Coinbase unveils AI agent payments for businesses

Coinbase now enables businesses to accept AI agent payments via the x402 protocol, supporting autonomous USDC transactions with sub-penny fees and new tools for merchants and developers.

Coinbase has introduced a suite of new features that enable businesses to accept payments from AI agents, utilizing the x402 protocol and Coinbase Payments infrastructure. The x402 protocol leverages the HTTP 402 "Payment Required" status code, allowing AI bots to autonomously pay for digital services using USDC stablecoins on the Base network. Settlement costs are kept extremely low, under $0.001 per transaction. This integration is available through Coinbase's full Payments API suite, making it easy for businesses to activate agent-based checkout with minimal fees and no additional setup. The move follows a surge in agent traffic on Base, surpassing human user activity, and reflects Coinbase's commitment to supporting the emerging agentic economy. Developers can now implement programmable billing with just a few lines of code using the CDP x402 SDK. While some product details are still being finalized, Coinbase positions this as a strategic step toward autonomous commerce, aiming to streamline transactions between agents and businesses and replicate familiar online shopping experiences.