MCP Server Overview

The RefundKit MCP server gives AI agents the ability to process refunds as tool calls through the Model Context Protocol. Instead of building custom integrations for every AI framework, you run one MCP server and any compatible agent can issue refunds, check statuses, and enforce policies.

What Is MCP?

The Model Context Protocol (MCP) is an open standard for connecting AI models to external tools and data sources. It defines a structured way for AI agents to discover available tools, understand their parameters, and call them during conversations.

Think of MCP as a "USB-C for AI" -- a universal plug that lets any compatible AI model use any compatible tool without custom wiring.

Why AI Agents Need Refund Tools

AI customer support agents are increasingly handling the full lifecycle of customer interactions: answering questions, looking up orders, and resolving issues. But when a customer needs a refund, most agents hit a wall -- they either escalate to a human or require custom code to call payment APIs.

RefundKit's MCP server solves this by exposing five tools that handle the complete refund workflow:

| Tool | Purpose | |------|---------| | refundkit_process_refund | Initiate a refund for a transaction | | refundkit_check_refund_status | Check the current status of a refund | | refundkit_list_refunds | List refunds with filters and pagination | | refundkit_get_policy | Check whether a transaction is eligible for refund | | refundkit_cancel_refund | Cancel a pending refund |

When an AI agent connects to the RefundKit MCP server, it automatically discovers these tools and can use them during conversations with customers.

How It Works

Customer: "I want a refund for order #12345"
        |
   AI Agent (Claude, GPT, etc.)
        |
   MCP Protocol (stdio or HTTP)
        |
   RefundKit MCP Server
        |
   RefundKit API
        |
   Stripe (or other processor)
        |
   AI Agent: "I've processed your $25.00 refund.
              Refund ID: ref_abc123. It should appear
              in 5-10 business days."

The AI agent receives a customer's refund request.
The agent calls refundkit_get_policy to verify eligibility.
If eligible, it calls refundkit_process_refund to initiate the refund.
The MCP server routes the request through the RefundKit API to the payment processor.
The agent receives a structured response and communicates the result to the customer.

Transport Modes

The MCP server supports two transport modes:

stdio -- Runs as a child process. The AI framework launches the server and communicates over stdin/stdout. Best for local development and desktop AI applications like Claude Desktop.
HTTP (SSE) -- Runs as a standalone HTTP server. AI agents connect over the network. Best for production deployments and multi-agent setups.

Supported Frameworks

RefundKit's MCP server works with any MCP-compatible framework:

Claude Desktop -- Anthropic's desktop application
OpenAI Agents SDK -- OpenAI's agent framework
LangChain -- Popular Python/JS agent framework
CrewAI -- Multi-agent orchestration framework

Next Steps

Setup -- Install and configure the MCP server.
Tools Reference -- Detailed documentation for all five tools.