Agentcard vs Stripe
Two payment providers, two different models — pick the right one for your use case.
Linq’s payments API supports two providers. They solve different problems, so the choice is about who pays whom, not just a config flag.
At a glance
Section titled “At a glance”| Agentcard | Stripe | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Your users connect their cards; their agent spends on their behalf from the Agentcard Wallet | You collect money from customers |
| Direction of money | Out — your user’s connected card pays a third-party merchant | In — a payer pays your connected account |
| Onboarding | Dashboard: connect Agentcard, then connect each customer handle | Dashboard: connect a Stripe Standard account, complete onboarding |
| Merchant of record | The merchant the agent pays | Your connected account (direct charges) |
| Card details | Single-use card handed to the agent, never stored by Linq | N/A — Stripe hosts checkout |
| Gate before you can transact | Customer handle connected | charges_enabled on the Stripe account (else 403) |
| Best for | Agents buying things for a user (subscriptions, purchases, top-ups) | Getting paid — invoices, payment links, subscriptions you bill |
Choose Agentcard when
Section titled “Choose Agentcard when”- An agent needs to pay a merchant for your user (e.g. buy a subscription, place an order, top up an account).
- You want a per-transaction virtual card with a hard spend limit and no stored credentials.
- The customer is reachable by a handle (phone/email) and can do a one-time verification.
Choose Stripe when
Section titled “Choose Stripe when”- You are the merchant collecting money — payment links, checkout, subscriptions billed to your connected account.
- You want Stripe to be the merchant of record via direct charges.
- Onboarding through the Linq dashboard + Stripe Standard is acceptable.
Can I use both?
Section titled “Can I use both?”Yes — they’re independent providers on the same API. Use Stripe to get paid and Agentcard to let agents spend, in the same integration.