How to Monetize Your MCP Server in 5 Minutes

Step 1: Create a Vend project

Sign in at vend.sh with your GitHub account. Click New Project, give it a name and description.

Vend creates a free tier automatically. Your project gets an API key and a checkout URL you can share with customers.

Step 2: Set up your tiers

Go to your project's Tiers tab. The free tier is already there. Add paid tiers for the tools you want to gate:

• Starter — $9/month. Basic premium tools.
• Pro — $29/month. Full access, higher limits.
• Business — $99/month. Unlimited, priority support.

Each tier maps to a gate level. Tiers are hierarchical — a Pro key can access all Starter and Free tools too.

Step 3: Install the SDK

npm install @yawlabs/vend-mcp

Step 4: Gate your tools

Import vendAuth and define which tools require which tier:

import { vendAuth } from '@yawlabs/vend-mcp';

const guard = vendAuth({
  apiKey: process.env.VEND_API_KEY!,
  gates: {
    search:   'free',
    analyze:  'starter',
    execute:  'pro',
    deploy:   'business',
  },
});

Then check access in each tool handler:

// In your tool handler
if (!await guard.canAccess('execute')) {
  return {
    content: [{
      type: 'text',
      text: guard.upgradeMessage('execute'),
    }],
  };
}

guard.recordUsage('execute');
// ... run the tool

That's it. Two lines per tool. The SDK validates the customer's license key against the Vend API (cached for 5 minutes), checks their tier, and records usage.

Step 5: Share your checkout link

Every project gets a checkout page at vend.sh/checkout/your-project. Customers pick a tier, enter their email, and pay with Stripe. They get a license key instantly.

The customer adds the key to their MCP client config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "your-server": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["dist/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "VEND_LICENSE_KEY": "VEND-ABCD-1234-EFGH-5678"
      }
    }
  }
}

The next time they call a gated tool, the SDK validates their key and grants access based on their tier.

How billing works

Vend is a Merchant of Record. We handle the payment, tax, and compliance. You get paid monthly via payout.

• You set the prices. Monthly, yearly, or one-time.
• Vend takes 5% + $0.50 per transaction. No monthly fees.
• Payouts are NET 30, $25 minimum.

Going further

The SDK has more features you can add as you grow:

• Activation limits — Control how many MCP client instances can use a single key.
• Usage metering — Track tool invocations per key for analytics and rate limiting.
• Observability hooks — onValidate, onError, onUsage callbacks for logging and metrics.
• Manual keys — Generate keys from the dashboard for beta testers, partners, or support cases.

Grab the SDK on npm to start building with Vend.

Ready to start? Create your project and have payments running in the time it takes to finish your coffee.