Pick Privacy.com when
- You're a human shopping on websites and want masked cards in a browser extension.
- You already use 1Password / Privacy.com integration.
- You don't need an MCP server.
Pick CardForAgent when
- An AI agent — not you — is making the purchases.
- You want it to work via MCP from Claude, Cursor, Zed, etc., out of the box.
- You want per-card spend caps that the agent literally can't override.
Side-by-side
| Feature | Privacy.com | CardForAgent |
|---|---|---|
| Primary surface | Browser extension + web app | MCP server + dashboard |
| Programmatic API | Gated, business-tier | Yes, default access via MCP |
| Built for agents | No — built for human checkout | Yes — that's the only use case |
| Per-card limits | Yes | Yes |
| Auth model | Account login | Bearer token in MCP config |
| Geographic availability | US only | Sandbox now, expanding via Stripe Issuing |
Honest take
Privacy.com is the right tool for a human shopping. If your agent has its own task and budget, the workflows look completely different — and Privacy.com's product surface assumes a human is at the wheel.