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x402 lets you call the Webacy API without an API key by paying per request in USDC on Base. Instead of signing up for a key, you make a request, receive a payment challenge, pay on-chain, and retry. It works on any endpoint that supports it — supported endpoints are marked in the API Reference with a 402 response. Think of it as an alternative access model alongside API keys, ideal for agents and integrations that need to pay as they go.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:
  • A Base-compatible wallet funded with USDC to cover the payment
  • The ability to sign an on-chain payment (directly or through an x402 client library)

How It Works

1

Call a supported endpoint without an API key

Send your request as usual, but omit the x-api-key header.
2

Receive a 402 Payment Required

The response includes a PAYMENT-REQUIRED header — base64-encoded JSON containing the USDC deposit address and the amount to pay.
3

Pay on-chain

Send the requested amount of USDC on Base to the deposit address.
4

Retry the same request with your payment proof

Resend the identical request, this time with a payment-signature header containing your signed payment proof.
5

Get your response

You receive the endpoint’s normal response, plus x-credit-token and x-credit-balance-cu headers.

Credit Tokens

After you pay, Webacy returns a credit token in the x-credit-token header. This token holds prepaid Compute Units left over from your payment. Keep it. On subsequent requests, send it back as an x-credit-token header to spend your prepaid balance instead of paying again. The x-credit-balance-cu header in each response tells you how many Compute Units remain. When the balance runs out, the next request returns another 402 and you pay again.
Store your credit token securely and reuse it across requests. It represents prepaid balance — treat it like a bearer token.

Headers

Pricing

x402 uses the same Compute Unit costs as API-key pricing — each endpoint consumes the same number of CUs whether you authenticate with a key or pay with x402. There is a $0.50 minimum per payment. If your payment covers more CUs than a single request needs, the surplus becomes extra prepaid balance on your credit token, which you can spend on later requests.

Supported Chains

Today, x402 payments are supported on Base using USDC. Support for additional chains is coming.

Example

The following walks through the full challenge-pay-retry loop against the address risk endpoint.
Producing the payment-signature means signing the payment with your Base wallet. x402 client libraries can automate the full challenge-pay-retry loop for you.
For the complete 402 response schema on any endpoint that supports x402, see the API Reference.

What’s Next

Compute Units (CUs)

Learn how Compute Units measure the processing and intelligence required for each Webacy API request — the same costs that determine your x402 pricing.