Core Concepts
This section explains the foundational ideas behind amser. Start here to understand why the protocol works the way it does.
The Core Idea
amser treats authorization as the primitive, not payments.
Traditional subscription systems ask: "How do we charge users on a schedule?"
amser asks: "How do we grant bounded, revocable authority that can be enforced deterministically?"
Payments are a consequence of authorization, not the starting point.
Concept Map
Reading Order
Start Here
| Concept | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| RAI | Why authorization (not payments) is the primitive |
Authorization Instruments
| Concept | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| Subscriptions | Time-based recurring authorization |
| Usage Credits | Usage-based billing for APIs, compute, and metered services |
| Authorization State | How active/inactive states work |
Infrastructure
| Concept | What You'll Learn |
|---|---|
| Permit2 | How allowances and delegation work |
| PaymentProcessor | How payments are validated and executed |
| Keeper Network | How automated execution works |
| Indexer | How off-chain systems observe state |
Quick Reference
"I want to understand..."
| Topic | Read |
|---|---|
| Why amser exists | RAI |
| How subscriptions work | Subscriptions |
| How usage-based billing works | Usage Credits |
| How users authorize spending | Permit2 |
| How payments get executed | PaymentProcessor |
| How keepers earn fees | Keeper Incentives |
| What happens if the indexer goes down | Indexer Trust Model |
| When a subscription is "active" | Authorization State |
"I'm building..."
| Use Case | Start With |
|---|---|
| SaaS billing | Subscriptions → Permit2 |
| Metered API or usage billing | Usage Credits → Permit2 |
| Gated smart contract | Subscriptions → Authorization State |
| Keeper node | Keeper Network → PaymentProcessor |
| Dashboard/analytics | Indexer |
Key Principles
These principles apply across all concepts:
Non-Custodial
Funds never leave user wallets until payment executes. There are no vaults, no deposits, no pooled balances.
Deterministic
Given the same on-chain state, any observer will reach the same conclusions about authorization status. No off-chain state is authoritative.
Idempotent
Every billing window can be processed at most once. Double-charges are impossible by construction.
User-Revocable
Users can pause or cancel at any time. No lock-in, no withdrawal delays.
All Concepts
Explore all concept documentation: