Monthly gross $3000
Monthly net $2985
Annualized net $36,318
x402 vs Stripe vs no monetization
| Rail | Fee per txn | Net per txn | Monthly net | Annual net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| x402 (USDC on Base) | $0.01 | $1.00 | $2985 | $36,318 |
| Stripe (2.9% + $0.30) | $0.33 | $0.67 | $2013 | $24,156 |
| No monetization | — | $0.00 | $0 | $0 |
x402 keeps $1.00 of every $1.00 request. Stripe keeps $0.67. The gap at this price is $0.32/txn in x402's favor — $972/mo extra.
Not wiring any payments leaves $2985/mo ($35,820/yr) on the table.
Here's the math
- Daily paid requests
1,000 × 10% = 100 - Monthly paid requests (30d)
100 × 30 = 3,000 - Monthly gross
3,000 × $1.00 = $3000 - Protocol fee (0.5%)
$3000 × 0.5% = $15.00 - Monthly net
$3000 − $15.00 = $2985 - Annualized net
$2985 × 12 ≈ $36,318
Wire it up
The x402 middleware is ~20 lines on a Hono/Express/Next route.
It issues a 402 Payment Required with a USDC settlement
challenge; the agent pays; you return the response. I ship this as a
productized engagement: 1 week, $2,500 flat, USDC on Base.
You keep the keys, the code, and every cent of revenue.
Wire x402 on your API in 1 week — $2,500 → Or ask a question first