# Pay-Per-Query x402 vs Account Registration Decision Procedure

> Pay-Per-Query x402 vs Account Registration Decision Procedure is a paid API for AI agents from k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev, paid per call via x402, $0.002/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-19).

Returns a structured decision procedure helping agents choose between x402 pay-per-query and account registration for data acquisition, including break-even math and three decision gates.

## Facts

- Endpoint: GET https://k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev/api/services/pay-per-query-x402-price-acquisition-vs-account?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.002/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-19
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/pay-per-query-x402-vs-account-registration-decision-procedure-03c2af85
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_x8xkAbBijyv7C0npfNrSX

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 pay-per-query-x402-vs-account-registration-decision-procedure-03c2af85
```

Example prompt: I need to decide whether to use x402 pay-per-query or just register an account for this data service — can you run through the break-even math and the freshness, volume discount, and credential risk gates for me?

## When to prefer this

Use this endpoint when an agent needs structured, opinionated guidance on whether to use x402 micropayments vs account registration for a specific data acquisition scenario. Prefer it over general documentation lookups when you need break-even math and gate-based logic tailored to autonomous agent decision-making. Most valuable when credential risk, freshness SLAs, or volume discount thresholds are the deciding factors.

## Known failure modes

- Payment not included or rejected — returns 402 with payment required headers
- Invalid method (POST/PUT) — only GET/HEAD/DELETE accepted
- Invalid meta param value — must be '0' or '1'
- Service unavailable — upstream LLM or reasoning engine down
- Topic override not recognized — may fall back to default procedure

## How this service works

Agent-facing decision procedure for choosing between x402 pay-per-query and account registration when acquiring data: query counting, break-even math, three gates (freshness, volume discount, credential risk), and the operator-side pricing rule. Blunt, no marketing.

## Output

A JSON object containing a 'brief' field with decision procedure prose covering query counting, break-even math, three gates (freshness, volume discount, credential risk), and the operator-side pricing rule. Also includes service slug, topic, generation source (llm/reasoning/deterministic), ISO-8601 timestamp, and payment confirmation fields.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
 "required": [
  "input"
 ],
 "properties": {
  "input": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type",
    "method"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string",
     "const": "http"
    },
    "method": {
     "enum": [
      "GET",
      "HEAD",
      "DELETE"
     ],
     "type": "string"
    },
    "queryParams": {
     "type": "object",
     "properties": {
      "meta": {
       "enum": [
        "0",
        "1"
       ],
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Set to 1 for free metadata JSON (no payment required)"
      },
      "topic": {
       "type": "string",
       "description": "Optional topic override for the decision procedure"
      }
     }
    }
   },
   "additionalProperties": false
  },
  "output": {
   "type": "object",
   "required": [
    "type"
   ],
   "properties": {
    "type": {
     "type": "string"
    },
    "example": {
     "type": "object",
     "title": "pay-per-query x402 price acquisition vs account registration decision procedure paid response",
     "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
     "required": [
      "ok",
      "paid",
      "service",
      "provider",
      "result"
     ],
     "properties": {
      "ok": {
       "type": "boolean"
      },
      "paid": {
       "type": "boolean"
      },
      "result": {
       "type": "object",
       "required": [
        "ok",
        "service"
       ],
       "properties": {
        "ok": {
         "type": "boolean",
         "description": "Handler success"
        },
        "brief": {
         "type": "string",
         "description": "Decision procedure prose for agents"
        },
        "model": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "topic": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "service": {
         "type": "string",
         "description": "Service slug"
        },
        "procedure": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "generatedAt": {
         "type": "string",
         "description": "ISO-8601 timestamp"
        },
        "generationSource": {
         "enum": [
          "llm",
          "reasoning",
          "deterministic"
         ],
         "type": "string"
        }
       }
      },
      "payment": {
       "type": "object",
       "properties": {
        "code": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "payer": {
         "type": "string"
        },
        "detail": {

… (truncated)
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/pay-per-query-x402-vs-account-registration-decision-procedure-03c2af85/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev](https://www.zero.xyz/host/k2so-8080.on.ascii.dev/llms.txt)