# VIA Router — Find Cheapest API

> VIA Router — Find Cheapest API 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 cheapest recommended API, service, or product match, paid via x402 USDC microtransaction on Base.

## Facts

- Endpoint: POST https://via-router.floot.app/_api/find_cheapest_api?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-find-cheapest-api-84f26bde
- Structured record (JSON): https://api.zero.xyz/v1/capabilities/cap_m4X9zGI4PIIjMVgPa8wGp

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-find-cheapest-api-84f26bde -d '<json body>'
```

Example prompt: Use VIA Router to find me the cheapest API for extracting text from PDFs — search in the services market, in English, for the US.

## When to prefer this

Choose this endpoint when an AI agent needs to dynamically discover and select the cheapest available API or service for a given task at runtime, especially when cost optimization matters and the agent does not already have a hardcoded integration. Ideal for agentic workflows that need to resolve tool selection on-the-fly using natural language, and where micropayment via x402/USDC on Base is acceptable.

## Known failure modes

- Intent string too short or too long (must be 2–500 characters) — validation error
- Invalid country code (must be ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 uppercase) — schema validation failure
- No matching service found for the given intent — empty or null recommendation
- Payment settlement failure on Base network — transaction not confirmed
- Unsupported market enum value — request rejected
- Rate limiting or service unavailability — HTTP 5xx error

## 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 containing a recommended API or service (title and source), whether payment was successful, the settlement transaction hash on Base, the toll cost in USD (0.001 USDC), and any alternatives found.

## 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": 0.001,
  "alternatives": [],
  "recommendation": {
   "title": "PDF Text Extractor",
   "source": "Apify Store"
  }
 }
}
```

## More

- Live health (JSON, refreshed every minute): https://www.zero.xyz/c/via-router-find-cheapest-api-84f26bde/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)