5 minute read

Quickstart Guide

Give your AI agent a wallet with spending controls in just a few commands. This guide takes you from zero to a working virtual card.

Prerequisites

Node.js 18+ installed

A SPEND.md account (sign up on the waitlist)

An AI agent project directory

Install the CLI

Install the SPEND CLI globally using npm:

npm install -g @spend/cli

Alternatively, you can use npx to run commands without installing:

npx @spend/cli init

Authenticate

$ spend login

Opening browser for authentication...
✓ Logged in as you@example.com
✓ API key saved to ~/.spend/credentials

This opens your browser for OAuth. Your credentials are stored securely in ~/.spend/credentials.

Initialize SPEND.md

Navigate to your agent project and run init:

$ cd my-agent-project
$ spend init

✓ Created SPEND.md
✓ Detected: Node.js project
✓ Agent name: my-agent-project

Edit SPEND.md to configure spending rules.

This creates a starter SPEND.md file:

# SPEND.md

## Identity
agent_name: my-agent-project
owner: you@example.com
description: AI assistant agent

## Spending
spend:
  monthly_limit: 100 USD
  daily_limit: 25 USD
  per_transaction: 10 USD
  
  allowed_categories:
    - software_services
    - cloud_hosting
    - api_services
  
  allowlist:
    - openai.com
    - anthropic.com

## Approval
approval:
  auto_approve_under: 5 USD
  notify_on_all: true

Apply Configuration

Validate and apply your SPEND.md configuration:

$ spend apply

Validating SPEND.md...
✓ Configuration valid

Applying changes...
✓ Agent wallet created
✓ Spending rules configured
✓ Notifications enabled

Agent "my-agent-project" is ready to transact.

Create a Virtual Card

Issue a virtual Visa card for your agent:

$ spend card create

Creating virtual card...
✓ Card created successfully

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  💳 Virtual Card                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Number:   4242 8534 7693 1234      │
│  Exp:      01/28                     │
│  CVV:      ***                       │
│  Limit:    $100.00/month            │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Card details saved to SPEND.md (encrypted).
View full details: spend card show

Security Note

The full card number and CVV are only shown once. They're encrypted and stored locally. Run spend card show to view them again.

Check Status

View your agent's wallet status anytime:

$ spend status

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  💳 SPEND.md Status                 │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Agent:       my-agent-project      │
│  Balance:     $100.00               │
│  Spent today: $0.00 / $25.00        │
│  Spent month: $0.00 / $100.00       │
│  Cards:       1 active              │
│  Health:      ✓ Ready               │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

You're all set!

Your agent now has a wallet with a virtual card. It can make purchases within your defined limits. Every transaction is logged and you'll get notifications.

Full Config Reference Explore CLI Commands

Next Steps

Learn the full SPEND.md format

Configure earning, webhooks, and advanced spending rules

Security best practices

Keep your agent's wallet secure

Use the REST API

Programmatic access to wallets and transactions