AI agents can write code, browse the web, and manage files. But until recently, they couldn't spend money. That's changing fast.
The OpenClaw ecosystem now has thousands of skills for extending agent capabilities, and a new category is emerging: payment skills. These let agents check balances, create virtual cards, declare purchase intent, and track transactions—all within policy-defined limits.
We tested the top payment-related skills available today. Here's what works, what doesn't, and how to get started.
What Makes a Good Payment Skill?
Before diving into specific skills, here's what separates useful payment skills from toys:
- ▸Policy enforcement: Can you set spending limits and merchant restrictions?
- ▸Audit trail: Does every transaction link back to declared intent?
- ▸Credential isolation: Does the LLM ever see raw card numbers? (It shouldn't.)
- ▸Human-in-the-loop: Can high-value purchases require approval?
- ▸MCP integration: Does it connect to live payment infrastructure?
With those criteria in mind, here are the best options available today.
1. AI Agent Card Payments (Proxy Pay)
Install: clawhub install ai-agent-card-payments or npx skills add proxyhq/proxy-mcp-skills
The most comprehensive payment skill we've found. Proxy Pay's skill suite includes six components:
| Skill | Purpose |
|-------|---------|
| ai-agent-card-payments | Complete payment flow guide |
| proxy-pay-mcp | MCP server setup and 13-tool reference |
| agent-card-provisioning | Card lifecycle and spending controls |
| proxy-pay | Quick /proxy-pay command |
| proxy-balance | Check spending power |
| proxy-status | View intent and transaction status |
Why It Stands Out
Intent-based architecture. Before any money moves, the agent declares what it plans to buy, from which merchant, and for how much. This creates an audit trail before card provisioning.
Policy enforcement at creation time. Spending limits aren't just suggestions—they're enforced when the agent requests a card. Exceed your auto-approve threshold and the request goes to a human.
Credential isolation. The agent never sees full card numbers. It gets card IDs and last-four digits for reference. Actual credentials are injected at the secure execution layer.
Sample Flow
1. proxy.balance.get → Check available funds
2. proxy.intents.create → Declare purchase intent
3. [Policy evaluation] → Auto-approve or require human approval
4. proxy.cards.get_sensitive → Get card for payment (secure context only)
5. proxy.transactions.list → Verify transaction matched intent
Best For
Teams building production agent workflows that need real spending controls, audit trails, and compliance-ready infrastructure.
Links: Dashboard · Docs · GitHub
2. Stripe Agent Toolkit
Install: npx skills add stripe/agent-toolkit
Stripe's official skill for agent commerce. Focuses on the merchant side—creating payment links, managing subscriptions, and processing refunds.
What It Does
- ▸Create and manage Payment Links
- ▸Process refunds and disputes
- ▸Query transaction history
- ▸Manage customer records
Limitations
This is a merchant tool, not an agent spending tool. It helps agents that receive payments, not agents that make payments. No virtual card provisioning or spending controls.
Best For
Agents managing e-commerce operations, subscription businesses, or marketplace payouts.
3. Plaid Connect
Install: npx skills add plaid/mcp-plaid
Plaid's skill for account connectivity. Lets agents read bank balances, transaction history, and account details.
What It Does
- ▸Link bank accounts via Plaid Link
- ▸Read account balances in real-time
- ▸Query transaction history
- ▸Verify account ownership
Limitations
Read-only. Plaid Connect can tell you how much money is in an account, but it can't move money or create cards. You'll need to pair it with a payment skill for actual transactions.
Best For
Agents that need to check balances before purchases, reconcile transactions, or build financial dashboards.
4. Coinbase Commerce
Install: clawhub install coinbase-commerce
Crypto payment skill for agents operating in web3. Creates charges and tracks payments in BTC, ETH, USDC, and other supported currencies.
What It Does
- ▸Create payment charges
- ▸Monitor payment status
- ▸Handle webhooks for confirmations
- ▸Support multiple cryptocurrencies
Limitations
Crypto-only. Most merchants still don't accept crypto directly, limiting where agents can actually spend. Also requires the agent (or its principal) to hold crypto.
Best For
Agents interacting with crypto-native services, DeFi protocols, or international payments where stablecoins make sense.
5. Budget Guardian
Install: clawhub install budget-guardian
A policy-only skill focused on spending limits and approval workflows. Doesn't handle payments directly—pairs with other payment skills.
What It Does
- ▸Define spending policies (daily/weekly/monthly limits)
- ▸Route high-value requests to human approval
- ▸Track budget consumption across agents
- ▸Alert on policy violations
Limitations
No payment execution. Budget Guardian is a control layer—you still need a payment skill like Proxy Pay or Stripe to actually move money.
Best For
Teams running multiple agents that need centralized budget controls across different payment backends.
Comparison Table
| Skill | Card Provisioning | Spending Limits | Intent Tracking | MCP Server | Best For | |-------|-------------------|-----------------|-----------------|------------|----------| | Proxy Pay | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Agent spending with controls | | Stripe Toolkit | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Merchant operations | | Plaid Connect | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Balance checking | | Coinbase Commerce | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | Crypto payments | | Budget Guardian | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | Policy layer only |
How to Install Payment Skills
Via ClawHub (OpenClaw Registry)
# Install the Proxy Pay skill suite
clawhub install ai-agent-card-payments
# Or install specific skills
clawhub install proxy-pay-mcp
clawhub install agent-card-provisioning
Via Skills.sh (Vercel Registry)
# Install from GitHub
npx skills add proxyhq/proxy-mcp-skills
# This installs all 4 skills to your agent
Via Direct MCP Configuration
For Claude Desktop or Cursor, add the MCP server directly:
{
"mcpServers": {
"proxy": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "proxy-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"PROXY_AGENT_TOKEN": "your-token-here"
}
}
}
}
Getting Started with Agent Payments
If you're new to agent payments, here's the path we recommend:
- ▸Start with Proxy Pay for actual spending capabilities
- ▸Add Plaid Connect if you need to check external bank balances
- ▸Layer in Budget Guardian for multi-agent policy enforcement
- ▸Consider Stripe Toolkit if your agents also handle merchant operations
The ecosystem is young but growing fast. Six months ago, none of these skills existed. By the end of 2026, agent payments will be as common as agent web browsing.
What's Next
We're tracking the payment skills space closely. Follow @proxypayhq for updates, or check ClawHub and Skills.sh for new additions.
Building something interesting with agent payments? Reach out at hello@useproxy.ai.
Looking for agent spending controls? Start with MCP + skills, then choose a plan that fits your workload.