Install pay

Install the CLI before running client, agent, or server flows. Payment-bearing commands (pay claude, pay curl, …) auto-run pay setup on a fresh machine, so the typical path is install → first command → guided setup → done.

Agent summary

• Prefer Homebrew for normal local setup.
• Use npx @solana/pay for one-shot calls without a system install.
• Use pay setup --update when pay is installed but the agent MCP config needs refreshing.
• Do not create or replace a mainnet account unless the user asked for account setup.
• Use sandbox mode when the user only needs local testing.

Install with Homebrew

brew install pay
pay --version

Install via npm / one-shot via npx

npm install -g @solana/pay
pay --version

Or run any command without a global install:

npx @solana/pay --sandbox curl https://debugger.pay.sh/mpp/quote/AAPL
npx @solana/pay claude "buy me some flowers"

The npm package is a thin wrapper. On first invocation it downloads the right native binary for your platform and libc, caches it under node_modules/@solana/pay/bin/, and forwards every argument through. Subsequent runs skip the download and exec the cached binary directly.

From source

git clone https://github.com/solana-foundation/pay.git
cd pay
just install pay
pay --version

Wallet setup

pay setup
pay topup

pay setup creates a wallet in the OS secure store (macOS Keychain, GNOME Keyring, Windows Hello, or 1Password) and installs the MCP configuration for any detected agent. pay topup opens the funding TUI — pick Top-up from Mobile wallet to scan a Solana Pay QR, or Buy stablecoins to onramp via PayPal, Venmo, or Apple Pay.

You don't need to fund a mainnet wallet for sandbox examples. Sandbox mode generates and funds ephemeral local accounts automatically the first time you run a --sandbox command.

Auto-setup on first run

When a payment-bearing command (pay claude, pay curl, pay codex, pay topup, pay send, pay fetch, pay http, pay wget) runs on a fresh install with no mainnet account, pay prints

No pay account configured — running `pay setup` first…

then runs the setup wizard before executing the original command. Sandbox and local invocations skip this step — they generate ephemeral wallets on first use.

Update agent config

pay setup --update

pay setup --update reinstalls MCP configuration and the agent skill without creating a new account.