Glossary
What is the Machine Payments Protocol (MPP)?
Definition
The Machine Payments Protocol (MPP) is an open standard from Stripe and Tempo that lets an AI agent pay for something directly. The agent asks a service for a resource, the service says what it costs, the agent authorizes the payment and gets what it asked for. It covers microtransactions and recurring payments.
Also called: Machine Payments Protocol, MPP, Stripe MPP
At a glance
- CategoriesCommerce
- Related fieldsCommerce, Technical
- DifficultyIntermediate
At a glance
- Co-authored by Stripe and Tempo. Stripe announced it in March 2026.
- Built for machine-to-machine payments: APIs, data, tools and services an agent uses.
- Businesses on Stripe can accept stablecoins, cards and buy now, pay later through it.
What it means for brands
MPP matters most to companies that sell access, data or digital services that agents will pay for on their own. For retail brands it’s mostly behind the scenes. If you’re on Stripe, it’s one of the ways agent payments may reach you without extra work.
How this term is used
Agentic commerce is early, and its terms and standards are still forming. It’s the commerce branch of AI search marketing, built on organic GEO / AEO visibility.
It’s one of several competing standards; agentic commerce protocols compares them side by side.
Frequently asked questions
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Is MPP the same as ACP?
No. Both involve Stripe, but ACP is about shopping in ChatGPT. MPP is about agents paying services directly.