---
title: "Mandate, defined | Agent Ready Checkout"
description: "Mandate: In AP2, a signed verifiable credential that records a user's authorisation; v0.2 uses a Checkout Mandate and a Payment Mandate, each open or closed."
canonical: https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/mandate
site: "Agent Ready Checkout"
last_updated: 2026-11-04
section: "Glossary"
---

# Mandate, defined | Agent Ready Checkout

> Mandate: In AP2, a signed verifiable credential that records a user's authorisation; v0.2 uses a Checkout Mandate and a Payment Mandate, each open or closed.

Source: https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/mandate
Site: Agent Ready Checkout
Last reviewed: 2026-11-04

Glossary

# Mandate

In short

Mandate: In AP2, a signed verifiable credential that records a user's authorisation; v0.2 uses a Checkout Mandate and a Payment Mandate, each open or closed. Mandate appears in 3 sourced facts on this site, the first in Agent Payments Protocol (AP2). Example: An open Payment Mandate records budget and allowed instruments before a cart is final.

## Definition

In AP2, a signed verifiable credential that records a user's authorisation; v0.2 uses a Checkout Mandate and a Payment Mandate, each open or closed.

## Example

An open Payment Mandate records budget and allowed instruments before a cart is final. [ap2-protocol.org](https://ap2-protocol.org/), read 4 Nov 2026.

## Where it appears in the sourced facts

-   The current AP2 site defines a Checkout Mandate (items and purchase details, shared with the merchant) and a Payment Mandate (authorisation against an instrument, shared with credential provider, network and processor), each with open and closed stages. [ap2-protocol.org](https://ap2-protocol.org/), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/protocols/ap2).
-   Skyfire's homepage says it partners with card networks for tokenized card transactions and user mandate collection, listing Visa, Mastercard, Discover and USDC. [skyfire.xyz](https://skyfire.xyz), read 4 Nov 2026. In [Skyfire](https://agentreadycheckout.com/processors/skyfire).
-   AP2: the agent collects a Checkout Mandate and a Payment Mandate as signed credentials before payment, for human-present or human-not-present purchases. [ap2-protocol.org](https://ap2-protocol.org/), read 4 Nov 2026. In [How an agent checkout actually flows, per protocol](https://agentreadycheckout.com/guides/how-an-agent-checkout-flows).

## Nearby terms

-   [Human not present](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/human-not-present)
-   [Trusted Agent Protocol (TAP)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/trusted-agent-protocol-tap)
-   [Agent Payments Protocol (AP2)](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary/agent-payments-protocol-ap2)
-   [All terms](https://agentreadycheckout.com/glossary)

## Sources

1.  [AP2 protocol site](https://ap2-protocol.org/), read 4 Nov 2026
2.  [skyfire.xyz](https://skyfire.xyz), read 4 Nov 2026

Last reviewed 4 Nov 2026

## Edition

Matrix edition of 4 Nov 2026.

Reviewed 4 Nov 2026, [2 sources](#sources-h).

## Method

[How cells, sources and read dates are defined](https://agentreadycheckout.com/method)