What is Payre?

Payre lets MCP server developers charge per API call with 3 lines of code.

The Problem

There are 11,000+ MCP servers on GitHub. 95% of them are free, and most are abandoned after the first week.

Why? Because building an MCP server is fun. Maintaining one is work. And work without pay doesn't last.

If you want to charge for your MCP server today, you need to:

• Set up Stripe (1-2 days minimum)
• Build a user system with accounts and API keys
• Implement balance tracking and usage metering
• Handle webhooks, refunds, and edge cases
• Build a dashboard so users can see their usage

That's 2-4 weeks of billing infrastructure before you write a single line of your actual tool.

The Solution

Payre is an npm package. You install it, add 3 lines of code, and your MCP server charges per call.

npm install @payre/pay

import { PayrePay } from '@payre/pay';

const payre = new PayrePay({ secretKey: process.env.PAYRE_SECRET_KEY });

// Inside your MCP tool handler:
const receipt = await payre.charge({
  apiKey: req.headers['x-payre-key'],  // consumer's API key
  tool: 'search',
  amount: 0.005,                        // $0.005 per call
});

That's it. Every call now costs $0.005. You earn $0.00485 (97%).

How It Works

Developer                          Consumer
   |                                  |
   |  1. npm install @payre/pay       |
   |  2. Add payre.charge() to tool   |
   |                                  |  3. Top up balance at console.payre.dev
   |                                  |  4. Get API key (pyr_ck_live_xxx)
   |                                  |
   |<--- 5. Call MCP tool ------------|
   |     (with X-Payre-Key header)    |
   |                                  |
   |  6. payre.charge() validates     |
   |     key, checks balance,         |
   |     deducts amount, returns      |
   |     signed receipt               |
   |                                  |
   |  7. Tool executes normally       |
   |  8. Consumer gets result         |
   |---- + receipt ------------------>|
   |                                  |
   |  Developer sees earnings         |
   |  in dashboard                    |

The Core Flow

1. Developer registers at console.payre.dev and gets a secret key (pyr_sk_live_xxx)
2. Developer sets prices per tool, per call (e.g. $0.005 for search, $0.02 for generate)
3. Developer adds the SDK -- npm install @payre/pay + 3 lines in the tool handler
4. Consumer signs up and tops up their balance via Stripe Checkout
5. Consumer calls the tool with their API key in the X-Payre-Key header
6. Payre validates and charges -- balance check + deduct + HMAC-signed receipt, all in < 50ms
7. Developer gets paid -- 97% of every charge, withdrawable via Stripe Connect

What Payre is NOT

• Not a marketplace. Unlike MCPize or Apify, Payre doesn't host your server or list it in a catalog. Your server runs wherever you want -- your VPS, AWS, Cloudflare Workers, localhost. Payre is an SDK you embed.

• Not a proxy. Payre doesn't sit between you and your users. The charge() call is a lightweight API call (avg 0.5ms) that happens inside your tool handler. Your users connect directly to your server.

• Not a user management system. You don't need to build accounts, passwords, or OAuth. Consumers get one API key from Payre that works across every MCP server that uses Payre.

The Economics

	You (Developer)	Payre
Revenue share	97%	3%
Stripe fees	Paid by consumer at top-up	--
Monthly minimum	None	--
Setup cost	Free	--

A developer with a useful MCP tool charging $0.01/call and getting 10,000 calls/day earns $97/day = $2,910/month.

Next Steps

• Quick Start -- 5 minutes from zero to first payment
• Core Concepts -- Understand developers, consumers, charges, and receipts
• SDK Reference -- Full PayrePay API docs