# Pinata x402 IPFS Storage

> Pinata x402 IPFS Storage is a free API for AI agents from 402.pinata.cloud, Free, status unknown (last checked 2026-09-15).

Upload and retrieve files on IPFS without an account or API key, paying per-use with crypto via the x402 protocol

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://402.pinata.cloud/
- Price: Free
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-09-15
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/pinata-ec813b8e
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_nmhemWXJ33Sx6yABFN9J-

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 pinata-ec813b8e -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Upload this image file to IPFS using Pinata's pay-per-use service — no account needed, just pay with USDC — and give me back the IPFS CID so I can reference it in my NFT metadata.

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when you need one-off or low-frequency IPFS uploads without committing to a monthly subscription or managing API keys. Ideal for Web3 agents, NFT minting workflows, or dApps that need decentralized storage on demand and can pay per call in USDC via the x402 protocol. Prefer this over traditional cloud storage when content-addressability, immutability, or decentralization is required.

## Known failure modes

- Payment insufficient or not processed — upload rejected with payment-required error
- File too large for the per-call pricing tier — returns size limit error
- Invalid file format or malformed request body — returns 400 bad request
- IPFS network timeout during pinning — returns 503 or gateway error
- CID not found during retrieval — returns 404 if content is not pinned or has expired

## How this service works

Account-free IPFS uploads and retrievals using crypto payments, powered by x402. Pay for private or public IPFS storage and retrieval without an account or API key.

## Output

Returns an IPFS CID (content identifier) for the uploaded file, confirming the data is pinned and accessible on the IPFS network via a public or private gateway URL

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/pinata-ec813b8e/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from 402.pinata.cloud](https://www.zero.xyz/host/402.pinata.cloud/llms.txt)