Prerequisites : An AI agent that uses MCP tools (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, or custom agent)
1. Create an Account
Sign in with Google
Authenticate using your Google account.
Select your role
Choose Agent to access the agent dashboard.
2. Create an API Key On your first visit, you’ll be prompted to create your first API key.
Name your key
Give it a name like “Production Agent” or “Claude Code”.
Copy the key
Copy the key immediately. It starts with sk_live_ and won’t be shown again .
Store your key securely. If you lose it, you’ll need to create a new one.
3. Deposit Funds
Navigate to Wallet
Go to Wallet in the sidebar.
Click Deposit
Click the Deposit button to add credits to your account.
Deposits are coming soon. During beta, contact cheng@payo.dev for credits. Configure your MCP client to pass the agent token when connecting to paid MCP servers.
Claude Code
Claude Desktop
Cursor
HTTP Client
Use the Claude CLI to add MCP servers with your token: claude mcp add weather-api --transport http https://mcp.example.com/mcp \ --header "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_your_token_here"
For servers using stdio transport: claude mcp add weather-api -- npx @example/weather-mcp
Then set the environment variable in your Claude Code settings or export it: export AGENT_TOKEN = sk_live_your_token_here
Edit your Claude Desktop config file: macOS : ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
Windows : %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.jsonclaude_desktop_config.json
{ "mcpServers" : { "weather-api" : { "command" : "npx" , "args" : [ "-y" , "@example/weather-mcp" ], "env" : { "AGENT_TOKEN" : "sk_live_your_token_here" } } } }
The AGENT_TOKEN environment variable is passed to the MCP server, which the Payo SDK reads for authentication. Edit your Cursor MCP config: macOS : ~/.cursor/mcp.json
Windows : %USERPROFILE%\.cursor\mcp.json{ "mcpServers" : { "weather-api" : { "command" : "npx" , "args" : [ "-y" , "@example/weather-mcp" ], "env" : { "AGENT_TOKEN" : "sk_live_your_token_here" } } } }
If your agent connects to MCP servers over HTTP, pass the token in the Authorization header: const response = await fetch ( 'https://mcp.example.com/mcp' , { method: 'POST' , headers: { 'Content-Type' : 'application/json' , 'Authorization' : 'Bearer sk_live_your_token_here' }, body: JSON . stringify ({ method: 'tools/call' , params: { name: 'get_weather' , arguments: { city: 'NYC' } } }) });
Now when your agent calls a paid tool, Payo will automatically:
Validate your token
Check your balance
Charge the tool’s price
Execute the tool
If the tool costs $0.01 and you have $10 in credits, you can make 1,000 calls.
Monitoring Usage View your transaction history in the Wallet page. Each charge shows:
Tool name
Amount charged
Provider
Timestamp
Error Handling If a tool call fails due to payment issues, you’ll see one of these errors:
Error Meaning Fix TOKEN_MISSINGToken not configured Add AGENT_TOKEN to your config TOKEN_INVALIDToken is invalid or deleted Create a new key at payo.dev INSUFFICIENT_BALANCENot enough credits Deposit more funds
Next Steps
Configure Multiple Servers Learn about different transport methods
Manage API Keys Create, rotate, and delete keys
Monitor Usage Track spending and top up credits
How It Works Understand the payment flow
