# Common mistakes with agent wallets and questions to ask

Mistakes to avoid when you pick an agent wallet: choosing before you know your agent's spend pattern, ignoring the custody model, and skipping the cited source.

Updated 2026-10-20. Also on the [web page](https://agentwalletindex.fyi/guides/common-mistakes-with-agent-wallets).

The first mistake is choosing a wallet before you know how your agent will spend. Take an example. An agent that makes 200 calls a day at five cents each has a different profile from one that makes ten calls a day at ten dollars each. The agent spend-limit planner on this site turns a monthly budget and an expected call rate into caps for each call, session, day and month. Run it before you compare wallets. Then check which caps each wallet lists.

The second mistake is ignoring the custody model. With self-custody, you hold the keys. With a custodial wallet, the provider holds them. A hybrid wallet splits the work. Each model has different risks. Read the custody field on the listing. If you cannot decide, ask a qualified professional.

The third mistake is trusting a figure without opening the source. Every fact on this site links to the vendor's public docs or to the protocol spec. Fees, protocol versions and KYC rules change. The source URL on each row shows where the fact came from. Read the vendor's own words before you decide.

The fourth mistake is ignoring spend caps. The index lists per-transaction, per-session, daily, weekly, monthly and per-agent caps, and merchant or contract allowlists. Locus lists the most cap types. Other listings show only one or two, and some show none published. If your agent needs tight limits, check the cap field before you pick. If a listing shows no caps, read the vendor docs to learn the defaults.

The fifth mistake is skipping the approval setting. In the index, 12 listings show human approval as required, 10 as optional and 4 as none. Decide whether a person must approve payments before you choose.

Questions to ask before you choose a wallet:

- Which rail does it use?
- Can the agent pay in the currency the seller expects?
- What happens when the agent goes over its budget?
- Who holds the keys?
- Can you revoke the agent's access? Check the vendor docs.
- Does the wallet need KYC?
- Is human approval required, optional or not offered?
- What fees apply? Check the vendor page for current terms.
- Is there an MCP server, or must you build the integration?

The listing answers many of these. For the rest, use the source link on the listing and the vendor's docs.

To compare, put two or three wallets side by side. Check the rail, spend caps, custody and fees. Follow the source URL for each fact you rely on. This guide is general information, not financial advice.

## Sources

- [Coinbase Agentic Wallets docs](https://docs.cdp.coinbase.com/agentic-wallet/welcome)
- [Skyfire payment docs](https://docs.skyfire.xyz/docs/payments-settlement)

## Questions

### What is a common mistake when you choose a wallet?

Choosing before you know how many calls the agent will make and at what price. Run the agent spend-limit planner on this site first. It suggests caps to set on a wallet.

### How do I know if a wallet is safe?

This site does not call any wallet safe or best. Read the cited source on each listing. Check the custody model, the spend caps and whether human approval is required.

> **Check before you fund.** Features, fees and protocol support change. Follow the cited source on each row before you let an agent hold or spend money.