Get a free API key — or skip it and pay per call

Two ways to call WingMan's REST endpoints directly: a free monthly key, or x402 micropayments with no signup at all.

Getting started 5 min read

Fastest path: a free key

No wallet, no crypto — just an email:

POST https://wingmanprotocol.com/keys/issue
{"email": "you@example.com", "tier": "free"}

You get back a wa_live_… key good for 500 calls a month. Send it as X-API-Key: <key> on any REST call:

curl https://wingmanprotocol.com/tools/mortgage \
  -H 'X-API-Key: wa_live_...' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"home_price":400000,"annual_rate":0.07,"down_payment":80000}'

Full pricing tiers (free / pro / enterprise) live at /pricing.

No signup at all: pay with x402

Skip the key entirely. Call a metered tool with nothing attached and the gateway answers honestly instead of just failing: a 402 Payment Required with the exact USDC-on-Base terms it wants. See the full flow in Pay per tool call with x402 on Base.

One email, a hard cap

Free keys are capped per email address specifically so one address can't mint an unlimited supply of 500-call keys to dodge the quota. Need more than the free tier? /pricing lists the pro and enterprise paths (manual provisioning today — email admin@wingmanprotocol.com).

Tools used in this guide