# OceanAlt Pre-Payment Decision API

> OceanAlt Pre-Payment Decision API is a paid API for AI agents from oceanalt.com, paid per call via x402, $0.002/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-23).

Evaluates whether an AI agent should allow, review, or decline a proposed payment to a given address, returning a verifiable risk decision with evidence signals.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://oceanalt.com/api/x402/decision?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.002/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-23
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/oceanalt-pre-payment-decision-api-3cf98488
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_SBwMbJNeuG8qM6zvF21yj

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 oceanalt-pre-payment-decision-api-3cf98488 -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Before sending 50 USDC to 0x4e9ce36e442e55ecd9025b9a6e0d88485d628a9 on Base for a freelance invoice, check with OceanAlt whether this payment should be allowed, reviewed, or declined.

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when an AI agent needs a real-time, verifiable pre-payment risk decision before sending stablecoin payments on EVM-compatible chains or TRON. It is ideal for autonomous agent workflows where human oversight of every payment is impractical, and compliance or fraud-prevention guardrails are needed. Prefer it over generic address lookup tools when you need a structured allow/review/decline signal with supporting evidence rather than raw on-chain data.

## Known failure modes

- Invalid or malformed address format returns a validation error
- Unsupported network value returns an enum validation error
- Missing required 'to' field causes a 400 bad request
- Insufficient prepaid credits or unpaid x402 fee results in a 402 Payment Required response
- Network timeout or service unavailability returns a 5xx error

## How this service works

Sanctions screening and AML screening of a payee before an AI agent pays: OFAC and other sanctions lists, mixers, scam and hack lists, on-chain risk. Returns a pre-payment compliance decision (allow / review / decline) with verifiable evidence and a signed receipt. Prepaid credits are cheaper: see POST /api/x402/credits.

## Output

A JSON object with a 'decision' field ('allow', 'review', or 'decline'), a 'reason_code' string explaining the outcome, a 'signal_class' categorizing the risk level, a list of 'evidence' items supporting the decision, a list of 'signal_keys' triggered, and a 'retry' field indicating whether retrying is applicable.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "to": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Payee address the agent intends to pay: EVM 0x…, TRON T…, Solana, Bitcoin or XRP Ledger r…"
  },
  "network": {
   "enum": [
    "ethereum",
    "base",
    "bsc",
    "polygon",
    "arbitrum",
    "optimism",
    "avalanche",
    "arc"
   ],
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Optional EVM chain of the payee"
  },
  "purpose": {
   "type": "string",
   "description": "Optional short note on what the payment is for"
  },
  "amountUsdc": {
   "type": "number",
   "description": "Optional payment amount in USDC"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "retry": "not_applicable",
  "decision": "allow",
  "evidence": [],
  "reason_code": "clear",
  "signal_keys": [],
  "signal_class": "ok"
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/oceanalt-pre-payment-decision-api-3cf98488/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from oceanalt.com](https://www.zero.xyz/host/oceanalt.com/llms.txt)