TollNode

How to give your AI agent a VIN decoder

Validate a 17-character VIN and return make, model, year, plant and body details plus an ISO 3779 breakdown. Your agent can use it in two ways: pay for each call itself with x402, or use an API key that draws from a balance you load up front. Both cost $0.005 per successful call, and failed calls cost nothing.

Made by NHTSA. Sold by TollNode per call, no subscription. Inputs and prices

For agents: the short version

Endpoint
POST https://tollnode.com/api/v1/nodes/vin-decode
Price
$0.005 USDC per successful call
Pay with x402
No header first; answer the 402 with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE (USDC, Base, eip155:8453)
Or an API key
Authorization: Bearer tn_live_… (balance from https://tollnode.com/account)
Example body
{"vin":"1HGCM82633A004352"}
Machine docs
/llms.txt, /openapi.json, /.well-known/x402

Why give your agent a VIN decoder?

Way 1

Pay per call with x402 (no sign-up)

x402 is an open standard that puts payment into normal HTTP. The agent asks, the server answers with the price, and the agent's wallet signs a USDC payment and asks again. Best when the agent should pay for itself.

  1. 1

    Give the agent a wallet with a little USDC on Base

    In Claude Code, Cursor or Codex, AgentCash sets up the wallet and adds every TollNode node as a tool. Run it once, then send a few dollars of USDC on the Base network to the address it shows.

    terminal
    npx agentcash add https://tollnode.com
  2. 2

    Ask your agent to use a VIN decoder

    Say what you want in plain words, for example “make an image of …”. The agent picks the VIN decoder node, sees the price and pays. From a terminal you can call it directly:

    terminal
    npx agentcash@latest fetch https://tollnode.com/api/v1/nodes/vin-decode -m POST -b '{"vin":"1HGCM82633A004352"}'
  3. 3

    Or pay from your own code

    Any x402 client works. In JavaScript:

    javascript
    // npm i @x402/fetch @x402/evm viem
import { wrapFetchWithPayment, x402Client } from "@x402/fetch";
import { registerExactEvmScheme } from "@x402/evm/exact/client";
import { privateKeyToAccount } from "viem/accounts";

const signer = privateKeyToAccount(process.env.AGENT_WALLET_KEY); // a wallet holding USDC on Base
const pay = wrapFetchWithPayment(fetch, registerExactEvmScheme(new x402Client(), { signer }));

const res = await pay("https://tollnode.com/api/v1/nodes/vin-decode", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "content-type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({"vin":"1HGCM82633A004352"}),
});
console.log(await res.json());
  4. 4

    What happens on the wire

    The first request comes back as HTTP 402 with the exact price. The client signs and retries with a PAYMENT-SIGNATURE header. TollNode checks the signature, runs VIN decoder, and collects the payment only if the result is usable. A failed call is never settled.

    see the 402 yourself
    curl -i -X POST https://tollnode.com/api/v1/nodes/vin-decode \
  -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"vin":"1HGCM82633A004352"}'

Way 2

Account balance + API key

Load a balance once and use an ordinary API key. Best for apps, servers and teams, or code that can't sign payments.

  1. 1

    Create a free account

    Sign up with your email. There is no monthly fee.

  2. 2

    Add funds

    On your account page, pick $5, $10, $25 or $50 and confirm in a browser wallet such as Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask. You pay in USDC on Base, with no gas fee to pay.

  3. 3

    Create an API key

    Name it after the agent or app that uses it. The key is shown once, so store it as an environment variable (TOLLNODE_API_KEY). You can revoke it at any time.

  4. 4

    Call the node

    curl
    curl -X POST https://tollnode.com/api/v1/nodes/vin-decode \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOLLNODE_API_KEY" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"vin":"1HGCM82633A004352"}'
    javascript
    const res = await fetch("https://tollnode.com/api/v1/nodes/vin-decode", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.TOLLNODE_API_KEY}`,
    "content-type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({"vin":"1HGCM82633A004352"}),
});
console.log(await res.json());
    python
    import os, requests

r = requests.post(
    "https://tollnode.com/api/v1/nodes/vin-decode",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['TOLLNODE_API_KEY']}"},
    json={"vin":"1HGCM82633A004352"},
)
print(r.json())

    A successful call returns the result plus an x-tollnode-charged-usd header. If the balance is too low you get HTTP 402 with your balance and a top-up link, and nothing is charged. A wrong or revoked key returns 401.

Which way fits?

x402API key
Sign-upNoneEmail account
Who paysThe agent's own walletYour prepaid balance
SetupOne command (AgentCash)Top up once, create a key
Price per call$0.005$0.005
Failed call$0, never settled$0, hold released
Good forAutonomous agents, Claude Code, CursorApps, servers, teams

FAQ

Do I need an account to give my agent VIN decoder?
No. With x402 your agent pays $0.005 per call from its own USDC wallet on Base, with no sign-up and no API key. An account is optional: it lets you prepay a balance and use a normal API key instead.
Which way should I choose?
Pick x402 if your agent already has a wallet or runs in Claude Code, Cursor or Codex with AgentCash. Pick an account and API key if you are building an app, want one bill for a team, or your code cannot sign payments.
What happens if a call fails?
Nothing is charged, either way. With x402 the payment is only settled after a usable result. With an API key the amount is held and released again if the call fails, times out or comes back empty.
Are the prices the same both ways?
Yes. Each successful call costs $0.005, whether it is paid with x402 or from an account balance.
How do I add funds to an account?
Open your account page, pick an amount ($5, $10, $25 or $50) and confirm in a browser wallet such as Coinbase Wallet or MetaMask. You pay in USDC on Base and there is no gas fee to pay.