Quickstart: Agents

Prerequisites: An AI agent that uses MCP tools (Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, or custom agent)

1. Create an Account

Go to payo.dev

Visit payo.dev and click Get Started.

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.

4. Configure Your Agent

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.json

claude_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

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' } }
  })
});

5. Make a Tool Call

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_MISSING`	Token not configured	Add `AGENT_TOKEN` to your config
`TOKEN_INVALID`	Token is invalid or deleted	Create a new key at payo.dev
`INSUFFICIENT_BALANCE`	Not 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

Introduction

Getting Started

Agent Guides

Provider Guides

Concepts

Quickstart: Agents

1. Create an Account

2. Create an API Key

3. Deposit Funds

4. Configure Your Agent

5. Make a Tool Call

Monitoring Usage

Error Handling

Next Steps

Configure Multiple Servers

Manage API Keys

Monitor Usage

How It Works

​1. Create an Account

​2. Create an API Key

​3. Deposit Funds

​4. Configure Your Agent

​5. Make a Tool Call

​Monitoring Usage

​Error Handling

​Next Steps

Configure Multiple Servers

Manage API Keys

Monitor Usage

How It Works

1. Create an Account

2. Create an API Key

3. Deposit Funds

4. Configure Your Agent

5. Make a Tool Call

Monitoring Usage

Error Handling

Next Steps