PayFence provides a middleware and proxy layer that lets API providers add monetization, usage quotas, and token‑based access control without changing their existing services. The platform handles subscription billing, revenue split via Stripe Connect, and offers real‑time analytics and HMAC‑SHA256 security, with SDKs for Node.js and Python to simplify integration.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Developers who expose APIs often lack a built‑in mechanism to charge consumers, manage usage limits, and enforce access control without rewriting existing services. Adding monetization typically requires code changes, separate billing systems, and risk of breaking current integrations.
Solution
PayFence offers a middleware and proxy layer that sits between API consumers and the original service, allowing developers to monetize APIs without modifying their code. The platform handles billing, subscription plans, usage quotas, and token‑based authentication, while preserving existing free access and ensuring zero disruption to current users. Built on AWS and Stripe Connect, PayFence provides low‑latency (≈35 ms p50) fail‑open routing, HMAC‑SHA256 request signing, and SDKs for Node.js and Python to simplify integration. Revenue is collected via Stripe Connect with a flat 9.99 % platform fee, and developers receive payouts directly to their Stripe accounts. A dashboard offers analytics, quota warnings, and webhook support for real‑time monitoring.
Target Audience
Primary customers are API providers—SaaS companies, data platforms, and developers—who want to generate revenue from their endpoints while maintaining existing integrations.
Features
- Proxy mode routes traffic through PayFence without any changes to the original API code
- Middleware mode adds a single SDK call for token validation and quota enforcement
- Built‑in subscription and usage‑based plans with free tier support and grandfathering of existing users
- Automatic billing and revenue split via Stripe Connect, with a flat 9.99 % platform fee
- HMAC‑SHA256 signature verification and replay protection for secure request handling
- Real‑time analytics, quota‑warning webhooks, and log streaming for operational insight
- SDKs for Node.js and Python plus custom gateway domains for branding