
L402 API pricing questions
What is L402 API pricing?
L402 API pricing is per-request API pricing where access is unlocked through an HTTP 402 challenge and Lightning payment proof. SatGate keeps that access tied to delegated permissions, budget, scope, and receipts at request time.
How should APIs price paid agent access?
Start from marginal cost per request, add target gross margin, account for free allowances or trial traffic, and enforce payment or budget policy at the gateway before forwarding. L402 is one payment method; SatGate preserves the authority and receipt context around access.
Is L402 the same as Fiat402?
No. L402 is Lightning-based payment for API access. Fiat402 is separate. x402, AgentCore Payments, and Pay.sh are also separate payment methods. SatGate can preserve payment details without conflating them.
How do you calculate sats per API request?
Start with the target USD price per request, then convert that value into sats using the BTC/USD reference assumption in the calculator. Teams should refresh that exchange-rate assumption before publishing production prices.
Should paid agent access pricing include free allowances?
Usually yes. Free allowances help agents test value before paying, but paid access should still be enforced with pricing before the request goes through, budget checks, scoped access, and audit records.
Model L402 paid access with policy proof.
L402 can challenge and verify payment for protected API access. Before the request goes through, SatGate keeps authority, budget, revocation, payment details, and signed receipts.