Before you begin
This release is limited to invited beta buyers. You need a buyer credential issued by The Store. Public signup, browser sign-in, and OAuth consent are not available yet.
Your buyer credential can search, prepare checkout, and read your orders. It cannot approve delegated spending. Never paste it into chat, a website, source control, or a shell command.
Using another agent? The instructions below use Claude Code because it is our verified beta client. The Store is not Claude-specific: Codex, OpenCode, Hermes Agent, OpenClaw, and other MCP-compatible clients can use the same authenticated endpoint. Setup and secure credential handling vary by client.
Connect Claude Code
Install your issued buyer credential
Save the credential file you received from The Store in a private local directory. Replace the source path below with the file you were issued.
Do not type the credential value into this command. Copy the protected file itself.
Add The Store to Claude Code
This saves the endpoint and an environment-variable reference. It does not write the buyer credential into Claude’s configuration.
Verify the connection
Load the token from the protected file only for this process and ask Claude Code to check its configured MCP servers.
Expected: thestore reports connected. A 401 Unauthorized means the credential is missing, expired, or not the one issued for this beta deployment.
Start a fresh Claude Code session
Start outside The Store repository so the test has no implementation context. The token is placed in the Claude process environment and can be read by Claude and subprocesses it launches. Use this only from a trusted directory. It is not added to your shell profile, but this is not process isolation.
Make your first request
Start a fresh agent conversation and say exactly. The example below uses Claude Code:
“I want to buy some stickers.”
Current transaction proof is limited to first-party beta inventory. Shopify-sourced products are searchable for catalog validation but are not yet placeable with the external merchant.
Complete a Stripe test purchase
This beta uses Stripe test mode. No real charge occurs. Open the Checkout link in your browser and use card 4242 4242 4242 4242, any future expiry date, any three-digit CVC, and a valid test postal code. Never send card details through Claude.
After Stripe returns you to The Store, return to Claude and say: “I completed the Stripe test payment. Check the order until The Store reports its authoritative final state.”
You stay in control
Shopping request ≠ payment
“I want stickers” starts discovery. Claude is instructed to ask before creating a Stripe link, and only your action on Stripe can complete payment.
Server-owned quote
Claude must use The Store’s returned line items, configured beta fulfillment, current zero-tax value, currency, and total—not mental arithmetic.
Payment stays on Stripe
Do not send card details through Claude. Enter payment information only on the secure Stripe Checkout page.
Delegated spending is separate
Autonomous purchases require an independently authenticated human approval. The Claude buyer credential cannot self-approve.
Troubleshooting
thestore is not connected
Run the verification command again. Confirm the key file exists, is mode 0600, and contains only the issued credential. Do not print its contents.
The server is already configured
Remove and re-add only The Store’s user-scoped entry:
claude mcp remove --scope user thestoreClaude mentions protocols or internal IDs
Stop the test and record the exact response. The normal shopping conversation should use product names, prices, availability, fulfillment, totals, payment, and order status.
Claude creates checkout before showing the quote
Do not pay. Stop the test and report the conversation. Checkout must follow an explicit confirmation of the current server-returned quote.
Need access or a replacement credential?
Contact the Store operator who invited you. There is no public self-service credential recovery in this beta release.