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Everything you need to know about giving your AI agent a wallet it can't misuse.
The basics
What is Allowance, and how does it work?
Allowance lets your AI buy things for you without giving it your real card number.
Tell your AI what you want and how much it can spend. Allowance sends the request to your phone, where you review and approve it. After you approve, Allowance provides a one-time virtual card limited to the purchase and amount you approved.
How can I use Allowance?
You can connect Allowance to an agent. One ChatGPT connection works across ChatGPT, ChatGPT Work, and Codex. Connect Allowance to your Claude account from your desktop. Then use it on claude.ai, in Claude Code, Cowork, and the Claude mobile app. For a different MCP-compatible agent, connect at useallowance.com/mcp. See every option at useallowance.com/connect-agent.
You can also use Allowance Chat. Open the Allowance app and tell it what you want to buy. No AI-agent or computer setup is required.
Either way, you approve purchases on your phone before Allowance releases payment credentials.
How much does Allowance cost?
Allowance is free to use right now.
Do I need to provide my Social Security number or date of birth?
No. Creating an Allowance account does not require a Social Security number or date of birth.
Does Allowance work outside the US?
Not yet. Allowance is currently US-only.
Safety & approvals
How does Allowance keep my card number safe?
When you use Link checkout with Alfie, your payment details are handled by Link by Stripe. Your underlying card number is never shown to Alfie.
After you approve, Link supplies a one-time payment credential for the purchase. Checkout uses that credential instead of your underlying card number.
For Allowance’s separate one-time card flow, cards are stored with payment providers and a temporary credential is released only after your approval.
Does my agent need my approval for every purchase?
Yes. Every purchase requires your explicit approval on your phone before Allowance releases one-time payment credentials.
You can review what the purchase is for and the maximum amount before approving it. Your agent can request permission to spend, but it cannot approve the request for you.
Giving Codex Full access, using Claude Code's Bypass permissions, or always allowing Allowance tools does not change this protection.
I approved a purchase. Can I cancel it?
You can revoke an approval before the one-time card is issued.
Once the purchase has been completed, it cannot be canceled through Allowance. The merchant's normal cancellation and refund policies apply.
Can I see a history of what my agent spent?
Yes. The Allowance app shows a history of your agent's purchase requests, approvals, and completed purchases.
Cards & rewards
Do I still earn rewards on purchases my agent makes?
Rewards depend on your card issuer and how the purchase is processed. Using a card through Link does not guarantee the same category bonuses, merchant offers, or benefits as paying the store directly.
Check your card issuer’s terms and your posted transaction for the rewards that apply.
What cards are supported by Allowance?
When you shop with Alfie using Link by Stripe, you can use eligible Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover cards, including Chase cards such as Sapphire, Freedom, and United cards.
Connect Link when prompted during checkout. Link shows the payment methods available for your purchase.
If you use the separate one-time card flow in Allowance, its existing issuer restrictions still apply. Use Link checkout with Alfie for the expanded card support.
How do I connect Link to shop with Alfie?
Ask Alfie to help you buy something. When prompted, open the Link connection page and sign in or set up your Link account.
Follow the prompts to provide your payment and delivery details. Before checkout, review and approve the purchase in Link. Connecting your wallet does not let Alfie approve spending for you.
Can I add multiple cards?
Yes. You can add multiple cards to your Allowance account and choose which one should fund agent purchases.
Can Allowance help me earn more rewards?
With Rewards Optimization turned on, Allowance can compare eligible saved cards for a purchase and help you use the one with the best available reward.
How do I turn on Rewards Optimization?
Turn it on in Payment cards settings. Once it is on, Allowance can compare eligible saved cards when there is a purchase to make.
Will Allowance automatically switch my card?
It can, when you turn on Rewards Optimization. For an eligible purchase, Allowance may use a high-confidence recommendation unless you choose a different card yourself. Your manual choice always wins.
What if I don’t see a reward recommendation?
You can still complete your purchase with any saved card. Allowance may need a recognizable merchant and at least two eligible cards to make a confident recommendation, and sometimes research is still in progress.
Shopping with your agent
Where can Allowance shop?
Alfie can shop at nearly 90 stores, including Best Buy, eBay, Zara, Kith, and PetSmart. Browse the current store directory and select a store to start a conversation with Alfie.
ChatGPT with the Allowance plugin, Claude Chat with the Allowance connector, and Allowance Chat can shop through supported stores and products. Store availability may differ depending on which AI experience you are using.
Codex, Claude Code, and other agents with browser access can attempt checkout at other online stores. Some websites may block automated browsers or require a login or additional verification.
Can I schedule my agent to buy something when it becomes available?
Yes, if your AI supports scheduled tasks. Tell it what to buy, when to try, your maximum price, and any acceptable alternatives.
If the scheduled task runs through an agent on your computer, your computer must be awake when the task runs.
When the agent reaches payment, Allowance sends a purchase request to your phone for approval.
Do I need to keep my computer on?
If Codex, Claude Code, or another agent is using a browser on your computer, your computer must remain awake and connected to the internet while the agent is working. This includes researching products, running scheduled tasks, and completing checkout.
ChatGPT with the Allowance plugin, Claude Chat with the Allowance connector, and Allowance Chat do not depend on your computer to run checkout.
Troubleshooting
Why does my AI keep asking for permission?
For the smoothest checkout, allow all Allowance tool calls so your AI does not stop and ask again at every step.
In ChatGPT, connect the Allowance plugin and use @Allowance when you want ChatGPT to shop or create a one-time card. If ChatGPT asks to run an Allowance action, approve that tool call to continue.
In Codex, open the permissions menu beneath the message box and choose Approve for me. For a smoother end-to-end browser checkout, you can choose Full access in a trusted session.
In Claude, go to Customize, then Connectors, then Allowance, then Tool permissions, and choose Always allow for the Allowance tools. If Claude Code continues asking for permission, enter /permissions and allow the Allowance tools there. Bypass permissions removes prompts for every Claude Code tool, not only Allowance, so it is the broader option.
These settings only control what your AI can do with its tools or on your computer. They do not give it permission to spend. Every purchase still requires approval on your phone before Allowance releases payment credentials.
Why am I stuck after approving a purchase?
For Link checkout with Alfie, make sure you completed the approval in Link, then return to the conversation to check the order status. If you are unsure whether an order went through, ask Alfie to check before requesting another purchase.
For the separate one-time card flow, Safari may block the card-authentication popup. On your iPhone, open Settings, tap Apps, tap Safari, turn Block Pop-ups off, then retry the approval. On older versions of iOS, Safari may appear directly in the main Settings list.
If you are still stuck, email hello@useallowance.com with the store and approximate time of the attempt. Never send your full card number.
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