Cloudflare is announcing the Monetization Gateway, a new product that lets Cloudflare customers charge for any web resource — web pages, datasets, APIs, or MCP tools — using usage-based pricing. Payments settle in stablecoins via x402, an open HTTP-native payment protocol that uses the 402 status code. The gateway handles payment verification and enforcement at the edge, removing the need for sellers to build their own billing infrastructure. Buyers (including AI agents) need no prior account or API key — the payment itself serves as the credential. The product is motivated by the rise of AI agents as dominant internet consumers who don't engage with traditional ad or subscription models, making per-request micropayments a natural fit. The waitlist is now open for early access.
