Payment Mode Comparison
Managed wallet
Use when:
- you already have a managed agent wallet
- repeated paid calls matter more than protocol-level control
- you want fast setup with less payment plumbing
New managed (custodial) wallets cannot be created right now: the legacy dashboard service behind wallet key derivation was retired and creation returns custodial_wallet_creation_unavailable. Existing managed wallets keep settling calls and connect tokens can still be minted for them. If you have no managed wallet, use raw x402 mode or a local wallet from the stdio MCP package.
Raw x402
Use when:
- you want direct payer control
- you need to prove the 402 -> proof -> retry loop explicitly
- you are integrating outside the managed wallet tooling
SEPA Direct Debit
Use when:
- the buyer is an EU business that needs euro-denominated bank settlement
- a recurring B2B payment relationship under an IBAN mandate is preferable to on-chain settlement
- you prefer a monthly subscription with no per-transaction platform fee
Send X-Apiosk-Rail: sepa to pin the rail explicitly. Per-call debits are batched in the gateway’s SEPA settlement ledger and reconciled by Mollie on the bank side.
Free routes
Use when:
- the endpoint is intentionally public
- you are running a zero-friction demo route
- payment is not part of that operation
Recommendation
For most operators, start with managed wallet mode (USDC). Use raw x402 when protocol control is the primary need. Use the SEPA rail when the buyer requires euro bank-side settlement.
