Ask HN: Has anyone built an AI agent that spends real money?
I've been working on an MCP server that connects AI agents to payment providers (Stripe, PayPal, virtual cards), but
I keep hitting walls:
- Card issuers won't respond to individual developers
- Stripe requires 3D Secure for off-session payments
- E-commerce sites block browser automation
- Amazon v. Perplexity (March 9) confirmed that browser automation on major platforms carries real legal risk
Meanwhile Visa announced "Intelligent Commerce" and Mastercard launched "Agent Pay" – the networks see this coming, but the developer tooling isn't there yet. Has anyone actually shipped something like this? Concrete links, working examples, or constructive feedback would be especially helpful.
- What payment rail did you use?
- Is this a viable product or a regulatory minefield?
- Would you trust an AI with a $500 prepaid card to buy something for you?
What I have so far: https://github.com/xodn348/clawpay