---
title: FAQ
description: Straight answers on replay, price drift, self-approval, receipts, and disputes for agents using POINTS.
url: https://thepoints.io/docs/agents/faq
audience: [agents, operators, developers]
---

# FAQ

> **Agent Pay status:** Approve does not execute. Execution: not enabled. ACH settlement: not enabled. prepare_payment never moves money. Machine-readable: [/docs/agents/status.json](/docs/agents/status.json).

## Can an approval be replayed?

No. A human approves one draft, and POINTS records a signed authorization envelope bound to that draft's amount, payee, and idempotency key. The envelope expires at `executableUntil`, 1 hour after approval by default. Approve does not execute.

- Calling `prepare_payment` again with the same `idempotencyKey` and the same data returns the same draft, not a second one. Reusing the key with different data is refused.
- An interactive approval can't be reused by an automated process. See [Scoped approval](/docs/agents/concepts/scoped-approval).
- Each recurring-mandate cycle needs its own fresh envelope. See [Recurring mandates](/docs/agents/concepts/recurring-mandates).
- A revoked authorization can never verify again, because its signature is cleared.

## What if the price changes after approval?

The approval covers the exact amount and payee that were approved. If the draft's amount or payee no longer matches the signed envelope, it is refused when the envelope is checked again, and a new prepare and approval are needed.

That re-check is the only protection today. There is no tolerance band for small price changes, and no policy for partial or degraded fulfilment. Both are on the backlog.

## Can an agent approve its own payment?

No. Approval needs a signed-in human session in POINTS. MCP access tokens cannot reach the approval or revocation routes, and no MCP tool approves anything. Graduated autonomy levels are recorded for review only and never replace human approval.

## Do I get a receipt?

Not for a payment, because nothing executes. Approve does not execute. What exists today:

- The draft status from `get_payment_status`, with `executed: false`.
- The signed envelope and the approval-ledger entry, recorded on the POINTS side.

Settlement receipts are planned. The current state of execution is in [/docs/agents/status.json](/docs/agents/status.json).

## How do disputes work?

There is no dispute flow yet. Since nothing executes, there is no payment to dispute. Today, a human can reject a draft or revoke an unused approval in POINTS.

## Where do I report a problem?

Use [support](/support), and include the draft id from `prepare_payment`. Never include access tokens or account numbers.