{
  "object": "doc",
  "title": "What is the Cartroute API?",
  "description": "One API for product search, prices and price history across Amazon, Best Buy and eBay, built for AI agents.",
  "section": "Getting started",
  "url": "https://cart-route.com/docs",
  "updated": "2026-09-23",
  "prev": null,
  "next": "https://cart-route.com/docs/quickstart",
  "text": "The Cartroute API searches 3 US retailers (Amazon, Best Buy, eBay) in one call and returns every matching product with each retailer's offer, shipping, the effective price you would actually pay, stock, delivery time and a 90-day price verdict, as normalized JSON. It is built for AI agents: REST with an OpenAPI 3.1 description, a remote MCP server, stable machine-readable errors and credit-based metering.\n\nBase URL: https://cart-route.com/api/v1\n\n## What can I build with it?\n\n- Shopping assistants that answer \"where is this cheapest right now?\" with a sourced number instead of a guess.\n\n- Procurement agents that compare landed prices across Amazon, Best Buy and eBay before buying hardware.\n\n- Deal and price-drop alerts built on the 180-day daily price history and the `good_time_to_buy` verdict.\n\n- Price checks that tell a shopper whether a price is a real deal against the product's recorded history.\n\n## Where should I start?\n\n  [1 minuteQuickstartGet a key and run your first search.](https://cart-route.com/docs/quickstart)\n  [AgentsMCP serverConnect Claude Code, Cursor or any MCP client.](https://cart-route.com/docs/mcp)\n  [ReferenceSearch endpointEvery parameter, with examples.](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/search)\n  [GuideRecommending where to buyTurn a response into a sound recommendation.](https://cart-route.com/docs/guides/recommendations)\n\n## What does it cost?\n\nEach successful search, product, price-history or coupon call costs one credit. New accounts receive 100 credits at signup and 100 more after confirming their email, with no card. Paid plans start at $29 a month for 5,000 credits. Details: [credits and pricing](https://cart-route.com/docs/credits).\n\n## Which endpoints are there?\n\n| Endpoint | Purpose | Credits |\n\n| GETPOST[`/search`](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/search) | Search all retailers | 1 |\n\n| GET[`/products/{id}`](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/products) | One product, every offer, specs | 1 |\n\n| GET[`/products/{id}/price-history`](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/price-history) | Daily prices, 7 to 180 days | 1 |\n\n| GET[`/coupons`](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/coupons) | Active coupons and promotions | 0 |\n\n| GET[`/retailers`, `/categories`](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/reference) | Reference data | 0 |\n\n| GET[`/account`, `/usage`](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/account) | Balance and ledger | 0 |\n\n| POST[`/accounts`](https://cart-route.com/docs/api/accounts) | Create an account and key | 0 |\n\n## Which conventions does every response follow?\n\n- Money is always a number in US dollars, and every money field ends in `_usd`.\n\n- Timestamps are ISO 8601 in UTC.\n\n- Every response carries `request_id` and `data_source` (`live` or `preview`; see [data sources](https://cart-route.com/docs/data)).\n\n- Errors are RFC 9457 `application/problem+json` with a stable `code`; see [errors](https://cart-route.com/docs/errors).\n\n- Metered responses report `credits.charged` and `credits.remaining`."
}