# Consumer Monetization

Three ways to earn revenue from your AVCodex agent: sell credit packs and subscriptions, set per-tool pricing, and list capabilities for agentic commerce.

The Monetize tab in the agent builder gives you three levers. For the basics of connecting Stripe and creating your first package, see [Selling Access](/docs/guides/selling-access). This guide covers the full Monetize tab.

## The Three Tabs

| Tab | Purpose |
|-----|---------|
| **Sell** | Connect Stripe, enable monetization, and create credit packages or subscriptions. |
| **Pricing** | Set per-tool credit costs so users pay only when the agent performs a high-value action. |
| **Catalog** | List products and manage API keys for agentic commerce (agent-to-agent transactions). |

## Sell Tab

Connect payments and create packages here. For full setup steps, see [Selling Access](/docs/guides/selling-access).

### Stripe Connect

AVCodex uses Stripe Connect so payments go to your Stripe account directly. Click **Connect Stripe**, finish onboarding, and you will see your account status with a link to your Stripe dashboard.

> **Note:** Stripe must be connected and charges must be enabled before you can create packages or list products. If charges are not enabled yet, finish the remaining verification steps in your Stripe dashboard.

### Monetization Toggle

Turn on monetization to require credits for using your agent. Configure free trial credits (given to new users automatically), currency, and tax behavior.

### Packages

| Package Type | How It Works |
|--------------|-------------|
| **One-Time** | User buys a fixed number of credits. Each message costs 1 credit by default. When credits run out, they buy more. |
| **Subscription** | User pays monthly or yearly. You decide whether subscriptions bypass credit checks or carry a recurring credit allotment. |

### Subscription Bypass

The **Subscription Bypasses Credits** toggle controls whether active subscribers get unlimited access or still consume credits:

- **On**: subscribers send unlimited messages. No credit deduction.
- **Off**: subscribers still consume credits per message.

A typical pattern for a dealer-facing programmer assistant: $99/month bypassing credits so dealers chat freely, with a "Pro Actions" tier that adds credit-charged tools on top.

### Revenue Stats

| Metric | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| **Total Revenue** | Lifetime earnings from this agent |
| **Total Purchases** | Completed transactions |
| **Active Subscriptions** | Currently active subscribers |
| **Unique Customers** | Distinct paying users |

## Pricing Tab

The Pricing tab sets credit costs per tool, so users pay only when the agent performs a meaningful action, not for every message.

### How It Works

By default, every message costs 1 credit. With per-tool pricing, you can make conversation **free** and charge credits **only** when specific tools execute (for example, generating a punch list, opening a ServiceNow ticket, querying the asset database).

### Setting Up Tool Pricing

**1. Open the Pricing tab**

Every tool configured on your agent appears, grouped by source: Custom Actions, Hosted Integrations, MCP Integrations, and Components.

**2. Set the pricing mode**

For each tool, choose **Free** (no credit cost) or **Credits** (a fixed credit cost per execution).

**3. Set the credit cost**

For tools in "Credits" mode, enter the cost per execution. Changes save automatically.

### Example Pricing Strategy for an AV Helpdesk Agent

| Tool | Mode | Cost | Rationale |
|------|------|------|-----------|
| `search_knowledge` | Free | 0 | Looking through the AS-built library is cheap. Encourage it. |
| `generate_punch_list` | Credits | 5 | High-value structured output. |
| `open_service_ticket` | Credits | 2 | External side effect (creates a ServiceNow ticket). |
| `query_asset_db` | Credits | 3 | Direct database access. |

> **Tip:** Make basic conversation free and charge only for high-value actions. Lower friction for new users, costs aligned with what the agent actually produces.

## Catalog Tab

The Catalog tab powers **agentic commerce**: external AI agents can discover, purchase, and use your agent's capabilities programmatically through the Agent Commerce Protocol (ACP).

### What Is Agentic Commerce?

Agentic commerce lets other AI agents (not only human users) buy and use your agent's services. For example, an end-client's general-purpose facilities agent could purchase a single Q-SYS health-check from your specialized AV agent. A research agent could pay for one round of room-by-room AS-built lookups on a per-use basis.

### Products

List items for sale through the agent catalog:

| Field | Description |
|-------|-------------|
| **Name** | Product name shown in the catalog |
| **Description** | What the product does |
| **SKU** | Unique identifier |
| **Price** | Cost in cents (e.g. 999 = $9.99) |
| **Currency** | Payment currency (default USD) |
| **Fulfillment** | `automatic` (instant) or `manual` (requires approval) |

### API Keys

API keys let external agents authenticate when purchasing. Create keys in the Catalog tab. Each key is shown only once at creation. You can optionally set a webhook URL to receive order notifications.

### Orders

The Catalog tab shows recent orders from external agents with status, amount, currency, and timestamp.

> **Note:** If your agent has no evaluations configured, the Catalog tab recommends setting up evals before listing products. Evals help guarantee consistent quality for paying customers.

## Putting It All Together

A typical strategy for a managed-services AV firm building a client-facing helpdesk agent:

1. **Sell**: free trial (10 credits) plus a $29/month subscription with unlimited basic chat.
2. **Pricing**: free conversation, 3 to 5 credits for high-value tool runs (open a ticket, generate a punch list, query the asset DB).
3. **Catalog**: list specific high-value capabilities (a "full room health check" or a "spec-sheet lookup against Crestron, Q-SYS, and Biamp") as products other AI agents can purchase.

Three revenue streams: direct subscriptions, per-action credit revenue, and programmatic agent-to-agent commerce.

> **Note:** Consumer monetization requires user signup. Open the **Access** tab and make sure **User Signup** is on before enabling credits.

## Troubleshooting

### Stripe Not Connecting

1. Finish every Stripe onboarding step.
2. Check that your Stripe account has charges enabled.
3. If you stall, disconnect and reconnect Stripe.

### Users Not Being Charged

1. Verify the monetization toggle is on in the Sell tab.
2. Confirm at least one package exists.
3. Check whether the user is still on free trial credits.

### Tool Pricing Not Taking Effect

1. Per-tool pricing applies only when monetization is enabled.
2. Verify the tool's pricing mode is **Credits**, not **Free**.
3. Changes save automatically. Refresh if the UI feels stuck.

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