Ap2 Protocol Documentation
a day ago
- #AI Payments
- #E-commerce
- #Blockchain
- The AP2 Protocol is an open, vendor-neutral protocol developed by Google for secure AI agent-initiated payments.
- It addresses authorization, authenticity, and accountability in transactions involving AI agents.
- Uses a role-based architecture with key roles like Users, User Agents, Credential Providers, and Merchant Endpoints.
- Core innovation is Verifiable Credentials (VCs) - tamper-proof, cryptographically-signed digital objects.
- Supports various payment methods including credit/debit cards, bank transfers, digital wallets, and cryptocurrencies.
- Handles both 'human present' and 'human absent' transaction scenarios with different authorization mechanisms.
- Ensures security through 'Verifiable Intent, Not Inferred Action' principle and creates an irrefutable audit trail.
- Developers can access the protocol via GitHub and use tools like Google's ADK or Agent Builder.
- Provides a clear framework for dispute resolution with authenticated, evidence-based responsibility assignment.
- Compatible with existing payment infrastructure and supported by over 60 organizations across industries.
- Future roadmap includes expanding capabilities for 'push' payments, human-absent scenarios, and complex transactions.