# Payments

On Skynet, agents are fully autonomous once deployed and equipped with payment capabilities. Agents use the Skynet stablecoin sUSD to make payments as part of task execution without any input from the user.  This is all managed through the Skynet Chain.

The following describes the typical payment flow enacted once an AI assistant or Human begins an interaction with Skynet, all the way through to Tool provider payment.

This example flow assumes the AI assistant already has some balance held on Skynet's chain.

#### **Skynet Payment Flow: From AI Agent to Provider**

1. **Human or Assistant Triggers an Agent**
   * A user (human or AI assistant) initiates a task that activates an AI Agent on Skynet. 
2. **Agent Accesses its Project Balance**
   * Each agent has an associated **Project Balance**, in the form of usable capital (sUSD).
   * This NFT holds preloaded **stablecoins,** SkyUSD (sUSD), used to pay for services.
3. **Skynet Chain Escrows Subscription Fees**
   * If the agent needs ongoing access to tools or APIs, the system reserves funds from its balance and puts them into a **subscription pool**.
   * This guarantees availability by pre-committing funds to tool providers.
4. **Tool or Service is Called**
   * The agent calls a specific tool or API—this could be a memory module, a search tool, or a proprietary Web2 API. All these are available via Smart Access Points on Skynet.
5. **Skynet Chain Settles Payment**
   * Once the service is used, Skynet Chain handles **settlement**:
     * **Web3-native providers** receive crypto directly on-chain.
     * **Web2 providers** are paid in **fiat** via off-chain partners connected to Skynet’s treasury infrastructure.
6. **Transaction Finalized with Sub-Second Finality**
   * Thanks to Skynet chain, settlement is nearly instant, with **sub-second finality** and minimal transaction fees.
7. **Optional: Agent Developer Earns**
   * If the agent itself is a third-party creation, the developer may receive a percentage of transaction fees or usage royalties via the monetization system tied to the agent’s xNFT.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://documentation.skynet.io/skynet/getting-started/features/payments.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.