A paywall that can't be inspect-elemented
Locked content is stripped on the server before the page is sent — it's never in the HTML. View-source, reader mode, disabling CSS, the REST API and RSS feeds all show the teaser, never the paid body.
WordPress · x402 · USDC
Get paid in USDC for your content.
A WordPress paywall that charges humans and blocks — or optionally charges — AI crawlers. Server-side enforced, so it can't be bypassed with inspect-element. USDC on Base and Solana. No accounts, no card fees, no chargebacks.
- ✔ Server-side enforced
- ✔ 2 networks, USDC only
- ✔ GPL · self-hostable
Why x402 Paywall
Monetize content the web-native way
Real enforcement, real dollars (USDC), and the only paywall AI agents can actually pay.
USDC — no card fees, no chargebacks
Readers pay in USDC on Base or Solana. No card processor taking 2.9% + 30¢, no chargebacks, no reader accounts. Money settles straight to your wallet.
Block AI scrapers — or make them pay AI-ready
Known AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, CCBot, PerplexityBot, Bytespider…) are blocked from paid content by default. On Pro, let verified agents pay per crawl over HTTP 402.
WooCommerce for digital products Pro
Accept USDC at WooCommerce checkout. Pro adds digital-product automation so downloads unlock automatically the moment a payment settles.
Works with posts, pages & REST
Gate whole posts and pages, or lock just part of an article with a shortcode. Every surface — front-end, REST, feeds, oEmbed, search — routes through one server-side gate.
Minutes to set up
Install, paste a wallet address, set a price. The free tier runs on a public facilitator on testnet out of the box; go live on mainnet when you're ready.
How it works
x402 in three steps
x402 puts a price on the HTTP 402 “Payment Required” status code. No plugin has to reinvent checkout — the protocol does it. Built on x402 v2, the current version of the spec, so any x402-compatible wallet or agent can pay.
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Reader requests paid content
Your server replies with HTTP 402 Payment Required and a machine-readable list of what to pay: amount in USDC, network, token and your wallet.
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They pay in USDC
The reader — or any x402-compatible AI agent — signs a USDC payment for the exact amount on the chosen network. No account, no redirect, no card form.
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Server verifies & unlocks
A facilitator confirms the settlement on-chain. Only then does the server release the content and issue a payment-bound access grant. Replay-proof and idempotent.
Every surface covered
One gate. No leaks.
The classic paywall bug is one surface forgetting to strip the paid body. x402 Paywall routes the front-end render, REST API, RSS/Atom feeds, oEmbed, search and sitemaps through a single server-side gate, so paid content never leaks.
USDC on
- Base recommended — sub-cent fees
- Solana fast, low fee
- Base Sepolia testnet
- Solana Devnet testnet
Honest scope: USDC only, these two networks (plus their testnets). No other tokens or chains.
Why it’s secure
Built to stay locked
Access is granted only after a payment settles on-chain — never from a cookie, and never when a check is down.
- Granted after settlement — not on a cookie or client flag
- No custody — USDC settles straight to your wallet
- Fail-closed — an outage keeps content locked, never free
- Server-side re-binding — wrong amount, chain or wallet is rejected
- Replay-proof — a settled payment can’t be reused
- Leak-proof — stripped from REST, feeds, search & bots, not blurred
Trusted by publishers & builders
Social proof goes here
Replace these slots with real logos, testimonials and metrics as they come in — never invented.
“Placeholder testimonial 1 — a real customer quote about getting paid in USDC without card fees or chargebacks will replace this.”
“Placeholder testimonial 2 — a real customer quote about getting paid in USDC without card fees or chargebacks will replace this.”
“Placeholder testimonial 3 — a real customer quote about getting paid in USDC without card fees or chargebacks will replace this.”
FAQ
Questions, answered
What is x402 and how does the paywall work?
x402 is an open payment protocol built on the HTTP 402 "Payment Required" status code, and the plugin speaks x402 v2 — the current version of the spec. When someone requests paid content, the server responds with 402 and a machine-readable list of what to pay (amount, network, token, destination). The visitor pays in USDC, and only after a facilitator confirms the settlement — over x402's standardized verify and settle API — does the server release the content. No accounts, no redirects to a checkout page.
Can visitors bypass the paywall with inspect-element or reader mode?
No. The locked content is removed on the server before the page is sent, so it is never in the HTML. There is nothing to reveal by viewing source, disabling CSS, using reader mode, or opening the REST API or RSS feed. Access is granted only after a verified, settled payment.
Which cryptocurrencies and networks are supported?
USDC only, on Base and Solana (plus Base Sepolia and Solana Devnet testnets for development). USDC is a regulated dollar stablecoin, so pricing stays predictable — no volatile-coin surprises for you or your readers.
Do I need to handle crypto custody or KYC?
Payments settle directly to the wallet address you configure. The plugin never takes custody of funds. You are responsible for your own tax and regulatory obligations; the plugin is software, not a payment processor or merchant of record.
How is this different from Stripe, MemberPress or Leaky Paywall?
Those use card rails: accounts, card fees (roughly 2.9% + 30¢), and chargeback risk. x402 Paywall settles USDC peer-to-peer — no accounts for readers, no card fees, and no chargebacks. It is also natively machine-payable: AI agents can pay for a page over plain HTTP, which no membership plugin can do.
Can I block — or charge — AI crawlers?
Yes. By default the plugin blocks known AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot, CCBot, PerplexityBot, Bytespider and others) from your paid content entirely. On Pro you can instead let a verified agent pay per crawl via HTTP 402 — pay-per-crawl for bots, on a per-surface opt-in basis.
Can standard x402 agents and wallets pay my pages, or only your plugin's UI?
Any x402-compatible agent, crawler or wallet can pay a locked URL. Because the plugin implements the standard x402 v2 wire format — the standard payment headers and CAIP-2 chain identifiers every x402 tool understands — payment isn't limited to the wallet UI we bundle. That interoperability is what makes pay-per-crawl real: a well-behaved AI crawler can settle a USDC micropayment and read the page over plain HTTP. (Pay-per-crawl is a Pro feature and off by default.)
Does it work with WooCommerce?
Yes. A WooCommerce payment gateway lets you accept USDC at checkout. Pro adds digital-product automation so paid downloads unlock automatically after settlement.
What does the Free version include?
A genuinely useful paywall: whole-post and partial (shortcode) paywalls on one network using a public facilitator, basic WooCommerce checkout, AI-crawler blocking, and feed protection. It is GPL-licensed and self-hostable. Pro adds both networks at once, agent pay-per-crawl, custom design, advanced logging and priority support.
Where do plugin updates come from?
The free plugin updates through its distribution channel; the Pro build self-updates from plugins.x402-wp.com using your license key. Both are documented in Get Started.
Start charging for your content in USDC
Install the free plugin, add your wallet, and lock your first post in minutes. Upgrade to Pro when you need every network, agent pay-per-crawl, and custom design.