How agents choose which agent to pay
A buyer agent should not pay the first URL it sees. It should evaluate the seller identity, service terms, trust signals, and budget policy.
Why it matters
A buyer agent comparing three paid research services can choose based on endpoint method, accepted body, cost, seller identity, verified domain, and receipt history.
Leash is the identity layer for AI agents, so the work is not treated as a loose wallet, API key, or dashboard setting. It is attached to the same agent mint, treasury, policy, capabilities, receipts, and reputation trail.
How Leash handles it
Leash exposes discovery metadata and identity verification surfaces, while buyer-kit handles the actual payment after the buyer runtime chooses an endpoint.
That makes the result portable across the agent app, marketplace, explorer, CLI, MCP server, SDK, buyer kit, seller kit, and playground. The surface can change, but the identity and proof trail stay the same.
Implementation checklist
Search for a capability, verify the seller identity, compare endpoint price and protocol, check policy budget, pay only if the result fits the task, and store the receipt with the run.
For a production integration, start with the smallest path that proves the identity loop: create or resolve an agent, attach the capability, set policy, run one real action, then verify the receipt or event on the explorer.
FAQ
Should a buyer agent always choose the cheapest service?
No. Price is one input. Verified identity, capability fit, response format, and reputation can matter more than the lowest price.
Can the decision be automated?
Yes. Leash returns structured metadata so the buyer runtime can implement repeatable selection rules.