---
title: "Subcent402 — Statutory & Financial Comparison Matrices (https://subcent402.com/compare)"
source_url: "https://subcent402.com/compare"
canonical_url: "https://subcent402.com/compare"
retrieved_by: "Subcent402 Statutory Markdown Engine (https://subcent402.com/compare)"
---

# Subcent402 — Side-by-Side Statutory Comparison Hub

> **Canonical Source:** [https://subcent402.com/compare](https://subcent402.com/compare)

## [HTTP 402 (L402 Macaroon/Preimage) Micropayments vs Stripe $0.30 Fixed Fee Floor for AI Agents](https://subcent402.com/compare/http-402-l402-lightning-macaroon-micropayments-vs-stripe-30-cent-fixed-fee-floor-for-ai-agents)
- **Direct Answer:** Standard credit card rails charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction—making a $0.002 autonomous AI agent API call mathematically impossible ($0.302 fee on a $0.002 charge = 15,100% fee overhead); Subcent402 implements the HTTP 402 Payment Required / L402 protocol (HMAC Macaroons + SHA-256 Payment Preimage proof) to settle sub-cent machine-to-machine API calls instantly with <1% settlement cost.
- **Statutory Basis:** RFC 9110 § 15.5.3 (HTTP 402 Payment Required); Lightning Labs L402 Protocol Specification; Stripe US/UK Merchant Fee Schedule

## [Stateless Cryptographic L402 API Metering vs OAuth2 Monthly SaaS Billing Subscriptions](https://subcent402.com/compare/stateless-preimage-cryptographic-api-metering-vs-oauth2-monthly-saas-billing-subscriptions)
- **Direct Answer:** Traditional SaaS APIs require human OAuth2 signup flows, database session lookups on every request, and complex webhook reconciliation; Subcent402 uses Google-designed HMAC Macaroons with embedded first-party caveats (quota, endpoint scope, and timestamp) paired with SHA-256 preimage verification for sub-millisecond edge authentication.
- **Statutory Basis:** Birgisson et al. (Google Research): "Macaroons: Cookies with Contextual Caveats for Decentralized Authorization in the Cloud"; RFC 9110