Contra, a San Francisco–based professional network for independent creators and freelancers, announced the launch of Contra Payments, a payments platform designed to support transactions not only between humans but also AI agents acting on behalf of their owners. The announcement was shared by founder Ben Huffman on X.
Introducing Contra Payments.
The first payments platform that lets you sell to AI Agents.
RT + Comment “Contra” and I’ll send you 100 products AI agents are looking for. pic.twitter.com/XgPgfq4pRW
— ben (@contraben) February 18, 2026
Contra Payments is positioned as the first system of its kind to explicitly facilitate sales to AI agents, reflecting emerging trends in what some industry observers call agentic commerce. According to the announcement, creators can list products, services, or subscriptions on the platform and automatically generate a payment link with a single click. Those links work for both traditional human buyers and AI agents that can evaluate, select, and purchase offerings on behalf of their users. Each transaction contributes to a creator’s reputation score, which could help attract future business from both agents and humans.
Matching Payments to AI Agents
The launch highlights how platforms are rethinking commerce as AI agents proliferate. Contra argues that millions of AI agents are already browsing and buying products and services on behalf of their owners, and that a dedicated payments infrastructure is necessary to monetize this new economic activity. By allowing AI agents to make purchases that count toward a seller’s reputation, Contra hopes to create a marketplace where artificial and human demand alike can support creators.
The focus on agent-inclusive payment tools differentiates Contra Payments from traditional freelancer and marketplace models that handle human buyers only. In past iterations, Contra has aimed to reduce friction in the freelance economy by removing commissions on work and enabling creators to set their own terms. The company’s broader platform supports profiles where professionals showcase project work and receive referrals, without the high fees common on other marketplaces.
Industry observers have noted that payments and monetization infrastructure will be a key enabler of future AI-driven economies, as autonomous agents take on more proactive roles in sourcing and executing transactions. Contra’s platform seeks to capture this trend by offering zero-commission distribution and integrated payment capabilities directly to creators’ accounts, a strategy that could appeal to designers, writers, and other independent workers looking to monetize digital products and services in new ways.
The launch of Contra Payments arrives amid broader conversations about how AI will reshape work and commerce. By enabling AI agents to be direct buyers, Contra is betting on a future where autonomous systems participate in markets alongside humans, and where creators can profit from both types of demand.
