# Ardaro Agent Spend Budget Check

> Ardaro Agent Spend Budget Check is a paid API for AI agents from agents.getardaro.com, paid per call via x402, $0.1/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-14).

Performs a stateless, advisory-only check of whether a proposed agent spend falls within caller-supplied budget limits and rolling-hour history, returning a within-limits or review-required verdict.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://agents.getardaro.com/v1/agent-utilities/budget-check/analyze
- Price: $0.1/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-14
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/ardaro-agent-spend-budget-check-d482a71b
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_FOcvvok1j1IThnfyFSdZ8

Status and success rate cover calls made through Zero and Zero's own probes. Third-party monitors may report differently.

## How to call it through Zero

Zero handles the 402 payment challenge and records the run. With the Zero CLI installed (`npm i -g @zeroxyz/cli`):

```sh
zero fetch --capability ardaro-agent-spend-budget-check-d482a71b -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Before my agent pays for the next downstream API call, can you do an advisory budget check — the proposed cost is $0.30, my hourly limit is $5.00, I've already committed $0.30 this hour, I have no pending reservations, and this is my first check this minute?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when an AI agent needs a lightweight, stateless advisory check before executing a downstream payment or API call, and you want a structured verdict with a cryptographic result identity for audit trails. Prefer this over building custom budget logic when operating within the x402 agent ecosystem. Note that this is advisory only and must be combined with real enforcement mechanisms; do not rely on it as a sole spending control.

## Known failure modes

- Caller supplies incomplete or inconsistent history, leading to misleading within-limits verdict
- Currency mismatch between proposed cost and policy may trigger a failed currency_consistent check
- Proposed cost exceeding hourly limit returns a review-required status rather than a hard block
- Service fee ($0.10 USDC per call) is excluded from checks and must be budgeted separately
- No external enforcement: a within-limits result does not prevent actual overspend

## How this service works

Evidence-bounded visibility into publicly discoverable x402 agent services.

## Output

Returns a JSON object with authorization_status (e.g. WITHIN_SUBMITTED_LIMITS), boolean check results for rate, currency, hourly, and transaction limits, proposed_hour_total, hourly_remaining_after_proposal, submitted_budget_in_use, a findings array, and a cryptographic analysis_result_identity. The result is advisory only — no reservation is created, no spend is authorized, no ledger is updated, and caller-supplied history is not verified.

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "result": {
   "tool": "authorize_agent_spend",
   "checks": {
    "rate_within_limit": true,
    "currency_consistent": true,
    "hourly_within_limit": true,
    "transaction_within_limit": true
   },
   "policy": {
    "scope": "Compares caller-supplied downstream maximum cost with caller-supplied limits and history. A within-limits result is not authorization, a reservation, or evidence that actual spend is controlled.",
    "fee_scope": "The separately quoted service fee is excluded from these checks and must be budgeted separately in USDC. No USD/USDC conversion is performed.",
    "stateless": true,
    "model_calls": 0,
    "advisory_only": true,
    "history_scope": "The caller supplies committed cost for its intended rolling-hour window, all unresolved pending reservations, and the count of prior checks in its intended minute. Completeness and timing are not verified.",
    "ledger_updated": false,
    "history_verified": false,
    "delivery_verified": false,
    "credentials_issued": false,
    "reservation_created": false,
    "policy_authenticated": false,
    "human_review_required": true,
    "external_spend_enforced": false,
    "checks_exclude_service_fee": true,
    "submitted_records_retained": false,
    "submitted_evidence_verified": false,
    "caller_identity_authenticated": false,
    "downstream_payment_authorized": false
   },
   "currency": "USD",
   "findings": [],
   "proposed_cost": "0.300000",
   "policy_currency": "USD",
   "history_currency": "USD",
   "proposed_hour_total": "0.600000",
   "authorization_status": "WITHIN_SUBMITTED_LIMITS",
   "submitted_budget_in_use": "0.300000",
   "hourly_remaining_after_proposal": "4.400000"
  },
  "status": "review_required",
  "identities": {
   "analysis_result_identity": "res_3c6a67153fe1a091ccf08839ea792ccdf312bfda5453ba66fd50cab04dc263c4"
  },
  "service_id": "ardaro.authorize_agent_spend",
  "contract_version": "ardaro.agent-utilities.response.v1"
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/ardaro-agent-spend-budget-check-d482a71b/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from agents.getardaro.com](https://www.zero.xyz/host/agents.getardaro.com/llms.txt)