# How to connect GoCardless to Hermes Agent (no API keys)

> Connect GoCardless to Hermes with ClawLink in one click — 24 tools your AI agent can call from chat via hosted OAuth. No API keys, no manual setup.

Web version: https://claw-link.dev/hermes/gocardless

Most guides for giving Hermes Agent GoCardless access start with registering your own OAuth app or pasting API keys into env files, then leave the token refresh and tool wiring to you. ClawLink gives Hermes a more practical GoCardless setup: pair once in the browser and your always-on Hermes agent can act on GoCardless for you, reading and doing real work on your behalf with no auth, token refresh, or tool wiring to build yourself.

## Setup

It takes three steps to connect Hermes to GoCardless.

1. **Install ClawLink** — add the plugin to Hermes Agent once.
2. **Connect GoCardless** — one-click OAuth in the ClawLink dashboard.
3. **Use it from chat** — ask Hermes Agent in plain English.

**Paste this into Hermes to set up ClawLink:**

> Set up ClawLink for Hermes and tell me when it's ready.
> 1. Install the plugin: `hermes plugins install ClawLink-HQ/hermes-plugin --enable`
> 2. Start pairing with `hermes clawlink begin`. It prints an approval link, so show me the link and stop, don't wait.
> 3. I'll approve it in my browser, then reply "approved".
> 4. When I say approved, finish setup: `hermes clawlink finish`
> 5. Then run `hermes clawlink test` and tell me whether ClawLink is ready.

**Alternative for any agent (no plugin needed):** if the Hermes Agent plugin route isn't available or doesn't work, any AI agent with shell access can use the ClawLink CLI instead:

```bash
npx -y @useclawlink/cli login          # sign in via browser — no API key to paste
npx -y @useclawlink/cli connect gocardless  # connect GoCardless (browser OAuth)
npx -y @useclawlink/cli actions gocardless  # list available actions
npx -y @useclawlink/cli run gocardless <action> --input '<json>'  # execute (add --confirm for writes)
```

### Install by command

The prompt above walks Hermes through this. By hand, it is four commands and a browser approval:

```bash
hermes plugins install ClawLink-HQ/hermes-plugin --enable
hermes clawlink begin    # prints an approval link — open it and approve
hermes clawlink finish   # after approving in the browser
hermes clawlink test
```

Then connect GoCardless in the [ClawLink dashboard](https://claw-link.dev/dashboard) — a one-click OAuth approval, no API keys.

Verify the connection by asking Hermes:

> Use GoCardless to mcp get customer and walk me through the result in plain English.

### Using a different agent?

The Hermes plugin is one client of ClawLink's MCP server. Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, or any agent that can run a shell command pairs with the same ClawLink account through the CLI:

```bash
npx -y @useclawlink/cli login
```

`login` opens the same browser approval and stores a credential locally. Once GoCardless is connected in the dashboard, that agent calls the same 24 GoCardless tools over MCP. Full setup for MCP clients and shell agents: [connect apps to any AI agent](https://claw-link.dev/learn/connect-apps-to-any-ai-agent).

## GoCardless MCP for Hermes

Looking for a GoCardless MCP server for Hermes Agent? ClawLink connects GoCardless to Hermes Agent and exposes 24 GoCardless tools your agent can call over [MCP](https://claw-link.dev/learn/what-is-an-mcp-server), with [hosted auth](https://claw-link.dev/learn/oauth-for-ai-agents) and nothing to run or maintain yourself. Using OpenClaw instead? The [OpenClaw GoCardless integration](https://claw-link.dev/openclaw/gocardless) works the same way.

## What the Hermes Agent GoCardless integration can do

24 GoCardless tools are ready for Hermes Agent once the account is connected.

### All 24 GoCardless tools for Hermes

| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Mcp get customer** `gocardless_mcp_get_customer` | Retrieve a single customer by ID |
| **Mcp get environment** `gocardless_mcp_get_environment` | Returns the current GoCardless environment (sandbox or live) and step-by-step instructions for |
| **Mcp get mandate** `gocardless_mcp_get_mandate` | Retrieve a single mandate (Direct Debit authorisation) by ID |
| **Mcp get payment** `gocardless_mcp_get_payment` | Retrieve a single payment by ID |
| **Mcp get payout** `gocardless_mcp_get_payout` | Retrieve a single payout (settlement to your bank account) by ID |
| **Mcp get refund** `gocardless_mcp_get_refund` | Retrieve a single refund by ID |
| **Mcp get subscription** `gocardless_mcp_get_subscription` | Retrieve a single subscription (recurring payment schedule) by ID |
| **Mcp list customers** `gocardless_mcp_list_customers` | List customers, optionally filtered by creation date |
| **Mcp list events** `gocardless_mcp_list_events` | Audit log of state changes across all resources (e.g |
| **Mcp list mandates** `gocardless_mcp_list_mandates` | Search or filter mandates (Direct Debit authorisations) by status, customer, or scheme |
| **Mcp list payments** `gocardless_mcp_list_payments` | Search, filter, or count payments by status, customer, mandate, subscription, currency, or date |
| **Mcp list payouts** `gocardless_mcp_list_payouts` | Search or filter payouts (settlements to your bank account) by status, currency, or date range |
| **Mcp list refunds** `gocardless_mcp_list_refunds` | Search or filter refunds by payment, mandate, or date range |
| **Mcp list subscriptions** `gocardless_mcp_list_subscriptions` | Search or filter subscriptions (recurring payment schedules) by status, customer, or mandate |
| **Mcp cancel mandate** `gocardless_mcp_cancel_mandate` | Cancel a mandate |
| **Mcp cancel payment** `gocardless_mcp_cancel_payment` | Cancel a payment before it is submitted to the bank |
| **Mcp create payment** `gocardless_mcp_create_payment` | Create a one-off payment against an existing mandate |
| **Mcp create payment link** `gocardless_mcp_create_payment_link` | Create a Billing Request — a single-use GoCardless-hosted authorisation link for one payer |
| **Mcp create payment template link** `gocardless_mcp_create_payment_template_link` | Create a reusable Billing Request Template — a permanent shareable link that creates a new |
| **Mcp create refund** `gocardless_mcp_create_refund` | Refund all or part of a previously-collected payment back to the payer's bank account |
| **Mcp create subscription** `gocardless_mcp_create_subscription` | Create a recurring subscription against a mandate |
| **Mcp integrate with gocardless** `gocardless_mcp_integrate_with_gocardless` | Returns an overview of GoCardless integration options for collecting one-off and recurring bank |
| **Mcp read gocardless resource** `gocardless_mcp_read_gocardless_resource` | Serves GoCardless API documentation, how-to guides, and code samples — not live account data |
| **Mcp submit feedback** `gocardless_mcp_submit_feedback` | Submit a rating (1–5) of how helpful this MCP session was |

## Example prompts

**Mcp Get Customer**

> Use GoCardless to mcp get customer and walk me through the result in plain English.

**Mcp Get Environment**

> Use GoCardless to mcp get environment and walk me through the result in plain English.

**Mcp Get Mandate**

> Use GoCardless to mcp get mandate and walk me through the result in plain English.

**Mcp Get Payment**

> Use GoCardless to mcp get payment and walk me through the result in plain English.

## ClawLink vs. building it yourself

The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual OAuth app setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for Hermes Agent. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want GoCardless working from chat.

| | Manual | ClawLink |
|---|---|---|
| **Connection flow** | Register a GoCardless app, configure redirect URLs, manage consent details, and reconnect users when auth settings drift. | Users connect GoCardless through the hosted browser flow and ClawLink keeps the token lifecycle out of your app code. |
| **Ongoing maintenance** | You own refresh logic, permission debugging, environment config, and every provider-specific edge case for GoCardless. | ClawLink handles the repetitive integration plumbing so your team can focus on the workflow instead of the infrastructure. |
| **Agent usability** | You still need to expose the right GoCardless actions to the runtime in a format your agent can reliably use. | 24 tools for GoCardless are already exposed through ClawLink, so the agent can read and act from chat immediately. |

## ClawLink vs. Composio

Composio also exposes GoCardless to AI agents. It is developer infrastructure: Python and TypeScript SDKs, an MCP server, and a catalog past 1,000 apps, aimed at teams shipping agent products. ClawLink is built for Hermes Agent users instead. You install the plugin once, connect GoCardless in the browser, and the 24 tools above work from chat. There is no SDK, no config file, and no API key handling. Choosing between them? Read the full [Composio alternatives](https://claw-link.dev/hub/composio-alternatives) comparison.

### Hermes paired but still can't use GoCardless
Pairing is a two-step handshake: run `hermes clawlink begin`, approve the link in your browser, then run `hermes clawlink finish`. If you ran finish before approving, or the approval link expired, run `hermes clawlink begin` again to get a fresh link. Confirm the plugin was installed with `--enable`, then verify with `hermes clawlink test`.

### Connection succeeds but no tools appear
Reconnect GoCardless from the dashboard, then start a fresh chat if the runtime still has the old tool catalog loaded.

### "Tool schema not loaded yet" error when calling GoCardless tools
GoCardless tool schemas load on demand the first time a tool runs and are cached after that, so this error usually clears on its own: wait a few seconds and retry the same request. If every GoCardless call keeps failing with it in a fresh chat, reconnect from the dashboard, and contact support if it still persists — that pattern points to a configuration problem on our side, not something you can fix by reconnecting again.

### GoCardless returns 403 or "permission denied" on one action while others work
Two usual causes. The connected account may not have access to the specific workspace, inbox, store, or project in the request — check that first. If access looks right, the agent may have sent a placeholder value (like "YOUR_ID" or an example id from documentation) instead of a real one: ask it to run a list or search tool first, then retry the action with a real id from those results. Most failures at this stage are one of these two, not ClawLink bugs.

### OAuth finished in the browser but the account is still missing
Try reconnecting GoCardless and complete the consent flow in the same browser session. Partial OAuth approvals or switching accounts mid-flow can leave the connection incomplete.

### Is there a Hermes Agent GoCardless integration?
Yes. ClawLink is the fastest way to connect Hermes to GoCardless: link your GoCardless account once in the browser and Hermes Agent can call the GoCardless API through 24 ready-made tools — no custom code or token handling.

### How do I connect GoCardless to Hermes with ClawLink?
Install the plugin with `hermes plugins install ClawLink-HQ/hermes-plugin --enable`, then pair once: run `hermes clawlink begin`, approve the link in your browser, and run `hermes clawlink finish`. Connect GoCardless in the dashboard and Hermes can use it from the next message — no config files or API keys to manage.

### How long does it take to connect GoCardless to Hermes Agent?
About two minutes. Sign in, click Connect next to GoCardless in the dashboard, authenticate, and Hermes Agent can use it from the next chat message.

### Why use ClawLink instead of wiring GoCardless up myself?
The alternative to ClawLink is usually manual OAuth app setup plus your own token handling, permission troubleshooting, and tool plumbing for Hermes Agent. That is fine if you want to build and maintain the integration yourself. Most teams just want GoCardless working from chat.

### Hermes paired but still can't use GoCardless
Pairing is a two-step handshake: run `hermes clawlink begin`, approve the link in your browser, then run `hermes clawlink finish`. If you ran finish before approving, or the approval link expired, run `hermes clawlink begin` again to get a fresh link. Confirm the plugin was installed with `--enable`, then verify with `hermes clawlink test`.

## Related

- [Stripe](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/stripe) — Manage payments, customers, and invoices
- [Hermes Zoho Books integration](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/zoho-books) — Organize finances, invoices, bills, and accounting
- [Ramp tools](https://claw-link.dev/hermes/ramp) — Read cards, transactions, bills, and reimbursements, and file receipts