Settlement Receipts and Agent Payment Records

Why settlement needs a receipt

In agent workflows, settlement can happen through different rails: a mock rail in local demos, an HTTP payment proof, an Ergo testnet transaction, a bridged asset path or an EVM reference rail. Each rail has its own assumptions and proof format.

A Settlement Receipt gives the broader Accord lifecycle a common record that settlement happened, where it happened and what evidence supports that claim.

Rail-specific proof, shared lifecycle

Accord does not flatten every rail into the same trust model. Instead, it records the rail, the settlement status and the relevant proof or transaction reference. That lets integrations keep their rail-specific security assumptions while preserving a shared work-agreement lifecycle.

This is important for agents because settlement policy can differ by asset, chain, facilitator, bridge, verifier or spending threshold.

What Accord is not

Accord is not a bank, broker, custodian, wallet or money transmitter. It does not move funds by itself. It records why and whether value should move, and it links settlement evidence back to the work agreement and verification result.

That boundary should stay clear in product copy, documentation and agent-facing summaries.

FAQ

Does Accord custody funds?

No. Accord defines protocol objects and reference adapters; settlement happens on external rails.

Can the same agreement settle on different rails?

The model is rail-agnostic, but each implementation must document its rail assumptions and policy.