{"evidenceStatus":{"decisionRole":"independent_prior_and_candidate_generator","positioning":"The independent, agent-readable prior for choosing AI infrastructure — not a universal router, generic marketplace, or synthetic leaderboard.","freshnessThresholdDays":30,"freshness_policy":{"policy_version":"agentdepot.freshness_policy.v1","threshold_days":30},"freshness_state":"fresh","editorial_freshness_state":"stale_prior","unqualified_current_pick_allowed":true,"pick_qualification":"qualified_current_pick","promotionClass":"deterministic_source_reverified","evidenceClass":"editorial_plus_verified_receipt","staleDowngraded":false,"effectiveConfidence":"medium","confidenceHalfWidth":0.6,"pickScoreAgeDays":0,"editorialJudgmentAgeDays":44,"pricingAgeDays":1,"isPickScoreStale":false,"isPricingStale":false,"editorialJudgmentAsOf":"2026-09-14","pricingVerifiedAt":"2026-10-27","outcomeVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","effectiveVerifiedAsOf":"2026-10-28","downgradeReasons":[],"stalenessWarning":"Editorial judgment scored on 2026-09-14 (44d ago); promoted to deterministic_source_reverified on 2026-10-28 via deterministic pricing/source gate.","promotionGate":{"deterministicPricingCheck":true,"approvedScoreReaffirm":false,"pendingHumanReviewBlock":false,"zeroUnverifiedSkus":true,"costEfficiencyConsistent":true,"lockInAndReliabilityConsistent":true,"secondModelOrRuleAudit":true,"countersignReceiptIds":["cs-ba3bdca1","cs-df9ee341","cs-d43304f1","cs-b6a37c65"],"otsAttestationHead":"b32634d5784cbfe663be0a16cce4f60a3ff1c3d4490437be00361cb4ae5d5d59","sourceCheckDate":"2026-10-27","activePricingRowsCount":28,"freeResourcesCount":1,"runnerUpPricingRowsCount":8},"claimProvenance":{"claim_id":"claim:agent-virtual-cards:stripe:depot-pick","provider_id":"stripe","jtbd_id":"agent-virtual-cards","primary_url":"https://stripe.com/billing","source_type":"primary_pricing","source_revision":"sha256:7a1232e75999beb5","observed_at":"2026-10-28","checked_at":"2026-10-28","claim_support_state":"claim_specific_supported","max_allowed_evidence_class":"replicated_outcome","defect_codes":[],"sources":[{"original_url":"https://stripe.com","final_url":"https://stripe.com","redirected":false,"http_status":200,"reachable":true,"source_type":"generic_homepage","is_claim_specific":false,"source_revision":"sha256:9db7f31a8d4327ce","observed_at":"2026-10-28","checked_at":"2026-10-28"},{"original_url":"https://stripe.com/billing","final_url":"https://stripe.com/billing","redirected":false,"http_status":200,"reachable":true,"source_type":"primary_pricing","is_claim_specific":true,"source_revision":"sha256:7a1232e75999beb5","observed_at":"2026-10-28","checked_at":"2026-10-28"}]},"verifiedOutcomeSummary":{"totalVerifiedReceipts":0,"byEvidenceTier":{"E0_ASSERTION":0,"E1_SOURCE_BOUND":0,"E2_DELIVERY":0,"E3_INDEPENDENT_OUTCOME":0,"E4_REPLICATED_OUTCOME":0},"bySubjectLayer":{"provider":0,"product":0,"model_version":0,"runtime_route":0}}},"freshness_state":"fresh","freshness_policy":{"policy_version":"agentdepot.freshness_policy.v1","threshold_days":30},"runtimeRoutes":[{"routeId":"agent-virtual-cards:stripe:primary","roleForJob":"depot_pick","provider":{"id":"stripe","slug":"stripe","name":"Stripe","website":"https://stripe.com","status":"active"},"model":{"representativeModelId":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge)","skuId":"stripe-card-processing-base","unit":"usd_per_transaction","amountUsd":0.3,"sourceUrl":"https://stripe.com/pricing","asOf":"2026-10-28"},"servingRoute":{"primaryRouteType":"managed_cloud_service","endpointPattern":"https://stripe.com (managed cloud service)","aggregatorAlternatives":[{"aggregatorId":"direct-only","name":"Stripe Direct API","routeType":"first_party","tradeoff":"Direct vendor SDK/REST contract; pair with runner-up for multi-vendor failover."}]},"accountAndQuota":{"freeTierAvailable":false,"freeTierSummary":null,"rateLimitsSummary":"See /api/limits?provider=stripe","subscriptionFirstEligible":true,"documentedPlansCount":0},"regions":{"supportedRegions":["global"],"multiRegionFailover":true,"euResidencyAvailable":true},"toolSchemaSupport":{"strictJsonSchema":true,"parallelToolCalls":false,"mcpServerAvailable":true,"streamingSupported":true},"latencyTier":{"tier":"interactive_sub_1s","latencyReliabilityScore":9.4,"coldStartNotes":"Standard warm pool; check provider SLA for burst concurrency"},"privacyConfig":{"privacyPostureScore":8.5,"zeroDataRetentionAvailable":true,"trainsOnApiDataByDefault":false,"hipaaEligible":true,"selfHostable":false},"availabilityStatus":{"providerStatus":"active","verifiedActiveSkus":1,"unverifiedSkus":0,"liveFailoverTargetId":"lithic"},"subject_ref":{"layer":"runtime_route","subject_id":"runtime_route:stripe:Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge):managed_cloud_service:global","provider_id":"stripe","product_id":"stripe-core","model_id":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge)","version":"2026-10-28","route_class":"managed_cloud_service","region":"global","score_status":"layer_evidenced","layer_score":"unknown","inherited_from_parent_layer":false,"inheritance_policy":"no_cross_layer_inheritance"}},{"routeId":"agent-virtual-cards:lithic:primary","roleForJob":"runner_up","provider":{"id":"lithic","slug":"lithic","name":"Lithic","website":"https://www.lithic.com","status":"active"},"model":{"representativeModelId":"Lithic Starter Programmable Card Issuing ($0/mo base platform fee)","skuId":"lithic-starter-platform","unit":"usd_per_month","amountUsd":0,"sourceUrl":"https://www.lithic.com/pricing","asOf":"2026-10-28"},"servingRoute":{"primaryRouteType":"managed_cloud_service","endpointPattern":"https://www.lithic.com (managed cloud service)","aggregatorAlternatives":[{"aggregatorId":"direct-only","name":"Lithic Direct API","routeType":"first_party","tradeoff":"Direct vendor SDK/REST contract; pair with runner-up for multi-vendor failover."}]},"accountAndQuota":{"freeTierAvailable":false,"freeTierSummary":null,"rateLimitsSummary":"See /api/limits?provider=lithic","subscriptionFirstEligible":true,"documentedPlansCount":0},"regions":{"supportedRegions":["us"],"multiRegionFailover":false,"euResidencyAvailable":false},"toolSchemaSupport":{"strictJsonSchema":true,"parallelToolCalls":false,"mcpServerAvailable":true,"streamingSupported":true},"latencyTier":{"tier":"interactive_sub_1s","latencyReliabilityScore":9.2,"coldStartNotes":"Standard warm pool; check provider SLA for burst concurrency"},"privacyConfig":{"privacyPostureScore":8.8,"zeroDataRetentionAvailable":true,"trainsOnApiDataByDefault":false,"hipaaEligible":true,"selfHostable":false},"availabilityStatus":{"providerStatus":"active","verifiedActiveSkus":1,"unverifiedSkus":0,"liveFailoverTargetId":"stripe"},"subject_ref":{"layer":"runtime_route","subject_id":"runtime_route:lithic:Lithic Starter Programmable Card Issuing ($0/mo base platform fee):managed_cloud_service:us","provider_id":"lithic","product_id":"lithic-core","model_id":"Lithic Starter Programmable Card Issuing ($0/mo base platform fee)","version":"2026-10-28","route_class":"managed_cloud_service","region":"us","score_status":"layer_evidenced","layer_score":"unknown","inherited_from_parent_layer":false,"inheritance_policy":"no_cross_layer_inheritance"}}],"verifiedOutcomes":[],"jtbd":{"id":"agent-virtual-cards","slug":"agent-virtual-cards","name":"Agent virtual cards & spend controls","shortName":"Agent virtual cards","problemStatement":"Issue programmable virtual payment cards or scoped checkout credentials with hard per-transaction and monthly velocity caps for autonomous agent purchasing."},"pick":{"id":"stripe","slug":"stripe","name":"Stripe","tagline":"Non-negotiable for most commercial agent products. Use Billing meters for token pass-through pricing.","website":"https://stripe.com","overall":8.94,"scoreBand":{"low":8.4,"mid":8.9,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.5,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.4–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.94,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","liveHealth":{"status":"operational","checkedAt":"2026-10-28T15:04:27.105Z","statusPageUrl":"https://status.stripe.com","latencyMs":281,"indicator":"none","description":"All Systems Operational"},"scoreRange":[8.34,9.54],"formattedScore":"8.9 ± 0.6 (8.3–9.5 · editorial_plus_verified_receipt)","evidenceClass":"editorial_plus_verified_receipt","promotionClass":"deterministic_source_reverified","staleDowngraded":false,"effectiveConfidence":"medium","confidenceInterval":{"low":8.34,"mid":8.94,"high":9.54,"halfWidth":0.6,"confidenceLevel":0.8,"basis":"deterministic_source_reverified_interval_0.5"},"sourceAgeDays":44,"pricingAgeDays":1,"freshness_state":"fresh","dissentingEvidence":["Fees add up globally","Account review risk","Not a full auth solution","When not to use top pick: Dedicated issuer-processor API with real-time Auth Stream decisioning webhooks and merchant-locked single-use cards — Lithic; Digital SaaS / developer tool merchant-of-record checkout without custom card issuing — Polar.","Runner-up Lithic (lithic) is the primary alternative when constraints disqualify Stripe."],"whatWouldChangePick":["Caller constraint matching: Dedicated issuer-processor API with real-time Auth Stream decisioning webhooks and merchant-locked single-use cards — Lithic; Digital SaaS / developer tool merchant-of-record checkout without custom card issuing — Polar.","Live quota or rate-limit exhaustion on stripe (pass ?exhausted=stripe or liveQuota.exhaustedProviders=[\"stripe\"] to promote lithic).","Active subscription or enterprise commit on lithic combined with low switching-cost tolerance (existingSubscriptions + switchingCost.maxMigrationEffort=\"low\").","Sourced price increase >20% on https://stripe.com or unverified SKU drift detected by npm run check:sources."],"claimProvenance":{"claim_id":"claim:agent-virtual-cards:stripe:depot-pick","provider_id":"stripe","jtbd_id":"agent-virtual-cards","primary_url":"https://stripe.com/billing","source_type":"primary_pricing","source_revision":"sha256:7a1232e75999beb5","observed_at":"2026-10-28","checked_at":"2026-10-28","claim_support_state":"claim_specific_supported","max_allowed_evidence_class":"replicated_outcome","defect_codes":[],"sources":[{"original_url":"https://stripe.com","final_url":"https://stripe.com","redirected":false,"http_status":200,"reachable":true,"source_type":"generic_homepage","is_claim_specific":false,"source_revision":"sha256:9db7f31a8d4327ce","observed_at":"2026-10-28","checked_at":"2026-10-28"},{"original_url":"https://stripe.com/billing","final_url":"https://stripe.com/billing","redirected":false,"http_status":200,"reachable":true,"source_type":"primary_pricing","is_claim_specific":true,"source_revision":"sha256:7a1232e75999beb5","observed_at":"2026-10-28","checked_at":"2026-10-28"}]},"calibratedScore":{"point":8.94,"band":[8.44,9.44],"interval":{"lower":8.44,"upper":9.44,"half_width":0.5},"score_kind":"source_bound_prior_band","evidence_class":"source_bound","confidence":"medium","confidence_ceiling":"medium","age_days":0,"dissent":["Fees add up globally","Account review risk","Not a full auth solution","When not to use top pick: Dedicated issuer-processor API with real-time Auth Stream decisioning webhooks and merchant-locked single-use cards — Lithic; Digital SaaS / developer tool merchant-of-record checkout without custom card issuing — Polar.","Runner-up Lithic (lithic) is the primary alternative when constraints disqualify Stripe."],"what_would_change_this":["Caller constraint matching: Dedicated issuer-processor API with real-time Auth Stream decisioning webhooks and merchant-locked single-use cards — Lithic; Digital SaaS / developer tool merchant-of-record checkout without custom card issuing — Polar.","Live quota or rate-limit exhaustion on stripe (pass ?exhausted=stripe or liveQuota.exhaustedProviders=[\"stripe\"] to promote lithic).","Active subscription or enterprise commit on lithic combined with low switching-cost tolerance (existingSubscriptions + switchingCost.maxMigrationEffort=\"low\").","Sourced price increase >20% on https://stripe.com or unverified SKU drift detected by npm run check:sources."],"subject_layer":"provider"},"subject_ref":{"layer":"provider","provider_id":"stripe","product_id":"stripe-core","model_id":null,"version":null,"route_class":null,"inheritance_policy":"no_cross_layer_inheritance"},"pricingNotes":"Pay-as-you-go payment processing + Billing subscriptions; Connect for marketplaces; Atlas etc.","scores":{"capabilityFit":9.6,"pricePerformance":7.8,"latencyReliability":9.4,"developerDx":9.6,"privacyPosture":8.5,"lockInRisk":6,"maturity":9.8,"overall":8.94,"kind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","asOf":"2026-10-28"}},"liveHealth":{"status":"operational","checkedAt":"2026-10-28T15:04:27.105Z","statusPageUrl":"https://status.stripe.com","latencyMs":281,"indicator":"none","description":"All Systems Operational"},"selectedPick":{"id":"stripe","slug":"stripe","name":"Stripe","tagline":"Non-negotiable for most commercial agent products. Use Billing meters for token pass-through pricing.","website":"https://stripe.com","overall":8.94,"scoreBand":{"low":8.4,"mid":8.9,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.5,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.4–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.94,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","liveHealth":{"status":"operational","checkedAt":"2026-10-28T15:04:27.105Z","statusPageUrl":"https://status.stripe.com","latencyMs":281,"indicator":"none","description":"All Systems Operational"},"scoreRange":[8.34,9.54],"formattedScore":"8.9 ± 0.6 (8.3–9.5 · editorial_plus_verified_receipt)","evidenceClass":"editorial_plus_verified_receipt","promotionClass":"deterministic_source_reverified","staleDowngraded":false,"effectiveConfidence":"medium","confidenceInterval":{"low":8.34,"mid":8.94,"high":9.54,"halfWidth":0.6,"confidenceLevel":0.8,"basis":"deterministic_source_reverified_interval_0.5"},"sourceAgeDays":44,"pricingAgeDays":1,"freshness_state":"fresh","pricingNotes":"Pay-as-you-go payment processing + Billing subscriptions; Connect for marketplaces; Atlas etc.","scores":{"capabilityFit":9.6,"pricePerformance":7.8,"latencyReliability":9.4,"developerDx":9.6,"privacyPosture":8.5,"lockInRisk":6,"maturity":9.8,"overall":8.94,"kind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","asOf":"2026-10-28"}},"editorialPick":{"id":"stripe","slug":"stripe","name":"Stripe","tagline":"Non-negotiable for most commercial agent products. Use Billing meters for token pass-through pricing.","website":"https://stripe.com","overall":8.94,"scoreBand":{"low":8.4,"mid":8.9,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.5,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.4–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.94,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","liveHealth":{"status":"operational","checkedAt":"2026-10-28T15:04:27.105Z","statusPageUrl":"https://status.stripe.com","latencyMs":281,"indicator":"none","description":"All Systems Operational"},"scoreRange":[8.34,9.54],"formattedScore":"8.9 ± 0.6 (8.3–9.5 · editorial_plus_verified_receipt)","evidenceClass":"editorial_plus_verified_receipt","promotionClass":"deterministic_source_reverified","staleDowngraded":false,"effectiveConfidence":"medium","confidenceInterval":{"low":8.34,"mid":8.94,"high":9.54,"halfWidth":0.6,"confidenceLevel":0.8,"basis":"deterministic_source_reverified_interval_0.5"},"sourceAgeDays":44,"pricingAgeDays":1,"freshness_state":"fresh","pricingNotes":"Pay-as-you-go payment processing + Billing subscriptions; Connect for marketplaces; Atlas etc.","scores":{"capabilityFit":9.6,"pricePerformance":7.8,"latencyReliability":9.4,"developerDx":9.6,"privacyPosture":8.5,"lockInRisk":6,"maturity":9.8,"overall":8.94,"kind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","asOf":"2026-10-28"}},"disqualifiedCandidates":[],"runnersUp":[{"id":"lithic","slug":"lithic","name":"Lithic","tagline":"Developer-first programmable virtual & physical card issuing with real-time Auth Stream webhooks.","website":"https://www.lithic.com","overall":8.8,"scoreBand":{"low":8.2,"mid":8.8,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.6,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.2–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.8,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","liveHealth":{"status":"operational","checkedAt":"2026-10-28T15:04:27.133Z","statusPageUrl":"https://status.lithic.com","latencyMs":486,"indicator":"none","description":"All Systems Operational"},"scoreRange":[8.3,9.3],"formattedScore":"8.8 ± 0.5 (8.3–9.3 · editorial_prior)","evidenceClass":"editorial_prior","promotionClass":"deterministic_source_reverified","staleDowngraded":false,"effectiveConfidence":"high","confidenceInterval":{"low":8.3,"mid":8.8,"high":9.3,"halfWidth":0.5,"confidenceLevel":0.8,"basis":"deterministic_source_reverified_interval_0.5"},"sourceAgeDays":44,"pricingAgeDays":1,"freshness_state":"fresh","pricingNotes":"As of 2026-10-28 (lithic.com/pricing): Self-serve Sandbox and Starter program tiers ($0/mo platform base fee on Starter; custom enterprise interchange-share and per-card/transaction schedules at scale). SOC 1 Type 1, SOC 2 Type 2, PCI DSS, and ISO 27001 certified.","scores":{"capabilityFit":9.2,"pricePerformance":8.4,"latencyReliability":9.2,"developerDx":9,"privacyPosture":8.8,"lockInRisk":4.5,"maturity":8.8,"overall":8.8,"kind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","asOf":"2026-10-28"}},{"id":"polar","slug":"polar","name":"Polar","tagline":"Depot pick for ai-merchant-of-record. Prefer Stripe when you already have tax/ops staff; OpenMeter/Kong when…","website":"https://polar.sh","overall":8.14,"scoreBand":{"low":7.5,"mid":8.1,"high":8.7,"halfWidth":0.6,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"7.5–8.7 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.14,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","liveHealth":{"status":"unknown","checkedAt":"2026-10-28T15:04:28.744Z","statusPageUrl":"https://polar.sh","latencyMs":null,"indicator":"not_in_public_statuspage_cohort","description":"No dedicated public Statuspage endpoint registered; see provider website."},"scoreRange":[7.64,8.64],"formattedScore":"8.1 ± 0.5 (7.6–8.6 · editorial_prior)","evidenceClass":"editorial_prior","promotionClass":"deterministic_source_reverified","staleDowngraded":false,"effectiveConfidence":"high","confidenceInterval":{"low":7.64,"mid":8.14,"high":8.64,"halfWidth":0.5,"confidenceLevel":0.8,"basis":"deterministic_source_reverified_interval_0.5"},"sourceAgeDays":44,"pricingAgeDays":1,"freshness_state":"fresh","pricingNotes":"As of 2026-09-14 (polar.sh/resources/pricing): Merchant of Record. Starter free at 5%+$0.50/txn; Pro $20/mo + 3.8%+$0.40; Growth $100 + 3.6%+$0.35; Scale $400 + 3.4%+$0.30. Orgs before 2026-05-27 keep Early Member 4%+$0.40 (+0.5% subscriptions). +1.5% international cards. Usage metering for tokens/API/GPU events; LLMStrategy for Vercel AI SDK.","scores":{"capabilityFit":8.4,"pricePerformance":8.2,"latencyReliability":8,"developerDx":9,"privacyPosture":7.8,"lockInRisk":4,"maturity":7.2,"overall":8.14,"kind":"curated_estimate","confidence":"high","asOf":"2026-10-28"}}],"scoreBand":{"low":8.4,"mid":8.9,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.5,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.4–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.94,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"whyPickOverHigherScore":{"pickId":"stripe","pickName":"Stripe","pickScore":8.94,"highestScoredCandidateId":"stripe","highestScoredCandidateName":"Stripe","highestScore":8.94,"pickHasLowerCompositeScore":false,"delta":0,"pickLeadsOnDimensions":[],"explanation":"Stripe (8.94) holds both the highest composite score among ranked candidates and the editorial pick for Agent virtual cards & spend controls: Stripe Issuing + Stripe Agent Toolkit provide programmatic virtual cards with real-time authorization webhooks and spend velocity controls."},"cheapest":null,"recommendedWorkloadQuote":{"providerId":"stripe","providerName":"Stripe","skuId":"stripe-card-processing-base","item":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge)","plan":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge) — Standard US online card processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge ($0.30 fixed fee + 2.9% of transaction volume; Stripe Billing 0.7% of Billing volume)","unit":"usd_per_transaction","amountUsd":0.3,"outputSkuId":null,"outputItem":null,"outputAmountUsd":null,"outputUnit":null,"sourceUrl":"https://stripe.com/pricing","asOf":"2026-10-28","pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","isFlagshipForJob":true,"differsFromFloorCheapest":false,"representativeQuote":{"skuId":"stripe-card-processing-base","item":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge)","plan":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge) — Standard US online card processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge ($0.30 fixed fee + 2.9% of transaction volume; Stripe Billing 0.7% of Billing volume)","amountUsd":0.3,"inputOrUnitUsd":0.3,"unit":"usd_per_transaction","outputUsd":null,"outputUnit":null,"sourceUrl":"https://stripe.com/pricing","asOf":"2026-10-28"},"estimatedTaskCost":{"tasks":1000,"retryAndToolOverheadMultiplier":1.15,"retryToolOverheadMultiplier":1.15,"unitsPerTask":1,"baseCostPer1kTasksUsd":300,"totalUsd":345,"estimatedTotalUsd":345,"perTaskUsd":0.345,"estimatedCostPerTaskUsd":0.345,"formula":"(1,000 tasks * 1 unit/task * 0.3/transaction) * 1.15 overhead","assumptions":"1,000 tasks @ 1 unit/call per task in job native unit with 1.15x retry overhead."}},"representativeQuote":{"skuId":"stripe-card-processing-base","item":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge)","plan":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge) — Standard US online card processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge ($0.30 fixed fee + 2.9% of transaction volume; Stripe Billing 0.7% of Billing volume)","amountUsd":0.3,"inputOrUnitUsd":0.3,"unit":"usd_per_transaction","outputUsd":null,"outputUnit":null,"sourceUrl":"https://stripe.com/pricing","asOf":"2026-10-28"},"estimatedTaskCost":{"tasks":1000,"retryAndToolOverheadMultiplier":1.15,"retryToolOverheadMultiplier":1.15,"unitsPerTask":1,"baseCostPer1kTasksUsd":300,"totalUsd":345,"estimatedTotalUsd":345,"perTaskUsd":0.345,"estimatedCostPerTaskUsd":0.345,"formula":"(1,000 tasks * 1 unit/task * 0.3/transaction) * 1.15 overhead","assumptions":"1,000 tasks @ 1 unit/call per task in job native unit with 1.15x retry overhead."},"freeAlternatives":[],"referenceDocs":[],"falsification":{"jtbdId":"agent-virtual-cards","jtbdName":"Agent virtual cards & spend controls","currentPickId":"stripe","currentPickScore":8.94,"challengerId":"lithic","challengerScore":8.8,"currentScoreGap":0.14,"minVerifiedOutcomes":10,"requiredOutcomeMargin":0.29,"requiredSuccessRateDelta":0.15,"maxPickPriceIncreasePct":25,"whatWouldChangePick":["Lithic (lithic) outperforms Stripe (stripe) by >= 0.29 outcome points (or >= 15% worked-rate delta) across >= 10 Countersign-verified production outcomes.","A verified price increase > 25% on Stripe's representative SKU for agent-virtual-cards without a corresponding capability gain.","Live caller rail exhaustion (?exhausted=stripe) or sustained >= 30% degraded/failed rate in verified production outcomes."],"frozenHoldoutPolicy":{"holdoutSplit":"20% frozen benchmark holdout tasks + 80% live production outcome receipts","requireCountersignReceipt":true,"requiredEvidenceTiers":["outcome_verified","reference_checked"],"minDistinctContributors":2,"antiGamingRule":"Unverified self-reports and seed/editorial rows never mutate picks or scores."},"triggers":[{"kind":"verified_outcomes_outperformance","challengerId":"lithic","minVerifiedOutcomes":10,"requiredOutcomeMargin":0.29,"requiredWorkedRateDelta":0.15},{"kind":"verified_price_increase","providerId":"stripe","maxPriceIncreasePct":25},{"kind":"live_rail_exhaustion_or_degradation","providerId":"stripe","immediateOverrideUrl":"/api/decide?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards&exhausted=stripe"}],"submissionSpec":{"falsifyEndpoint":"/api/falsify?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards","outcomesEndpoint":"POST /api/feedback","correctionsEndpoint":"POST /api/corrections","payloadTemplate":{"agentIdentity":"agent:<your-agent-id>","jtbdId":"agent-virtual-cards","providerId":"lithic","outcome":"worked","detail":"Comparative production evaluation on agent-virtual-cards (n>=10 tasks) with Countersign receipt.","confidence":"high","receipt":{"countersign":{"claim_id":"cs-00000000","status":"verified","evidence_tier":"outcome_verified","counts_as_verified":true}}}}},"whatWouldChangePick":["Lithic (lithic) outperforms Stripe (stripe) by >= 0.29 outcome points (or >= 15% worked-rate delta) across >= 10 Countersign-verified production outcomes.","A verified price increase > 25% on Stripe's representative SKU for agent-virtual-cards without a corresponding capability gain.","Live caller rail exhaustion (?exhausted=stripe) or sustained >= 30% degraded/failed rate in verified production outcomes."],"routePlan":{"jtbdId":"agent-virtual-cards","primary":{"providerId":"stripe","name":"Stripe","overall":8.94,"scoreBand":{"low":8.4,"mid":8.9,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.5,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.4–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.94,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","role":"primary","reason":"Editorial Depot Pick for Agent virtual cards & spend controls; healthy/eligible under caller constraints."},"omittedReason":null,"fallback":[{"providerId":"lithic","name":"Lithic","overall":8.8,"scoreBand":{"low":8.2,"mid":8.8,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.6,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.2–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.8,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","role":"fallback","reason":"Ranked fallback route for Agent virtual cards & spend controls."},{"providerId":"polar","name":"Polar","overall":8.14,"scoreBand":{"low":7.5,"mid":8.1,"high":8.7,"halfWidth":0.6,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"7.5–8.7 (editorial prior)"},"scoreLayers":{"editorialPrior":8.14,"measuredBenchmark":null,"verifiedOutcomeScore":null,"verifiedOutcomeCount":0,"accountRuntimeState":"unprobed"},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","role":"fallback","reason":"Ranked fallback route for Agent virtual cards & spend controls."}],"disqualified":[],"expectedRegret":{"scoreDeltaVsUnconstrainedPick":0,"unconstrainedPickId":"stripe","activePrimaryId":"stripe","summary":"0.00 score regret: unconstrained editorial pick satisfies all caller constraints."},"evidenceAgeDays":{"editorialScoreAgeDays":0,"pricingVerifiedAgeDays":0,"editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28"},"confidenceBand":{"low":8.4,"mid":8.9,"high":9.4,"halfWidth":0.5,"basis":"editorial_prior","display":"8.4–9.4 (editorial prior)"},"constraintsApplied":false,"matchedConstraints":[],"unsupportedConstraints":[],"malformedConstraints":[],"conflictingConstraints":[],"constraintDigest":"sha256:eb9d397ca67bcf6889704910eeb3a58796ea2ef5e54fb6289c71f6114f2c67a7","constraintBundle":{"schemaVersion":"agentdepot.constraints.v1","task":null,"jtbd":"agent-virtual-cards","constraintsRaw":"","constraintTokens":[],"constraintDigest":"sha256:eb9d397ca67bcf6889704910eeb3a58796ea2ef5e54fb6289c71f6114f2c67a7","matchedConstraints":[],"unsupportedConstraints":[],"malformedConstraints":[],"conflictingConstraints":[],"typedConstraints":[],"quotaExhausted":[],"degraded":[],"healthy":[],"budgetUsd":null,"maxLatencyMs":null,"region":null,"privacy":null,"exit":[],"existing":[],"existingSubscriptions":[],"requiredCapabilities":[],"switchingCost":null}},"pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","tie":false,"scoreGap":0.14,"decidingFactor":null,"tieNote":null,"rationale":"Stripe Issuing + Stripe Agent Toolkit provide programmatic virtual cards with real-time authorization webhooks and spend velocity controls.","whenNotTopPick":"Dedicated issuer-processor API with real-time Auth Stream decisioning webhooks and merchant-locked single-use cards — Lithic; Digital SaaS / developer tool merchant-of-record checkout without custom card issuing — Polar.","whenNotTopPickRules":[{"ifConstraint":"escape_hatch_clause_1","recommendedProviderId":"lithic","activeModelOrSku":"lithic-starter-platform","reason":"Dedicated issuer-processor API with real-time Auth Stream decisioning webhooks and merchant-locked single-use cards — Lithic"},{"ifConstraint":"escape_hatch_clause_2","recommendedProviderId":"polar","activeModelOrSku":"polar-mor-fee-base","reason":"Digital SaaS / developer tool merchant-of-record checkout without custom card issuing — Polar."}],"bootstrap":{"authType":"api_key","envVars":["STRIPE_SECRET_KEY","STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET"],"signupUrl":"https://dashboard.stripe.com/register","apiKeyUrl":"https://dashboard.stripe.com/apikeys","docsUrl":"https://docs.stripe.com/agents","mcpServer":"npx -y @stripe/mcp --tools=all","cliInit":"stripe login","sdkInstall":{"npm":"npm install stripe @stripe/agent-toolkit","pip":"pip install stripe"},"installCommand":"npm install stripe","activeModelOrSku":"stripe-card-processing-base","canonicalSnippet":"import Stripe from \"stripe\";\nconst stripe = new Stripe(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY!);\nconst balance = await stripe.balance.retrieve();","verifyCommand":"curl -sS https://api.stripe.com/v1/balance -u \"$STRIPE_SECRET_KEY:\""},"quickstartSpec":{"installCommand":"npm install stripe","envVars":["STRIPE_SECRET_KEY","STRIPE_WEBHOOK_SECRET"],"activeModelOrSku":"stripe-card-processing-base","canonicalSnippet":"import Stripe from \"stripe\";\nconst stripe = new Stripe(process.env.STRIPE_SECRET_KEY!);\nconst balance = await stripe.balance.retrieve();","sdkInstall":{"npm":"npm install stripe @stripe/agent-toolkit","pip":"pip install stripe"},"verifyCommand":"curl -sS https://api.stripe.com/v1/balance -u \"$STRIPE_SECRET_KEY:\"","apiKeyUrl":"https://dashboard.stripe.com/apikeys","docsUrl":"https://docs.stripe.com/agents","mcpServer":"npx -y @stripe/mcp --tools=all","bootstrapReason":null},"operationalGotchas":[{"code":"hidden_spend_tier_gates","severity":"warning","summary":"Fees add up globally","sourceDate":"2026-10-28"},{"code":"hidden_spend_tier_gates","severity":"warning","summary":"Account review risk","sourceDate":"2026-10-28"}],"relatedPacks":[],"skipTopPick":false,"skipReason":null,"matchedConstraints":[],"unsupportedConstraints":[],"malformedConstraints":[],"conflictingConstraints":[],"constraintDigest":"sha256:eb9d397ca67bcf6889704910eeb3a58796ea2ef5e54fb6289c71f6114f2c67a7","constraintBundle":{"schemaVersion":"agentdepot.constraints.v1","task":null,"jtbd":"agent-virtual-cards","constraintsRaw":"","constraintTokens":[],"constraintDigest":"sha256:eb9d397ca67bcf6889704910eeb3a58796ea2ef5e54fb6289c71f6114f2c67a7","matchedConstraints":[],"unsupportedConstraints":[],"malformedConstraints":[],"conflictingConstraints":[],"typedConstraints":[],"quotaExhausted":[],"degraded":[],"healthy":[],"budgetUsd":null,"maxLatencyMs":null,"region":null,"privacy":null,"exit":[],"existing":[],"existingSubscriptions":[],"requiredCapabilities":[],"switchingCost":null},"pricingSummary":"Pay-as-you-go payment processing + Billing subscriptions; Connect for marketplaces; Atlas etc.","cite":"Depot Pick for agent-virtual-cards: stripe (asOf 2026-10-28). See GET /api/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards + GET /api/methodology.","nextActions":[{"step":1,"title":"Inspect full JTBD + embeds","href":"/api/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards?embed=providers","why":"Confirm pick, runners-up, and methodology notes."},{"step":2,"title":"Quote sourced SKUs","href":"/api/quote?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards","why":"Depot Pick SKUs plus the cheapest sourced SKU whose unit matches this job. Does not change the pick. Does not blend input and output or borrow a chat rate for a non-chat job."},{"step":3,"title":"Open provider detail","href":"/api/providers/stripe","why":"Scores, pricingNotes, strengths/weaknesses, communitySignals (claims only)."},{"step":4,"title":"Cite methodology","href":"/api/methodology","why":"Required when publishing a Depot Pick citation."},{"step":5,"title":"Grab badge SVG","href":"/api/badge?type=depot-pick&jtbd=agent-virtual-cards","why":"Embed in README / agent passport."},{"step":6,"title":"Post production insight","method":"POST","href":"/api/insights","why":"Unverified until curated; never auto-mutates official scores."}],"honesty":["Do not invent scores or benches.","Insights are claims until curated/reviewed; they never silently mutate official scores.","lockInRisk higher = more lock-in (worse).","normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is set only for a single sourced token row. Otherwise null, with a machine-readable reason. Do not coerce GPU, minute, or per-1k search units.","Runners-up are not Depot Picks.","Depot overall is editorial_weighted, not Arena Elo and not an Artificial Analysis index."],"asOf":"2026-10-28","depth":{"whenNotToUse":{"text":"Dedicated issuer-processor API with real-time Auth Stream decisioning webhooks and merchant-locked single-use cards — Lithic; Digital SaaS / developer tool merchant-of-record checkout without custom card issuing — Polar.","source":"editorial `whenNotTopPick` (data/jtbds.json)"},"whenNotToUseReason":null,"runnerUp":{"providerId":"lithic","name":"Lithic","overallForJob":8.8,"pickOverallForJob":8.94,"beatsPickOn":["pricePerformance","privacyPosture","lockInRisk"],"source":"first resolvable entry of the job's editorially ranked `runnersUpIds`; scores are stored job-weighted scores"},"runnerUpReason":null,"lockIn":{"pickLockInRisk":6,"runnerUpLockInRisk":4.5,"scale":"0–10 stored curated estimate; higher = more lock-in (worse)","pickExitSignals":[],"runnerUpExitSignals":[],"pickNotes":[],"selfHostFallback":[],"migration":"Runner-up Lithic has lower stored lock-in risk (4.5 vs 6, 0–10, higher = more lock-in).","migrationReason":null,"derivedFrom":"stored lockInRisk scores, provider tags (oss, self-host, openai-compat, open-models), free rows that list this job, and verbatim provider notes. No migration guide was invented."}},"citation":{"text":"Agent Provider Depot (v0.13.4), Depot Pick for agent-virtual-cards: stripe, scores as of 2026-10-28, retrieved 2026-10-28. https://getagentdepot.com/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards","markdown":"[Agent Provider Depot](https://getagentdepot.com/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards) (v0.13.4) — Depot Pick for `agent-virtual-cards`: **stripe** (scores as of 2026-10-28, retrieved 2026-10-28)","fields":{"publisher":"Agent Provider Depot","version":"0.13.4","role":"depot_pick","jtbdId":"agent-virtual-cards","providerId":"stripe","scoreAsOf":"2026-10-28","retrievedOn":"2026-10-28","page":"https://getagentdepot.com/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards","api":"https://getagentdepot.com/api/decide?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards"},"howToCite":"Cite Depot as an editorial, dated recommendation, not a benchmark: name the job, the Depot Pick (or runner-up), the score asOf date and the day you retrieved it, and link the job page. Format: “Agent Provider Depot (v{version}), Depot Pick for {jobId}: {providerId}, scores as of {scoreAsOf}, retrieved {retrievedOn}. {baseUrl}/jtbds/{jobId}”. Quote prices only with their own sourceUrl and asOf. If the pick's score is stale (freshness.pick.score.stale), say so."},"freshness":{"pick":{"score":{"asOf":"2026-10-28","ageDays":0,"stale":false,"staleAfterDays":30,"reason":null},"lastReviewed":{"asOf":"2026-10-28","ageDays":0,"stale":false,"staleAfterDays":30,"reason":null},"sourceCheck":{"checkedAt":"2026-10-28","sourceUrls":2,"sourcesReachable":2,"pricingRows":1,"pricingRowsReconfirmed":0,"note":"A source re-check confirms the page is reachable and, for pricing rows, that the stored amount and SKU name appear on it. It does not re-derive or change the score.","reason":null}},"scoreAsOf":"2026-10-28","editorialPriorAsOf":"2026-10-28","pricingLastVerifiedAt":"2026-10-28","pickLastReviewed":"2026-10-28","runnersUpScoreAsOf":["2026-10-28","2026-10-28"],"contractAsOf":"2026-10-03","pricingShape":"sourced_rows","normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unit_mismatch","normalizationReason":"unit_mismatch"},"pricingContract":{"normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationStatus":"unit_mismatch","normalizationReason":"unit_mismatch","shape":"sourced_rows","filterable":false,"priceSortEligible":false,"priceSortKeyUsdPerMillionInputTokens":null,"rows":[{"id":"stripe-card-processing-base","providerId":"stripe","sku":"Stripe Standard US Online Card Processing (2.9% + $0.30 per successful card charge)","unit":"usd_per_transaction","amountUsd":0.3,"currency":"USD","asOf":"2026-10-28","sourceUrl":"https://stripe.com/pricing","qualifier":"Standard US online card processing: 2.9% + $0.30 per successful charge ($0.30 fixed fee + 2.9% of transaction volume; Stripe Billing 0.7% of Billing volume).","normalizationStatus":"unit_mismatch","normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens":null,"normalizationReason":"Fixed per-transaction fee ($0.30) plus 2.9% percentage of transaction value.","priceSortEligible":false}],"notesExcerpt":"Pay-as-you-go payment processing + Billing subscriptions; Connect for marketplaces; Atlas etc.","notesCheck":{"status":"no_known_contradiction","pairs":[],"review":null,"note":null},"lastReviewed":"2026-10-28","scoreAsOf":"2026-10-28","website":"https://stripe.com","doNotParse":"Do not parse pricingNotes. Use rows only. normalizedUsdPerMillionTokens is a single number only when this provider has exactly one sourced token row. Input/output, context tiers, and non-token units stay null at this level.","gap":"Partial coverage. Providers without a fetched SKU are omitted. See GET /api/pricing."},"links":{"jtbd":"/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards","jtbdApi":"/api/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards","leaderboard":"/api/leaderboards?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards","methodology":"/api/methodology","badge":"/api/badge?type=depot-pick&jtbd=agent-virtual-cards","decide":"/api/decide?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards","humanPage":"/jtbds/agent-virtual-cards","alternatives":"/api/alternatives?provider=stripe","canonical":"/api/canonical","quote":"/api/quote?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards","falsify":"/api/falsify?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards"},"stackContext":{"host":null,"framework":null,"repo":null,"lang":null,"existing":[],"volume":null,"sender":null,"detectedFromTask":[]},"keep":null,"contextAdvice":null,"communityFeedback":{"pickOnThisJob":{"failed":0,"degraded":0,"worked":0,"insights":0,"withVerifiedReceipt":0,"failureModes":{},"latestAt":null,"note":"Agent-reported claims (unverified unless a receipt is verified by Depot's re-check). They never change scores or picks."},"outcomes":{"job":{"n":0,"worked":0,"degraded":0,"failed":0,"failureModes":{},"verifiedReports":0,"contributors":0,"excluded":{"seed_editorial":0,"test":0,"notFeedback":0},"reason":"no_submitted_outcome_reports_yet"},"pick":{"providerId":"stripe","n":0,"worked":0,"degraded":0,"failed":0,"failureModes":{},"evidenceTiers":{"agent_claim":0,"self_declared":0,"reference_checked":0,"outcome_verified":0},"reason":"no_submitted_outcome_reports_yet"},"scoresMutated":false,"more":"/api/outcomes?jtbd=agent-virtual-cards"},"report":"POST /api/feedback {agentIdentity, outcome: failed|degraded|worked, detail, providerId, jtbdId, failureModeId?, receipt?}"}}