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There is no single credential holder across AP2, ACP, and x402: each protocol addresses a different part of an agentic payment. AP2 assigns a Credential Provider to supply and scope payment credentials; ACP describes checkout data and merchant processing, including delegated tokens; x402 prompts a client to pay for an HTTP request, with wallet custody determined by the implementation.

What does “holds the credential” mean?

The answer depends on which payment object you mean. An underlying card or wallet credential, a token delegated for a particular payment, an authorization mandate, and a wallet’s signing key are not interchangeable. A protocol may define who supplies or verifies one object without specifying who controls every other object in the flow.

That distinction matters here: AP2 makes credential authorization and transaction evidence explicit; ACP focuses on checkout and payment data passed to a merchant; x402 defines a request-level payment exchange.

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How does AP2 handle credentials?

In the AP2 specification, version 0.2, the Credential Provider (CP) is the source of payment credentials for a purchase. It verifies that the agent is authorized to access a credential appropriately scoped to the payment. This is a protocol role, not a claim that a particular wallet or company must fill it.

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Mandates authorize the payment

AP2 distinguishes the credential from the authorization to use it. A Payment Mandate authorizes payment against a specific payment instrument and is shared with the Credential Provider, payment networks, and the merchant’s payment processor. The Credential Provider checks the agent’s authorization and credential scope. The merchant checks the checkout, while its payment processor checks whether the credential is authorized for that checkout.

AP2 also links checkout and payment mandates and receipts to provide verifiable transaction evidence. The mandate is therefore evidence of authorization, not the payment credential itself.

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How does ACP handle checkout payment data?

ACP describes a merchant checkout interaction. Its checkout payment data includes a payment token and a provider, and the merchant processes the payment through its existing payment service provider (PSP). Its payment-handler RFC describes delegated credential flows, including Shared Payment Tokens.

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A delegated token should not be confused with the underlying card or wallet credential. The token may be the payment data passed for a checkout, while the underlying instrument remains a separate object. ACP’s documented focus is how the checkout and payment handoff work; the available description does not establish a universal rule about who custody-controls every underlying credential.

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How does x402 handle payment?

x402 centers on an HTTP request. When a request arrives without payment, the server responds with HTTP 402; the client pays and retries the request. The payment challenge is tied to access to that request or resource, rather than to an AP2-style mandate structure.

x402 is wallet-based, but the protocol does not establish one universal wallet custodian or key-management arrangement. Those details depend on the wallet and implementation. A payment request or challenge is not itself proof that the server holds the client’s wallet credential.

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How do the three approaches compare?

Protocol Primary payment object or flow Credential-related role Merchant or server role
AP2 Mandate-based authorization linked with checkout and payment evidence Credential Provider supplies credentials and verifies agent authorization and scope Merchant checks checkout; payment processor checks credential authorization for that checkout
ACP Merchant checkout with payment data, including a token and provider Payment-handler RFC describes delegated credentials, including Shared Payment Tokens Merchant processes payment through its existing PSP
x402 HTTP 402 payment challenge followed by payment and request retry Wallet custody and key management depend on implementation Server requests payment for a request or resource

Can AP2, ACP, and x402 be combined?

They are not necessarily competing alternatives. AP2 addresses authorization and evidence, ACP describes commerce checkout interactions, and x402 handles payment exchange at the HTTP request level. AP2 documentation includes an autonomous x402 payment example, showing that AP2 and x402 can be composed. That example does not establish that every ACP, AP2, or x402 deployment interoperates automatically.

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What should developers verify before choosing a flow?

  • Identify the object: Specify whether the design concerns an underlying instrument, a delegated token, an AP2 mandate, or a wallet key.
  • Set authorization boundaries: Determine how agent permission, credential scope, and any spending limits are represented and checked.
  • Map each handoff: Record what the agent, credential provider or wallet, merchant or server, and payment processor each receive and verify.
  • Choose the interaction shape: Use the protocol whose documented flow matches the task: mandate-linked authorization, merchant checkout, or payment for an HTTP request.
  • Check the implementation and version: AP2’s cited specification identifies v0.2; ACP checkout and payment-handler materials are evolving documentation, and the x402 site surfaced a V2 announcement. Confirm current interfaces and integration details in the relevant protocol documentation.

Official documentation establishes these protocols’ design roles and sample implementation surfaces, not market-wide adoption, transaction volumes, or comparative real-world security performance. It also does not establish universal merchant or network availability by geography.

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