{
 "url": "https://agenticweb.wiki/compare/x402-vs-ucp/",
 "title": "x402 vs Universal Commerce Protocol",
 "description": "x402 vs Universal Commerce Protocol: They sit at the same step and overlap in purpose; the fields above are the basis for choosing. Side-by-side step…",
 "markdown_url": "https://agenticweb.wiki/compare/x402-vs-ucp/index.md",
 "markdown": "# x402 vs Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP)\n\nThey sit at the same step and overlap in purpose; the fields above are the basis for choosing.\n\n[7 Pay](/category/pay/) [x402](/protocols/x402/) · [7 Pay](/category/pay/) [Universal Commerce Protocol](/protocols/ucp/)\n\n|  | [x402](/protocols/x402/) | [Universal Commerce Protocol](/protocols/ucp/) UCP |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Lifecycle step | 7 Pay: Settle the bill | 7 Pay: Settle the bill |\n| Answers | How can an HTTP client pay per-request or per-resource, in stablecoins, without accounts, API keys, or signup? | Can an agent discover a business's commerce capabilities, build a cart, and check out interoperably across shopping, lodging, and food ordering? |\n| Governed by | x402 Foundation, a Series of LF Projects, LLC (Linux Foundation); operational launch announced 2026-07-14; Executive Director Michael Hursta from 2026-10-01; 50+ members | Domain Tech Councils (DTC) per vertical — Shopping Tech Council and Food Tech Council seated — under an overall Governing Council (GC); DTC seats held by Google, Shopify, Etsy, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Target, Stripe, Salesforce, Wayfair, Square, Toast, DoorDash, Uber Eats |\n| Status (issuer's words) | Open, neutral standard for internet-native payments | Open standard; specification expanding beyond Shopping into Lodging and Food |\n| Version | x402 protocol specification v2, transports-v2/http.md | v2026-08-25 (2026-08-25) |\n| Form / transport | HTTP header | well-known file |\n| Found at | none — signalled per-request via the 402 status code, not a fixed well-known path | /.well-known/ucp |\n| Implementation | multi-implementation — x402 Foundation (x402.org live dashboard) | multi-implementation — UCP project (ucp.dev launch-partner list) |\n| Evidence | 5 verified | 5 verified, 1 reported |\n| Primary use case | Accept payments from agents | Let agents buy on behalf of a person |\n| Last verified | 2026-10-23 (current) | 2026-10-23 (current) |\n| Specification | [https://github.com/x402-foundation/x402/blob/main/specs/transports-v2/http.md](https://github.com/x402-foundation/x402/blob/main/specs/transports-v2/http.md) | [https://ucp.dev/documentation/core-concepts/](https://ucp.dev/documentation/core-concepts/) |\n\n## When to use which\n\n- Choose x402 when your question is “How can an HTTP client pay per-request or per-resource, in stablecoins, without accounts, API keys, or signup?” and you accept its maturity: status \"Open, neutral standard for internet-native payments\", implementation multi-implementation (x402 Foundation (x402.org live dashboard)).\n- Choose Universal Commerce Protocol when your question is “Can an agent discover a business's commerce capabilities, build a cart, and check out interoperably across shopping, lodging, and food ordering?” and you accept its maturity: status \"Open standard; specification expanding beyond Shopping into Lodging and Food\", implementation multi-implementation (UCP project (ucp.dev launch-partner list)).\n\nGuidance is derived from the two records (question, status, implementation, prerequisites, pairings), not from opinion. Each record's page carries its numbered references.\n\n## Read the full articles\n\n- [x402](/protocols/x402/): How can an HTTP client pay per-request or per-resource, in stablecoins, without accounts, API keys, or signup?\n- [Universal Commerce Protocol](/protocols/ucp/): Can an agent discover a business's commerce capabilities, build a cart, and check out interoperably across shopping, lodging, and food ordering?\n\nAsk the MCP server to compare any two: the compare-protocols prompt, or get on both ids. [Connect](/connect/).\n\n[x402.json](/data/protocols/x402.json) · [ucp.json](/data/protocols/ucp.json) · [Markdown](/compare/x402-vs-ucp/index.md)\n"
}