# VIA Router — Compare Prices (Buyer-Side Agent Router)

> VIA Router — Compare Prices (Buyer-Side Agent Router) is a paid API for AI agents from via-router.floot.app, paid per call via x402, $0.05/call, status unknown (last checked 2026-10-10).

Routes a plain-language intent to the best matching API, service, product, or sourced research result, returning a ranked recommendation with alternatives, paid via x402 USDC on Base.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://via-router.floot.app/_api/compare_prices?utm_source=zero.xyz
- Price: $0.05/call
- Payment: x402
- Status: unknown
- Last checked: 2026-10-10
- Activations on Zero: 0
- Tags: x402
- Canonical page: https://www.zero.xyz/c/via-router-compare-prices-buyer-side-agent-router-0ce07f4d
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_52fnSzFcqxbCg4W_3rdg4

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 via-router-compare-prices-buyer-side-agent-router-0ce07f4d -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Can you find the best API for extracting text from PDFs — search the services market for English-language options available in the US and give me a ranked recommendation with alternatives?

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when an AI agent or human needs to discover, compare, and rank APIs or services based on a plain-language intent, especially in agentic workflows that already handle x402 USDC micropayments on Base. It is particularly useful when the caller does not know which tool to use for a task and wants a curated recommendation with ranked alternatives, covering markets like services, commerce, information, and travel. Prefer it over manual web searches when you need a structured, machine-readable recommendation with a payment trail.

## Known failure modes

- Intent string too short or too long (below 2 or above 500 chars) — 400 validation error
- Invalid country code not matching ^[A-Z]{2}$ pattern — 400 validation error
- Invalid market enum value — 400 validation error
- x402 payment failure or insufficient USDC balance — payment declined, request not processed
- No matching recommendation found for obscure intent — alternatives array may be empty
- Network latency or Base chain congestion delaying settlement confirmation

## How this service works

VIA is a paid buyer-side router for AI agents and humans. Compare APIs, services, products and sourced research with x402 USDC payments on Base.

## Output

Returns a JSON object with: a 'paid' boolean confirming the x402 USDC payment was settled, the original intent echoed back, a settlement object with the Base network chain ID and transaction hash, the via toll in USD ($0.01), a top recommendation object with title and source, and an array of up to three alternative options.

## Request schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "object",
 "properties": {
  "intent": {
   "type": "string",
   "maxLength": 500,
   "minLength": 2,
   "description": "Plain-language request to route"
  },
  "market": {
   "enum": [
    "auto",
    "services",
    "commerce",
    "information",
    "travel"
   ],
   "type": "string"
  },
  "country": {
   "type": "string",
   "pattern": "^[A-Z]{2}$"
  },
  "language": {
   "enum": [
    "en",
    "pt"
   ],
   "type": "string"
  }
 }
}
```

## Response schema (JSON Schema)

```json
{
 "type": "json",
 "example": {
  "paid": true,
  "intent": "Find a PDF text extractor",
  "settlement": {
   "network": "eip155:8453",
   "transaction": "0x..."
  },
  "viaTollUsd": 0.01,
  "alternatives": [],
  "recommendation": {
   "title": "PDF Text Extractor",
   "source": "Apify Store"
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/via-router-compare-prices-buyer-side-agent-router-0ce07f4d/health.json
- [Zero catalog index](https://www.zero.xyz/llms.txt)
- [Other services from via-router.floot.app](https://www.zero.xyz/host/via-router.floot.app/llms.txt)