Protocol version

ANP 1.1 is the default latest version. ANP 1.0 remains available as an archive.

ANP Agent Payment Protocol Specification (AP2)

Abstract

This specification defines the Agent Payment Protocol (AP2), a standardized protocol for payment and transaction interactions between intelligent agents. AP2 is an application layer protocol based on ANP (Agent Network Protocol) that enables secure, efficient peer-to-peer payment transactions between agents.

Original AP2 Protocol: An open protocol released by Google in September 2025, designed to enable AI agents to safely complete payments on behalf of users. Official website: https://ap2-protocol.org/

This Specification's Position: This document is an adapted and extended version of the AP2 protocol within the ANP framework, optimized for decentralized agent network scenarios.

The core content of this specification includes:

Defining four core roles in payment scenarios: Shopper Agent, Merchant Agent, Credentials Provider, and Payment Processor
Defining three key credential types: CartMandate, PaymentMandate, and DeliveryReceipt
Using JWT/JWS standard for authorization signatures to ensure transaction integrity and security
Supporting multiple payment methods including QR code payments (Alipay, WeChat Pay)
Integrating with ANP's DID-based identity authentication mechanism

This specification aims to provide a standardized payment interaction solution for agent networks, supporting commerce, service procurement, and other transaction scenarios.

1. Overview

1.1 Background

As agent networks develop, agents need to complete various commercial transactions and payment operations on behalf of users. Traditional payment systems are primarily designed for human-computer interaction and lack native support for agent-to-agent payment scenarios. AP2 protocol is designed to address this gap by providing a payment solution specifically for agent interactions.

1.2 Design Principles

Security: Use cryptographic signatures (JWS/JWT) to ensure transaction content integrity and non-repudiation
Privacy Protection: Support selective disclosure and minimize unnecessary information leakage
Standardization: Based on existing standards (JWT, Payment Request API, etc.)
Extensibility: Support multiple payment methods and future protocol extensions
User Control: Require explicit user authorization for payments, ensuring user sovereignty

1.3 Relationship with Google AP2 and Key Adaptations

This specification is based on Google's AP2 protocol (official website: https://ap2-protocol.org/) and has been significantly adapted for ANP's decentralized agent network scenarios:

1.3.1 Original Google AP2 Design

Google AP2 uses three Mandate types:

IntentMandate: For "Human-Not-Present" (HNP) scenarios, where agents autonomously complete transactions based on user pre-authorization
CartMandate: For "Human-Present" (HP) scenarios, where users confirm shopping carts in real-time and authorize payments
PaymentMandate: Provides visibility signals of agent transactions to payment networks

All Mandates are based on W3C Verifiable Credentials (VC) standards.

1.3.2 Key Adaptations in ANP/AP2

We have made the following critical adaptations to AP2 within the ANP framework:

Adaptation	Google AP2	ANP/AP2	Rationale
Identity Authentication	Relies on existing payment network identity systems	Uses DID:WBA decentralized identity	Enable cross-platform, decentralized agent identity authentication
Communication Protocol	Based on A2A (Agent-to-Agent) and MCP protocol extensions	Based on ANP meta-protocol and message format	Unify agent communication standards, support richer negotiation capabilities
Credential Format	Strictly follows W3C VC specification	Uses JWT/JWS as lightweight implementation	Simplify implementation complexity while maintaining cryptographic security
Payment Methods	Primarily for credit/debit cards (Pull payments)	Prioritizes QR code payments (Alipay/WeChat)	Adapt to mainstream payment methods in China and Asian markets
IntentMandate	Supports pre-authorized autonomous agent shopping	Not supported (planned)	Focus on minimum viable implementation (M1), expand in future versions
Role Separation	Emphasizes four-party model (user, merchant, payment processor, issuer)	Supports simplified implementation with merged roles	M1 phase allows Shopper Agent to integrate CP and PP functions
Agent Discovery	Not explicitly defined	Capabilities declared through ANP Agent Description Protocol (ADP)	Enable automatic discovery and negotiation of agent capabilities

1.3.3 Retained Core Features

✅ Cryptographic signatures ensure transaction non-repudiation
✅ Support for explicit user authorization (User Authorization)
✅ Merchant signature guarantee for cart contents (Merchant Authorization)
✅ Auditable transaction credential chain
✅ Privacy protection and minimum information disclosure principles

1.3.4 Future Evolution Directions

[ ] Introduce IntentMandate in M2 version to support "Human-Not-Present" scenarios
[ ] Support SD-JWT (Selective Disclosure JWT) for finer-grained privacy protection
[ ] Align with W3C VC standards to support full verifiable credential interoperability
[ ] Expand payment methods: cryptocurrencies, central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), etc.

1.4 Protocol Positioning

AP2 is an application layer protocol in ANP, building upon:

Identity Layer: Using did:wba for agent identity authentication
Meta-Protocol Layer: Using ANP message format for agent communication
Agent Description: Declaring AP2 support in agent description documents

2. Core Concepts

2.1 Roles

AP2 defines four core roles:

2.1.1 Shopper Agent (SA)

Represents the buyer/consumer
Responsible for interacting with users, displaying order information, obtaining payment authorization
Sends purchase requests and payment mandates

2.1.2 Merchant Agent (MA)

Represents the seller/service provider
Responsible for generating shopping cart information, creating orders, issuing delivery receipts
Receives payment mandates and processes transactions

2.1.3 Credentials Provider (CP)

Provides user identity credentials
Responsible for user authentication and authorization signature generation
Ensures payment operations are explicitly authorized by users

2.1.4 Payment Processor (PP)

Processes actual payment operations
Responsible for interfacing with payment channels (Alipay, WeChat Pay, bank cards, etc.)
Returns payment results

Note: In the Minimum Implementation (M1), Shopper Agent may integrate CP and PP functionalities.

2.2 Core Credentials

2.2.1 CartMandate (Shopping Cart Authorization)

Generated by Merchant Agent
Contains order details, product information, total amount, payment methods
Signed by Merchant Agent to ensure order information integrity
Direction: MA → SA

2.2.2 PaymentMandate (Payment Authorization)

Generated by Shopper Agent
Contains user's payment authorization for specific order
Signed by user private key to ensure authorization authenticity
Direction: SA → MA

2.2.3 DeliveryReceipt (Delivery Receipt)

Generated by Merchant Agent
Confirms order completion, delivery status, or service provision
Used for transaction record keeping and dispute resolution
Direction: MA → SA

2.3 Transaction Flow

ANP/AP2 protocol defines a complete agent payment transaction flow, including four main phases: cart creation, user authorization, payment processing, and delivery confirmation.

2.3.1 Complete Transaction Flow Diagram

mermaid

sequenceDiagram
    participant User as User
    participant SA as Shopper Agent<br/>(SA)
    participant MA as Merchant Agent<br/>(MA)
    participant PP as Payment Processor<br/>(PP)

    Note over User,PP: Phase 1: Cart Creation
    User->>SA: 1. Initiate purchase<br/>(select items, quantity, options)
    SA->>MA: 2. create_cart_mandate<br/>(product SKU, quantity, address)
    Note over MA: 3. Generate order<br/>Calculate total<br/>Generate payment QR code
    Note over MA: 4. Calculate cart_hash<br/>Sign with private key to generate<br/>merchant_authorization
    MA->>SA: 5. CartMandate<br/>(order details + QR code + merchant signature)

    Note over User,PP: Phase 2: User Authorization
    SA->>User: 6. Display order info<br/>(items, price, payment QR code)
    User->>User: 7. Scan QR code to pay<br/>(Alipay/WeChat)
    Note over User: 8. Complete third-party payment<br/>(obtain payment proof)
    User->>SA: 9. Authorize payment<br/>(provide payment proof)

    Note over User,PP: Phase 3: Payment Processing
    Note over SA: 10. Calculate transaction_data<br/>(cart_hash + pmt_hash)
    Note over SA: 11. Sign with user private key<br/>generate user_authorization
    SA->>MA: 12. send_payment_mandate<br/>(PaymentMandate + user authorization)

    Note over MA: 13. Verify signatures<br/>- Verify merchant_authorization<br/>- Verify user_authorization<br/>- Validate cart_hash and pmt_hash
    MA->>PP: 14. Request payment confirmation<br/>(payment proof)
    PP->>PP: 15. Verify payment status
    PP->>MA: 16. Payment result<br/>(success/failure)

    Note over User,PP: Phase 4: Delivery Confirmation
    alt Payment Success
        Note over MA: 17. Arrange shipment/service provision
        MA->>SA: 18. Return transaction success<br/>(transaction_id)
        SA->>User: 19. Notify payment success<br/>Display order status
        Note over MA: 20. (Optional) Send DeliveryReceipt
        MA->>SA: 21. DeliveryReceipt<br/>(shipment info/service proof)
    else Payment Failure
        MA->>SA: 18. Return transaction failure<br/>(error message)
        SA->>User: 19. Notify payment failure<br/>Display failure reason
    end

2.3.2 Flow Description

Phase 1: Cart Creation (Steps 1-5)

User selects items and submits order through Shopper Agent
Shopper Agent sends cart creation request to Merchant Agent
Merchant Agent generates CartMandate, including order details and payment QR code
Merchant signs cart contents with its private key (merchant_authorization)

Phase 2: User Authorization (Steps 6-9)

Shopper Agent displays order information and payment QR code to user
User completes payment through third-party payment platform (Alipay/WeChat)
User obtains payment proof and authorizes transaction to Shopper Agent

Phase 3: Payment Processing (Steps 10-16)

Shopper Agent generates PaymentMandate
Signs transaction data with user's private key (user_authorization)
Merchant Agent verifies all signatures and hash values
Merchant confirms payment status through Payment Processor

Phase 4: Delivery Confirmation (Steps 17-21)

After successful payment, merchant arranges shipment or provides service
Merchant optionally sends DeliveryReceipt as delivery proof
User receives transaction completion notification

2.3.3 Key Security Mechanisms

Security Mechanism	Implementation	Purpose
Data Integrity	cart_hash = SHA-256(JCS(contents))	Ensure cart contents are not tampered
Merchant Authentication	merchant_authorization (RS256/ES256K signature)	Prove order generated by legitimate merchant
User Authorization	user_authorization (contains transaction_data)	Prove user explicitly authorized this transaction
Replay Attack Prevention	jti (JWT ID) globally unique identifier	Prevent authorization credentials from being reused
Time Constraints	iat/exp fields control validity period	Limit credential time window (recommended 15 minutes)
Identity Binding	cnf field binds holder DID	Ensure credentials can only be used by specific agents

3. Agent Description Protocol Integration

3.1 Declaring AP2 Support in AD Document

Agents supporting AP2 protocol should declare it in their Agent Description document:

json

{
  "protocolType": "ANP",
  "protocolVersion": "1.0.0",
  "type": "AgentDescription",
  "name": "Grand Hotel Assistant",
  "did": "did:wba:grand-hotel.com:service:hotel-assistant",
  "interfaces": [
    {
      "type": "NaturalLanguageInterface",
      "protocol": "AP2/ANP",
      "version": "0.0.1",
      "url": "https://grand-hotel.com/api/ap2.json",
      "description": "An implementation of the AP2 protocol based on the ANP protocol, used for payment and transactions between agents."
    }
  ]
}

3.2 AP2 Interface Description

The ap2.json file describes the roles and endpoints supported by the agent:

json

{
  "ap2/anp": "0.0.1",
  "roles": {
    "merchant": {
      "description": "Merchant Agent - generates cart, creates QR orders, issues delivery receipts",
      "endpoints": {
        "create_cart_mandate": "/ap2/merchant/create_cart_mandate",
        "send_payment_mandate": "/ap2/merchant/send_payment_mandate"
      }
    },
    "shopper": {
      "description": "Shopper Agent - handles user interaction, PIN validation, QR code display",
      "endpoints": {
        "receive_delivery_receipt": "/ap2/shopper/receive_delivery_receipt"
      }
    }
  }
}

3.3 Inline Interface Description

Alternatively, detailed interface information can be described directly in the AD document:

json

{
  "type": "NaturalLanguageInterface",
  "protocol": "AP2/ANP",
  "version": "0.0.1",
  "description": "AP2 protocol implementation supporting payment and transaction operations",
  "content": {
    "roles": {
      "merchant": {
        "description": "Merchant Agent - hotel booking service provider",
        "create_cart_mandate": {
          "description": "Create a cart mandate for a hotel booking",
          "endpoint": "/ap2/merchant/create_cart_mandate",
          "item_schema": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "hotel_id": {"type": "integer", "description": "Hotel ID"},
              "rate_plan_id": {"type": "string", "description": "Rate plan ID"},
              "room_num": {"type": "integer", "description": "Number of rooms"},
              "check_in_date": {"type": "string", "format": "date", "description": "Check-in date (YYYY-MM-DD)"},
              "check_out_date": {"type": "string", "format": "date", "description": "Check-out date (YYYY-MM-DD)"}
            },
            "required": ["hotel_id", "rate_plan_id", "room_num", "check_in_date", "check_out_date"]
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

4. Credential Definitions

4.1 CartMandate (Shopping Cart Authorization)

Direction: MA → SA

Complete Message Structure:

json

{
  "contents": {
    "id": "cart_shoes_123",
    "user_signature_required": false,
    "payment_request": {
      "method_data": [
        {
          "supported_methods": "QR_CODE",
          "data": {
            "channel": "ALIPAY",
            "qr_url": "https://pay.example.com/qrcode/abc123",
            "out_trade_no": "order_20250117_123456",
            "expires_at": "2025-01-17T09:15:00Z"
          }
        },
        {
          "supported_methods": "QR_CODE",
          "data": {
            "channel": "WECHAT",
            "qr_url": "https://pay.example.com/qrcode/abc123",
            "out_trade_no": "order_20250117_123456",
            "expires_at": "2025-01-17T09:15:00Z"
          }
        }
      ],
      "details": {
        "id": "order_shoes_123",
        "displayItems": [
          {
            "id": "sku-id-123",
            "sku": "Nike-Air-Max-90",
            "label": "Nike Air Max 90",
            "quantity": 1,
            "options": {"color": "red", "size": "42"},
            "amount": {"currency": "CNY", "value": 120.0},
            "pending": null,
            "remark": "Please ship as soon as possible"
          }
        ],
        "shipping_address": {
          "recipient_name": "Zhang San",
          "phone": "13800138000",
          "region": "Beijing",
          "city": "Beijing",
          "address_line": "Chaoyang District, Street 123",
          "postal_code": "100000"
        },
        "shipping_options": null,
        "modifiers": null,
        "total": {
          "label": "Total",
          "amount": {"currency": "CNY", "value": 120.0},
          "pending": null
        }
      },
      "options": {
        "requestPayerName": false,
        "requestPayerEmail": false,
        "requestPayerPhone": false,
        "requestShipping": true,
        "shippingType": null
      }
    }
  },
  "merchant_authorization": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "timestamp": "2025-08-26T19:36:36.377022Z"
}

Key Points:

contents contains shopping cart content, payment request, and QR code information
merchant_authorization is a JWS signature (RS256 or ES256K) on the cart_hash
cart_hash = b64url(sha256(JCS(contents)))

4.2 Merchant Authorization

4.2.1 Overview

The merchant_authorization field is a short-term digital signature authorization credential from the merchant on the shopping cart contents (CartContents), ensuring the authenticity and integrity of cart contents.

This field replaces the legacy merchant_signature and adopts the JSON Web Signature (JWS) container format compliant with JOSE/JWT standards.

4.2.2 Data Type

Type: Base64URL-encoded compact JWS string (header.payload.signature)
Algorithm: RS256 or ES256K
Field: CartMandate.merchant_authorization

4.2.3 Header Format

json

{
  "alg": "RS256",
  "kid": "MA-key-001",
  "typ": "JWT"
}

Or:

json

{
  "alg": "ES256K",
  "kid": "MA-es256k-key-001",
  "typ": "JWT"
}

4.2.4 Payload Format

json

{
  "iss": "did:wba:a.com:MA",
  "sub": "did:wba:a.com:MA",
  "aud": "did:wba:a.com:TA",
  "iat": 1730000000,
  "exp": 1730000900,
  "jti": "uuid",
  "cart_hash": "<b64url>",
  "cnf": {"kid": "did:wba:a.com:TA#keys-1"},
  "extensions": ["anp.ap2.qr.v1", "anp.human_presence.v1"]
}

Field Descriptions:

iss: Issuer (Merchant Agent DID)
sub: Subject (can be same as iss)
aud: Audience (Transaction Agent or Payment Processor)
iat: Issued at time (seconds)
exp: Expiration time (recommended 180 days)
jti: Globally unique identifier (prevents replay attacks)
cart_hash: Hash of CartMandate.contents
cnf: (Recommended) Holder binding information
extensions: Supported protocol extensions

4.2.5 cart_hash Calculation

text

cart_hash = Base64URL(SHA-256(JCS(CartMandate.contents)))

Use RFC 8785 JSON Canonicalization Scheme (JCS) to canonicalize CartMandate.contents
Perform SHA-256 hash on the canonicalized UTF-8 bytes
Base64URL encode the result (remove "=" padding)

4.2.6 Signature Generation Process (Merchant MA)

Calculate cart_hash
Construct JWT Payload (with iss/sub/aud/iat/exp/jti/cart_hash/cnf/extensions)
Construct Header (alg=RS256 or alg=ES256K, kid=<merchant public key identifier>)
Sign payload with merchant private key to generate compact JWS
Write generated JWS as merchant_authorization into CartMandate object

4.2.7 Verification Process (Transaction TA)

Recalculate cart_hash' from CartMandate.contents
Parse merchant_authorization:
- Extract Header → kid
- Obtain MA's public key through DID document or registry
- Verify JWS signature (RS256 or ES256K, matching Header)
Verify claims:
- iss/aud/iat/exp/jti all comply with specifications
- Current time is within [iat, exp]
- jti has not been reused
Verify data binding:
- payload.cart_hash == cart_hash', otherwise reject
Identify extensions:
- If cnf exists, can be used for subsequent holder verification

4.2.8 Reference Implementation (Python)

python

import json, base64, hashlib, uuid, time
import jwt  # pip install pyjwt

def jcs_canonicalize(obj):
    return json.dumps(obj, ensure_ascii=False, separators=(",", ":"), sort_keys=True)

def b64url_no_pad(b: bytes) -> str:
    return base64.urlsafe_b64encode(b).decode("ascii").rstrip("=")

def compute_cart_hash(contents: dict) -> str:
    canon = jcs_canonicalize(contents)
    digest = hashlib.sha256(canon.encode("utf-8")).digest()
    return b64url_no_pad(digest)

def sign_merchant_authorization(contents: dict, ma_private_pem: str, kid: str,
                                iss: str, aud: str, cnf: dict = None,
                                ttl_seconds: int = 900) -> str:
    now = int(time.time())
    payload = {
        "iss": iss,
        "sub": iss,
        "aud": aud,
        "iat": now,
        "exp": now + ttl_seconds,
        "jti": str(uuid.uuid4()),
        "cart_hash": compute_cart_hash(contents),
        "extensions": ["anp.ap2.qr.v1", "anp.human_presence.v1"]
    }
    if cnf:
        payload["cnf"] = cnf
    headers = {"alg": "RS256", "kid": kid, "typ": "JWT"}
    return jwt.encode(payload, ma_private_pem, algorithm="RS256", headers=headers)

4.3 PaymentMandate (Payment Authorization)

Direction: SA → MA

Message Structure:

json

{
  "payment_mandate_contents": {
    "payment_mandate_id": "pm_12345",
    "payment_details_id": "order_shoes_123",
    "payment_details_total": {
      "label": "Total",
      "amount": {"currency": "CNY", "value": 120.0},
      "pending": null,
      "refund_period": 30
    },
    "payment_response": {
      "request_id": "order_shoes_123",
      "method_name": "QR_CODE",
      "details": {
        "channel": "ALIPAY",
        "out_trade_no": "order_20250117_123456"
      },
      "shipping_address": null,
      "shipping_option": null,
      "payer_name": null,
      "payer_email": null,
      "payer_phone": null
    },
    "merchant_agent": "MerchantAgent",
    "timestamp": "2025-08-26T19:36:36.377022Z"
  },
  "user_authorization": "eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksiLCJraWQiOiJkaWQ6ZXhhbXBsZ..."
}

Field Descriptions:

payment_details_id: ID of the detail in the Payment request from CartMandate
user_authorization: User's authorization signature on the transaction

4.4 User Authorization

User authorization generation follows the Merchant Authorization pattern with these differences:

Payload uses transaction_data instead of cart_hash:

json

{
  "iss": "did:wba:a.com:user",
  "sub": "did:wba:a.com:user",
  "aud": "did:wba:a.com:MA",
  "iat": 1730000000,
  "exp": 1730000900,
  "jti": "uuid",
  "transaction_data": [
    "<cart_hash>",
    "<pmt_hash>"
  ],
  "cnf": {"kid": "did:wba:a.com:MA#keys-1"}
}

transaction_data Calculation:

text

cart_hash = Base64URL(SHA-256(JCS(CartMandate.contents)))
pmt_hash = Base64URL(SHA-256(JCS(PaymentMandate.payment_mandate_contents)))

5. Message Definitions

5.1 create_cart_mandate

Direction: Shopper (SA) → Merchant (MA)

API Path: POST /ap2/merchant/create_cart_mandate

Request Message Structure:

json

{
  "messageId": "cart-request-001",
  "from": "did:wba:a.com:shopper",
  "to": "did:wba:a.com:merchant",
  "data": {
    "cart_mandate_id": "cart-mandate-id-123",
    "items": [
      {
        "id": "sku-id-123",
        "sku": "Nike-Air-Max-90",
        "quantity": 1,
        "options": {"color": "red", "size": "42"},
        "remark": "Please ship as soon as possible"
      }
    ],
    "shipping_address": {
      "recipient_name": "Zhang San",
      "phone": "13800138000",
      "region": "Beijing",
      "city": "Beijing",
      "address_line": "Chaoyang District, Street 123",
      "postal_code": "100000"
    },
    "remark": "Please ship as soon as possible"
  }
}

Response Message Structure (Returns CartMandate):

json

{
  "messageId": "cart-response-001",
  "from": "did:wba:a.com:merchant",
  "to": "did:wba:a.com:shopper",
  "data": {
    "contents": {
      "id": "cart-mandate-id-123",
      "user_signature_required": false,
      "payment_request": {
        "method_data": [
          {
            "supported_methods": "QR_CODE",
            "data": {
              "channel": "ALIPAY",
              "qr_url": "https://pay.example.com/qrcode/abc123",
              "out_trade_no": "order_20250117_123456",
              "expires_at": "2025-01-17T09:15:00Z"
            }
          }
        ],
        "details": {
          "id": "order_shoes_123",
          "displayItems": [
            {
              "id": "sku-id-123",
              "sku": "Nike-Air-Max-90",
              "label": "Nike Air Max 90",
              "quantity": 1,
              "options": {"color": "red", "size": "42"},
              "amount": {"currency": "CNY", "value": 120.0},
              "pending": null
            }
          ],
          "total": {
            "label": "Total",
            "amount": {"currency": "CNY", "value": 120.0},
            "pending": null
          }
        }
      }
    },
    "merchant_authorization": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-17T09:00:01Z"
  }
}

5.2 send_payment_mandate

Direction: Shopper (SA) → Merchant (MA)

API Path: POST /ap2/merchant/send_payment_mandate

Request Message Structure:

json

{
  "messageId": "payment-mandate-001",
  "from": "did:wba:a.com:shopper",
  "to": "did:wba:a.com:merchant",
  "data": {
    "payment_mandate_contents": {
      "payment_mandate_id": "pm_12345",
      "payment_details_id": "order_shoes_123",
      "payment_details_total": {
        "label": "Total",
        "amount": {"currency": "CNY", "value": 120.0},
        "pending": null,
        "refund_period": 30
      },
      "payment_response": {
        "request_id": "order_shoes_123",
        "method_name": "QR_CODE",
        "details": {
          "channel": "ALIPAY",
          "out_trade_no": "order_20250117_123456"
        },
        "shipping_address": null,
        "shipping_option": null,
        "payer_name": null,
        "payer_email": null,
        "payer_phone": null
      },
      "merchant_agent": "MerchantAgent",
      "timestamp": "2025-01-17T09:05:00Z"
    },
    "user_authorization": "eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NksiLCJraWQiOiJkaWQ6ZXhhbXBsZ..."
  }
}

Response Message Structure:

json

{
  "messageId": "payment-response-001",
  "from": "did:wba:a.com:merchant",
  "to": "did:wba:a.com:shopper",
  "data": {
    "status": "success",
    "payment_mandate_id": "pm_12345",
    "transaction_id": "txn_67890",
    "message": "Payment processed successfully"
  }
}

6. Message Flow Sequence

SA Request → MA: create_cart_mandate (shopping cart creation request)
MA Response → SA: CartMandate (shopping cart authorization + QR code) in HTTP response
SA Request → MA: send_payment_mandate (payment authorization)
MA Response → SA: Payment processing result

7. Security Considerations

7.1 Signature Verification

All critical credentials (CartMandate, PaymentMandate) must be signed and verified:

Merchant Agent signs CartMandate with its private key
User signs PaymentMandate with their private key
Receiving party must verify signatures through DID document public keys

7.2 Timestamp and Expiration

All credentials must include timestamps
CartMandate should include QR code expiration time (expires_at)
JWT tokens should set reasonable expiration times (recommended 15 minutes)

7.3 Replay Attack Prevention

Use jti (JWT ID) to ensure each authorization credential is globally unique
Receiving party should maintain used jti list to prevent replay attacks

7.4 HTTPS Transmission

All API endpoints must use HTTPS protocol
Ensure encrypted transmission of sensitive information during communication

7.5 User Authorization

Payment operations must obtain explicit user authorization
User private key should be stored securely and not leave user device
Support hardware security modules or secure enclaves for key storage

8. Extension Mechanisms

8.1 Payment Method Extension

AP2 supports extending new payment methods through the supported_methods field:

QR_CODE: QR code payment
CARD: Bank card payment
CRYPTO: Cryptocurrency payment
Custom payment methods

8.2 Protocol Extension Field

JWT Payload supports extensions field to declare protocol extensions:

json

{
  "extensions": [
    "anp.ap2.qr.v1",
    "anp.human_presence.v1",
    "anp.ap2.subscription.v1"
  ]
}

9. Implementation Recommendations

9.1 Minimum Implementation (M1)

Minimum implementation should include:

Support for QR code payment method (Alipay or WeChat Pay)
Implementation of CartMandate and PaymentMandate
Basic signature generation and verification
DID:WBA identity authentication

9.2 Complete Implementation

Complete implementation should additionally include:

Support for multiple payment methods
DeliveryReceipt implementation
Role separation (SA, MA, CP, PP)
Refund and dispute handling mechanisms

9.3 Library and Tool Recommendations

JWT Processing: PyJWT (Python), jsonwebtoken (JavaScript)
JSON Canonicalization: jcs (multiple language implementations)
DID Resolution: Universal Resolver
Cryptographic Operations: cryptography (Python), Web Crypto API (JavaScript)

10. Example Scenarios

10.1 E-commerce Purchase Scenario

User browses products through Shopper Agent
User selects product and submits order
Shopper Agent sends create_cart_mandate request to Merchant Agent
Merchant Agent returns CartMandate with payment QR code
Shopper Agent displays order information and QR code to user
User scans code to complete payment
Shopper Agent generates PaymentMandate and sends to Merchant Agent
Merchant Agent verifies payment and arranges shipment

10.2 Service Booking Scenario (Hotel Booking)

User searches for hotels through Shopper Agent
User selects hotel and room type
Shopper Agent sends booking request to Hotel Merchant Agent
Hotel Merchant Agent returns booking CartMandate with total cost
User confirms booking information and authorizes payment
Shopper Agent sends PaymentMandate to Hotel Merchant Agent
Hotel Merchant Agent confirms payment and generates booking confirmation

11. References

[RFC 7519] JSON Web Token (JWT)
[RFC 7515] JSON Web Signature (JWS)
[RFC 8785] JSON Canonicalization Scheme (JCS)
W3C Payment Request API
ANP Technical White Paper
ANP Agent Description Protocol
DID:WBA Method Specification

Copyright Notice

Copyright (c) 2024 GaoWei Chang
This file is released under the MIT License. You are free to use and modify it, but you must retain this copyright notice.

ANP Agent Payment Protocol Specification (AP2) ​

Abstract ​

1. Overview ​

1.1 Background ​

1.2 Design Principles ​

1.3 Relationship with Google AP2 and Key Adaptations ​

1.3.1 Original Google AP2 Design ​

1.3.2 Key Adaptations in ANP/AP2 ​

1.3.3 Retained Core Features ​

1.3.4 Future Evolution Directions ​

1.4 Protocol Positioning ​

2. Core Concepts ​

2.1 Roles ​

2.1.1 Shopper Agent (SA) ​

2.1.2 Merchant Agent (MA) ​

2.1.3 Credentials Provider (CP) ​

2.1.4 Payment Processor (PP) ​

2.2 Core Credentials ​

2.2.1 CartMandate (Shopping Cart Authorization) ​

2.2.2 PaymentMandate (Payment Authorization) ​

2.2.3 DeliveryReceipt (Delivery Receipt) ​

2.3 Transaction Flow ​

2.3.1 Complete Transaction Flow Diagram ​

2.3.2 Flow Description ​

2.3.3 Key Security Mechanisms ​

3. Agent Description Protocol Integration ​

3.1 Declaring AP2 Support in AD Document ​

3.2 AP2 Interface Description ​

3.3 Inline Interface Description ​

4. Credential Definitions ​

4.1 CartMandate (Shopping Cart Authorization) ​

4.2 Merchant Authorization ​

4.2.1 Overview ​

4.2.2 Data Type ​

4.2.3 Header Format ​

4.2.4 Payload Format ​

4.2.5 cart_hash Calculation ​

4.2.6 Signature Generation Process (Merchant MA) ​

4.2.7 Verification Process (Transaction TA) ​

4.2.8 Reference Implementation (Python) ​

4.3 PaymentMandate (Payment Authorization) ​

4.4 User Authorization ​

5. Message Definitions ​

5.1 create_cart_mandate ​

5.2 send_payment_mandate ​

6. Message Flow Sequence ​

7. Security Considerations ​

7.1 Signature Verification ​

7.2 Timestamp and Expiration ​

7.3 Replay Attack Prevention ​

7.4 HTTPS Transmission ​

7.5 User Authorization ​

8. Extension Mechanisms ​

8.1 Payment Method Extension ​

8.2 Protocol Extension Field ​

9. Implementation Recommendations ​

9.1 Minimum Implementation (M1) ​

9.2 Complete Implementation ​

9.3 Library and Tool Recommendations ​

10. Example Scenarios ​

10.1 E-commerce Purchase Scenario ​

10.2 Service Booking Scenario (Hotel Booking) ​

11. References ​

Copyright Notice ​

ANP Agent Payment Protocol Specification (AP2)

Abstract

1. Overview

1.1 Background

1.2 Design Principles

1.3 Relationship with Google AP2 and Key Adaptations

1.3.1 Original Google AP2 Design

1.3.2 Key Adaptations in ANP/AP2

1.3.3 Retained Core Features

1.3.4 Future Evolution Directions

1.4 Protocol Positioning

2. Core Concepts

2.1 Roles

2.1.1 Shopper Agent (SA)

2.1.2 Merchant Agent (MA)

2.1.3 Credentials Provider (CP)

2.1.4 Payment Processor (PP)

2.2 Core Credentials

2.2.1 CartMandate (Shopping Cart Authorization)

2.2.2 PaymentMandate (Payment Authorization)

2.2.3 DeliveryReceipt (Delivery Receipt)

2.3 Transaction Flow

2.3.1 Complete Transaction Flow Diagram

2.3.2 Flow Description

2.3.3 Key Security Mechanisms

3. Agent Description Protocol Integration

3.1 Declaring AP2 Support in AD Document

3.2 AP2 Interface Description

3.3 Inline Interface Description

4. Credential Definitions

4.1 CartMandate (Shopping Cart Authorization)

4.2 Merchant Authorization

4.2.1 Overview

4.2.2 Data Type

4.2.3 Header Format

4.2.4 Payload Format

4.2.5 cart_hash Calculation

4.2.6 Signature Generation Process (Merchant MA)

4.2.7 Verification Process (Transaction TA)

4.2.8 Reference Implementation (Python)

4.3 PaymentMandate (Payment Authorization)

4.4 User Authorization

5. Message Definitions

5.1 create_cart_mandate

5.2 send_payment_mandate

6. Message Flow Sequence

7. Security Considerations

7.1 Signature Verification

7.2 Timestamp and Expiration

7.3 Replay Attack Prevention

7.4 HTTPS Transmission

7.5 User Authorization

8. Extension Mechanisms

8.1 Payment Method Extension

8.2 Protocol Extension Field

9. Implementation Recommendations

9.1 Minimum Implementation (M1)

9.2 Complete Implementation

9.3 Library and Tool Recommendations

10. Example Scenarios

10.1 E-commerce Purchase Scenario

10.2 Service Booking Scenario (Hotel Booking)

11. References

Copyright Notice