# Agent Inference Payments

### Agent Usage Fees

* **Public API Access**: All agents are accessible via a public API, allowing anyone to use them permissionlessly.
* **Per-Inference Cost**: The cost per inference call is predetermined.
* **Payment Mechanism**:
  * Users must pre-load $VIRTUAL tokens in their wallets.
  * Usage deducts $VIRTUAL tokens on a per-transaction basis, all conducted on-chain.

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<summary><em><strong>Case in point</strong></em></summary>

*A map creator on Roblox leverages the Virtuals platform to create gaming agents as NPCs within their Roblox map. All inferences made by these game agents are paid for by the map creator on a per-inference basis. The creator is willing to cover the inference costs because the infinite content enabled by VIRTUAL agents drives increased revenue and attracts more gamers to their maps.*

</details>

### Payment Flow

* **User Payments**: When a user calls an agent via the API, $VIRTUAL tokens are deducted from the user's wallet and transferred to the agent's wallet.
* **Payment Utilisation**: The payment accumulated in the agent’s wallet can then be used by the creator or community for various initiatives such as further development or community incentives.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://whitepaper.virtuals.io/about-virtuals-1/the-protocol/virtual-agents-as-programmable-decentralized-entities/agent-inference-payments.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.