MCP Integration: Zero-Code AI Payments in Claude

With our Model Context Protocol server, you can add payment capabilities to Claude Desktop without writing a single line of code. Here is how to get started in under 5 minutes.

What is MCP?

Model Context Protocol (MCP) is Anthropic's standard for connecting AI assistants to external tools and data sources. Think of it as a plugin system for Claude -- you can extend its capabilities by adding MCP servers.

Sardis provides an MCP server that gives Claude 52 tools including payment execution, wallet management, treasury ACH operations, merchant checkout, and agent discovery -- all within the bounds of your configured policy.

Step 1: Install the MCP Server

npx @sardis/mcp-server start

On first run, this will prompt you to log in to your Sardis account and configure your wallet.

Step 2: Configure Claude Desktop

Open your Claude Desktop configuration file. On macOS:

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

Add the Sardis server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sardis": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["@sardis/mcp-server", "start"]
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Restart Claude Desktop

After saving the configuration, restart Claude Desktop. You should see the Sardis tools available in the tools menu.

Step 4: Test It Out

Try asking Claude:

• "What's my Sardis wallet balance?"
• "Show me my recent transactions"
• "Pay $25 to OpenAI for API credits"
• "Create a spending mandate for my procurement agent"

Available Tools

The Sardis MCP server exposes 52 tools to Claude, including:

• sardis_pay -- Initiate a payment (subject to policy approval)
• sardis_get_balance -- Returns current wallet balance in USDC
• sardis_list_transactions -- Lists recent transactions
• sardis_check_policy -- Pre-flight policy check
• sardis_create_wallet -- Create a new agent wallet
• sardis_fund_wallet -- Fund wallet via treasury ACH
• sardis_create_checkout -- Create merchant checkout session
• sardis_discover_agents -- A2A agent discovery

Security Considerations

The MCP server never has direct access to your private keys. All transactions are signed using MPC (Multi-Party Computation):

• Sardis cannot move funds without your approval
• The MCP server cannot exceed policy limits even if compromised
• All transactions are logged in the cryptographic audit trail

Next Steps

Now that you have Sardis working with Claude, check out:

• Spending Policies -- configure what your agent can spend
• Time-Based Policies -- restrict when transactions occur
• Merchant Categories -- control allowed merchant types

Written by the Sardis Developer Relations Team