Research track · not yet scored
Agentic commerce readiness.
AgentSpeed is expanding beyond readability into whether agents can understand pricing, terms, checkout paths, API access, and payment options. This page tracks the rubric extension we’re researching. Scoring is not live; checks here do not affect the public composite.
research preview12 proposed checks6 categoriesno live score
What is agentic commerce?
AI agents are starting to act on behalf of users: comparing products, requesting quotes, subscribing to APIs, booking services, paying for digital actions. The web they navigate was built for humans clicking links, not for programs evaluating SKUs and triggering payments.
Agentic commerce is the layer that makes a site safely transactable by an agent: machine-readable pricing, declared checkout paths, exposed payment options, and discoverable refund and authorisation terms.
This is not about replacing your billing stack. Stripe, Paddle, Lemon Squeezy, and your existing infra keep doing the work. AgentSpeed measures whether the signals an agent reads about that infra are clear, and where the signals are missing entirely.
Why normal websites are not ready
failure mode 01Pricing is human-only
Tier cards lock prices behind tooltips, JavaScript, or "Contact sales". Agents cannot quote, compare, or budget without a human in the loop.
failure mode 02Checkout is opaque
A button labelled "Get started →" with a JS handler tells an agent nothing about whether it can complete the purchase, what auth it needs, or how to confirm the transaction.
failure mode 03Payments are undeclared
No metadata says whether the site accepts cards, ACH, stablecoins, or HTTP-level payment signals. Agents fall back to "ask the human", which defeats the point.
What agents need before they can transact
- Pricing as dataA /pricing page that’s parseable, plus a structured equivalent: JSON-LD Offer, an /api/pricing JSON, or an MCP tool an agent can call.
- Checkout as a pathA documented sequence: this URL → this auth → this payload → this confirmation. Agents can follow steps. They can’t infer them from a styled button.
- Terms as content, not PDFsRefund, cancellation, and dispute terms reachable as parseable HTML so an agent can verify policy before transacting.
- Payment options as metadataCards, ACH, wire, stablecoins, x402. Whatever you accept, declared in a way an agent can read. Most sites need only the first two; declaring zero of them is the actual problem.
- Identity as proof (when relevant)Wallets, contracts, or business-identity endpoints when relevant. Optional. Not crypto-mandatory. Sites that don’t transact on-chain stay grade-neutral on the on-chain checks.
AgentSpeed commerce-readiness checklist: 12 checks (research)
Twelve proposed checks across 6 sub-categories. Each one would have a deterministic implementation (parsing JSON-LD, an MCP card, or robots-style declaration files). None will ship until the implementation passes the same class-weight policy that governs the live rubric (≥60% deterministic).
PricingWhether agents can read your prices without scraping marketing copy.
2 checkspricing.page_presentresearchall sites
Pricing page is discoverable. A /pricing page (or equivalent) exists, links from the homepage, and is not blocked by auth.
pricing.machine_readableresearchall sites
Pricing renders as structured data. Pricing is exposed via schema.org Offer / Product, an /api/pricing JSON endpoint, or an MCP tool, not just HTML cards.
CheckoutWhether the path from "agent decides" to "agent transacts" is documented.
2 checkscheckout.agent_readableresearchall sites
Checkout path is documented. The sequence from "decide to buy" to "transaction confirmed" is written down: which URL, which auth, which payload, which confirmation.
agent_actions.purchase_or_subscribe_pathresearchall sites
Purchase or subscribe action is exposed. At least one purchase or subscribe action is reachable via MCP, a documented API, or an agent-skills manifest, so an agent can act, not just read.
TermsWhether refund, cancellation, and dispute terms are reachable as parseable HTML.
1 checkterms.refund_policy_presentresearchall sites
Refund / cancellation policy is reachable. Refund and cancellation terms are linked from /pricing or /terms and rendered as parseable HTML, not buried in a PDF.
API accessWhether API products declare pricing and authentication so an agent can self-serve.
2 checksapi.pricing_declaredresearchAPI products only
API products declare pricing. API products publish per-endpoint, per-token, or per-call pricing in machine-readable form.
api.auth_docs_presentresearchAPI products only
API auth is documented. Auth scheme (API key, OAuth, mTLS, etc.) is documented at a stable URL with a parseable example.
PaymentsWhether accepted payment methods are declared in machine-readable form.
4 checkspayments.metadata_presentresearchall sites
Accepted payment methods are declared. acceptedPaymentMethod is declared on Offer / Product schema (cards, ACH, wire, stablecoins, whatever you accept).
payments.stablecoin_supportedresearchon-chain only
Stablecoin payments declared (if accepted). If the site accepts stablecoins, the chain and token are declared. Sites that do not accept stablecoins are not penalised. This check grades n/a.
payments.wallet_or_contract_declaredresearchon-chain only
Receiving wallet or contract is published (if on-chain). For sites that accept on-chain payments, the receiving wallet address or contract is published at a stable URL. n/a for sites that do not transact on-chain.
payments.x402_or_http_payment_signalresearchall sites
HTTP-level payment signal advertised. Endpoints that require payment advertise it via HTTP 402 / x402 headers so agents can negotiate machine-to-machine.
MCP & agent actionsWhether agent-driven actions (purchase, subscribe) are exposed via MCP or an agent-skills manifest.
1 checkmcp.payment_tool_availableresearchMCP publishers only
MCP server exposes a payment tool (if MCP is published). For sites that already publish an MCP server, at least one payment-related tool (quote, checkout, refund) is exposed. Sites without MCP grade n/a.
Examples by business type
SaaSSubscription software with public pricing, self-serve trial, and a billing portal.
most relevant
- pricing.page_present
- pricing.machine_readable
- checkout.agent_readable
- terms.refund_policy_present
- api.pricing_declared
- api.auth_docs_present
- payments.metadata_present
n/a for this type
- payments.stablecoin_supported
- payments.wallet_or_contract_declared
EcommerceOnline store selling physical or digital goods with per-product pages.
most relevant
- pricing.page_present
- pricing.machine_readable
- payments.metadata_present
- terms.refund_policy_present
- checkout.agent_readable
n/a for this type
- api.pricing_declared
- api.auth_docs_present
- payments.x402_or_http_payment_signal
- mcp.payment_tool_available
API productsProducts consumed by other software: usage-based, per-call, per-token, or per-month pricing.
most relevant
- api.pricing_declared
- api.auth_docs_present
- pricing.machine_readable
- payments.x402_or_http_payment_signal
- mcp.payment_tool_available
- agent_actions.purchase_or_subscribe_path
MarketplacesTwo-sided platforms with separate buyer and seller flows.
most relevant
- pricing.page_present
- pricing.machine_readable
- checkout.agent_readable
- agent_actions.purchase_or_subscribe_path
- terms.refund_policy_present
- payments.metadata_present
Service businessesBooking-based services: appointments, consultations, professional services. The checkout is usually a calendar slot, not a SKU.
most relevant
- pricing.page_present
- checkout.agent_readable
- terms.refund_policy_present
- payments.metadata_present
n/a for this type
- api.pricing_declared
- api.auth_docs_present
- payments.stablecoin_supported
- payments.wallet_or_contract_declared
- payments.x402_or_http_payment_signal
- mcp.payment_tool_available
Research track · join the conversation
Research trackWe’re publishing the rubric proposal early so partners can give feedback before any check goes live. If you’re building agent-driven commerce (payment infrastructure, agent runtimes, MCP tools, programmable checkout), we want to talk. Email research@agentspeed.com.
Meanwhile, the live AgentSpeed scan covers the readability layer underneath: discoverability, structured data, actionability, performance.