Introducing Shatale MCP Server: AI Agent Payments from Your IDE

npx shatale-mcp-server

That's it. The server starts in guest mode with 4 tools available immediately:

• shatale_list_mcc_codes — Browse merchant category codes for policy design
• shatale_demo_scenarios — See 5 pre-built scenarios showing the policy engine in action
• shatale_generate_snippet — Get ready-to-use TypeScript or curl code
• shatale_get_started — Setup instructions and signup link

No API key, no account, no credit card.

Full Sandbox Mode

Sign up at [admin.shatale.com/register](https://admin.shatale.com/register?ref=blog-mcp) (free, takes 30 seconds), grab your sandbox key, and unlock 5 more tools:

• shatale_create_demo_agent — Create an agent with card and policy in one step
• shatale_simulate_payment — Run a transaction simulation with full rule traces
• shatale_explain_decision — Get a detailed breakdown of why a payment was approved or declined
• shatale_test_scenarios — Batch-test 4 different transactions against your setup
• shatale_get_agent_status — Check agent health and recent transaction history

How It Looks in Practice

Here's a real conversation with Claude Desktop:

You: Create a shopping agent with a €1,000 monthly budget. Block gambling and alcohol.

Claude: (calls shatale_create_demo_agent) Done. Agent created with:

• Virtual card issued
• Policy: €500 per-transaction limit, €1,000/month, MCC 7995 (gambling) and 5921 (alcohol) blocked

You: Simulate buying sneakers for €150 at Nike Store.

Claude: (calls shatale_simulate_payment) APPROVED

• spend_limit: passed — €150 within €500 per-tx limit
• mcc_check: passed — MCC 5691 (Clothing) is allowed
• balance_check: passed — Balance €1,000 covers €150

You: Now try €50 at an online casino.

Claude: (calls shatale_simulate_payment) DECLINED

• spend_limit: passed — €50 within limit
• mcc_check: failed — MCC 7995 (Gambling) is blocked by policy

The policy engine works exactly as configured. No surprises.

Supported Editors

We support every major MCP-compatible editor:

• Claude Desktop
• Cursor
• VS Code
• Windsurf
• Claude Code
• Zed
• Continue

Copy-paste configs for each editor are on our [MCP docs page](https://shatale.com/mcp).

What You Can Build

The MCP server is designed for developers building AI agents that need to make purchases:

Shopping agents — browse, compare, and buy products within a budget. Block luxury, gambling, or any category you want.

Travel agents — book flights and hotels. Allow only airlines, hotels, and car rentals.

Procurement agents — company purchasing within approved vendor categories and department-level budgets.

Expense management — employee agents with daily limits, no alcohol/tobacco, and real-time approval workflows.

Security by Design

A few things we made sure of:

• Sandbox only — Production API keys are rejected. You can't accidentally use real money through MCP.
• No card data — PAN, CVV, and card numbers are never exposed through MCP tools.
• Local transport — The server runs as a local stdio process. No network ports, no remote connections.
• Open source — Full source on [GitHub](https://github.com/solskiysb/shatale-mcp-server). MIT license.

What's Next

This is v0.1 — the foundation. We're planning:

• More policy templates for common verticals
• Webhook monitoring from your IDE
• Multi-agent setups with shared budgets
• Listings in MCP registries (Smithery, Glama)

Get Started

npx shatale-mcp-server