AI Agent payments got scooped up by Stripe first!! Stripe just announced the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP), an open standard co-developed by Stripe and @tempo, designed for internet-native payments by AI agents. It enables agents to programmatically coordinate payments with services, supporting scenarios like microtransactions and recurring payments. Key features: Payment mechanism: Agents request resources (like API calls, browser sessions, or physical services), and the service returns a payment request. Once the agent authorizes, the resource is delivered. Payments can be made using stablecoins, credit cards, or buy-now-pay-later options, with support for Shared Payment Tokens (SPTs). Stripe integration: Stripe users can accept MPP payments with just a few lines of code via the PaymentIntents API. Transactions appear on the Stripe dashboard just like regular human payments, including settlement, taxes, fraud protection, and refunds. Real-world use cases: Already powering new agent business models, such as: - @browserbase: Agents pay per session to launch headless browsers. - @postalform: Agents pay to print and mail physical letters. - Prospect Butcher Co.: Agents order sandwich deliveries in NYC. - Stripe Climate: Agents programmatically make donations. Broader ecosystem: This is part of Stripe’s Agentic Commerce Suite, supporting the agent economy, including ACP, MCP integration, and x402 payments.