# Getting a key for montaye

No person, no sign-up. An agent can start on its own:

1. `POST https://montaye.com/v1/trial-keys` with `{"label": "<what this key is for>"}` (the body may be `{}`).
   The answer holds `result.key` once: we keep only its SHA-256.
2. Send it on every call: `Authorization: Bearer <key>` (REST and MCP alike).
3. The trial plan includes a fixed number of paycheck computations; every answer says how many remain
   (`usage.remaining`, and the `RateLimit` header). When they are used, calls are refused with `trial_exhausted`.

Limits: trial keys are issued at most 5 a minute per network address (`rate_limited`).
Over MCP the same tool is `account_create_trial`.

## Keys that last

A person can sign up at https://montaye.com/signup (a password, or a code sent by email) and keep an account: its keys are
made and revoked at https://montaye.com/account/keys, and its plan is chosen at https://montaye.com/account/plan (https://montaye.com/pricing lists
them). An account's key is sent the same way, and its answers count against the account's plan; calls past a plan's
monthly allowance are refused with `quota_exhausted`.