Merchant Integration

AIGW can be deployed with either a merchant-operated MCPMCPModel Context Protocol: a standard way for AI agents to call tools and data sources exposed by a server./UCP service or a third-party MCP provider. The runtime protocol is similar, but ownership of the AIGW account, project, server credentials, and operational responsibilities changes.

Choose the model that matches your deployment:

• Merchant operates its own MCP / UCP
• Merchant uses a third-party MCP / UCP provider
• Configure your authorization server

What the merchant always owns

Regardless of MCP ownership, the merchant remains responsible for:

• the merchant backend/API;
• the merchant authorization server or IAM;
• which client AIGW is allowed to use at that authorization server;
• the scopes/permissions granted by merchant tokens;
• how an AIGW user assertion maps to an existing merchant user or creates a new user;
• lifecycle and revocation policies on merchant-issued tokens.

What changes with an external MCP provider

When a third party operates the MCP/UCP service, that provider can own the AIGW runtime setup and server credential. The merchant only needs the trust/configuration package needed by its authorization server. This minimizes credential sharing across organizational boundaries.