Payment Methods#
Onchain OS Payment offers four payment methods, each tailored to a different business shape. This page gives you a decision matrix to choose; click into a specific method for the full integration guide.
If you're not yet familiar with these payment methods conceptually, start with Core Concepts. This section is just about "how to integrate".
Step 1: Identify your Seller form#
Different Seller forms support different payment methods — filter by this table first.
| Seller form | One-time | Batch | Pay-as-you-go | Escrow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HTTP Seller | ✅ | ✅ | 🔜 Coming soon | ❌ |
| Agent Seller | ✅ | 🔜 Coming soon | 🔜 Coming soon | 🔜 Coming soon |
Haven't decided your Seller form yet? Go back to Seller Entry to compare the two forms.
Step 2: Among available methods, pick by business characteristics#
Choose by your business's per-call price and consumption predictability.
| Your business | Recommended payment method | SDK (HTTP Seller) | Skill (Agent Seller) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per-call amount is fixed (a report / one inference / one query) | One-time payment | ✅ | ✅ |
| Very small per-call amount (under 1 cent) + very high frequency (tens to hundreds per minute) | Batch payment | ✅ | 🔜 |
| Per-call consumption unpredictable (LLM per token / streaming data per byte) | Pay-as-you-go | 🔜 | 🔜 |
| Two parties don't trust each other, need escrow release (Agent outsourcing tasks) | Escrow payment | — | 🔜 |
✅ Available ｜ 🔜 Coming soon ｜ — Not applicable. HTTP Sellers use the SDK; Agent Sellers use the Skill.
Look at call frequency and Buyer form:
- High frequency (tens of calls per minute or more) + Buyer is an Agent → use Batch payment to avoid waiting for on-chain confirmation per call.
- Low frequency → One-time payment is enough. With X Layer's USD₮0/USDG gas subsidy, zero gas keeps small payments economically viable.
Two confusable pairs#
One-time vs. Batch#
Both can handle small, high-frequency calls, but the underlying paths differ:
| Dimension | One-time | Batch |
|---|---|---|
| On-chain timing | Each call awaits on-chain confirmation (or async) | Deliver first, aggregate on-chain in the background |
| Throughput bottleneck | Limited by block time | Not limited by block time |
| Wallet requirement | Any EIP-3009 wallet | Must be Agentic Wallet (depends on Session Key) |
Batch vs. Pay-as-you-go#
Both "accumulate, then settle on-chain", but the signature forms and fund paths are completely different:
| Dimension | Batch | Pay-as-you-go |
|---|---|---|
| Signature form | Sign each call (amount + recipient) | Open a channel once, then only sign the cumulative amount (Voucher) |
| Use case | Per-call amount is the same | Per-call amount is different (metered) |
| Fund path | Buyer → Seller (single transfer at aggregation) | Buyer → Escrow → Seller (paid per Voucher on close, residual refunded to Buyer) |