charge_authorization

THE RISK

Critical Risk

Why charge_authorization needs a policy

This tool executes actual charges against customer payment methods, which constitutes a financial transaction with real monetary consequences. Even though the authorization was obtained previously, executing the charge is an irreversible commitment of funds. Financial transactions are the most severe category per classification rules.

From the tool's definition Tool description states 'Charge a previously authorized card' — a direct financial transaction that moves money. The server context confirms this is a Paystack payment management tool enabling 'manage Paystack payments'.

Documented attack patterns abuse exactly the kind of access charge_authorization gives an agent:

POLICY

How to control charge_authorization

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway — it sits between your AI agents and Paystack, and nothing reaches the server without passing your rules. This is the rule we recommend for charge_authorization:

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "charge_authorization": {
      "deny_if": [
        {
          "conditions": [],
          "on_deny": "Requires human approval."
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Any call to charge_authorization is blocked until a human approves it. The rest of the server keeps working.

Create a free account and register Paystack — nothing to install.
Add this policy — paste it, or build it visually.
Point your MCP client (Claude, Cursor, anything) at your gateway URL.

GATE THIS TOOL →

Free to start. No card required.

EXPLORE

Related tools and policies

More Paystack tools

Financial initialize_transaction Initialize a transaction to accept payment on Paystack Financial finalize_disable_otp Finalize the request to disable OTP on your transfers Financial partial_debit Charge a partial amount from a previously authorized card Financial disable_transfers_otp Disable OTP requirement for transfers Financial enable_transfers_otp Enable OTP requirement for transfers Destructive deactivate_authorization Deactivate a payment authorization when a card needs to be forgotten Execute resend_transfers_otp Generates a new OTP and sends to customer for transfer verification Write create_customer Create a new customer in Paystack

All 28 Paystack tools →

Financial tools on other servers

0xarchive web3_subscribe Math MCP Server financial_calculator MCP Kling generate_video MCP Uber Server uber_request_ride

Go deeper

Critical-risk tools in Paystack → Every critical-risk tool this server exposes, in one view.
All critical-risk MCP tools → Every critical-risk tool across the catalogue, and the policy pattern that contains them.
The MCP Attack Database → Documented attack patterns against MCP deployments — and the policies that stop them.
Human-in-the-loop → When a tool call should wait for a person — and when policy can decide alone.
Tool call approval → Approval gates on individual tool calls: auto-allow, prompt, or deny.
How to Add Spending Controls to Any MCP Agent →
Rate Limiting MCP Tool Calls: A Practical Guide →

FAQ

Questions about charge_authorization

What does the charge_authorization tool do? +

Charge a previously authorized card. It is categorised as a Financial tool in the Paystack MCP Server, which means it involves financial transactions. Block by default and require explicit approval.

How do I enforce a policy on charge_authorization? +

Register the Paystack MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for charge_authorization: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Paystack. Nothing to install.

What risk level is charge_authorization? +

charge_authorization is a Financial tool with critical risk. Critical-risk tools should be blocked by default and only enabled with explicit human approval.

Can I rate-limit charge_authorization? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the charge_authorization rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block charge_authorization completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for charge_authorization. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides charge_authorization? +

charge_authorization is provided by the Paystack MCP server (kohasummons/paystack-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.

Enforce policy on every Paystack tool call.

Start from Paystack, add the rest of your stack, and see everything your agents can call. Then put policy on all of it.

CHECK YOUR STACK →