Connect a Client

The Zinc MCP server is remote and hosted — there is nothing to install and no API key to configure. Point your client at the URL below and sign in when it opens a browser window.

https://mcp.zinc.com/mcp

Add the server

In Claude (web or desktop), open Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector, then paste the server URL:

https://mcp.zinc.com/mcp

Claude opens a Zinc sign-in window, shows you the permissions it’s asking for, and finishes the connection. The Zinc tools then appear in the tools menu of any new chat.

Add it from the CLI:

claude mcp add --transport http zinc https://mcp.zinc.com/mcp

Then run /mcp inside Claude Code and pick Authenticate to complete the OAuth flow in your browser.

Enable Developer mode under Settings → Connectors → Advanced, then add a connector with the URL:

https://mcp.zinc.com/mcp

ChatGPT walks you through the Zinc sign-in and consent screen. Custom MCP connectors require a paid ChatGPT plan.

Add the server through Settings → MCP → Add new MCP server, or edit ~/.cursor/mcp.json directly:

~/.cursor/mcp.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zinc": {
      "url": "https://mcp.zinc.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Cursor prompts you to sign in the first time a Zinc tool is used.

Create .vscode/mcp.json in your workspace (or add the same entry to your user settings):

.vscode/mcp.json

{
  "servers": {
    "zinc": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.zinc.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Start the server from the MCP view and complete the sign-in when prompted.

Any client that speaks Streamable HTTP with OAuth can connect to the URL directly. Clients that only support local stdio servers can bridge with mcp-remote:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "zinc": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.zinc.com/mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Interactive cards render in clients that support MCP Apps widgets. In clients that don’t, the same tools still work — you get the structured result as text instead of a card, and the confirmation buttons for spending are unavailable.

Signing in

The server holds no credentials of its own. Every request carries your access token, which is why each connection only ever sees its own account’s orders and wallet. Authorization runs against login.zinc.com and the sign-in page is the same Zinc dashboard login you already use. Clients register themselves automatically, so there’s no client ID or secret to create.

Permissions

The consent screen asks for these scopes. You choose which to grant:

Scope	What it unlocks
`orders:read`	List orders, order detail, tracking, and order review cards
`orders:write`	Placing an order you’ve confirmed
`wallet:read`	Balance, per-order fee, saved payment methods, funding checks
`wallet:write`	Charging a deposit you’ve confirmed
`products:read`	Cross-retailer product search (billed per search)

products:read is deliberately separate from orders:read: search bills your wallet per call, and a search result is directly orderable, so finding a product and buying it are two different permissions. Neither implies the other.

Scopes are fixed when you authorize. Granting a scope later requires disconnecting and reconnecting the server — a live connection cannot widen its own permissions.

Tools degrade rather than failing blindly when a scope is missing. Without wallet:read the order review card simply omits its funding line; without orders:write the card renders but the Place order button stays disabled and names the scope to reconnect for.

Verifying the connection

Start a new chat and ask:

“List my recent Zinc orders.”

A card list of your orders means the connection is live. If you get an authentication error instead, reconnect the server — the most common cause is an expired or revoked authorization.

Disconnecting

Remove the connector in your client’s settings. You can also revoke the connected app from your Zinc dashboard, which invalidates its tokens immediately.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Cause and fix
Every tool returns an authentication error	The authorization expired or was revoked. Remove and re-add the connector.
A tool says it lacks a scope	That scope wasn’t granted at sign-in. Reconnect and approve it.
Results arrive as text, no cards	The client doesn’t support MCP Apps widgets. Reads work; confirmation buttons don’t.
Search fails asking for funds	Search is metered against your wallet. Confirm a top-up, or add funds in the dashboard.
Top-up says no payment method	Payment methods can’t be added over MCP by design. Add a card in the dashboard first.

Next steps

Usage guide

Search, order, track, and top up through conversation.

Getting Started

MCP Server

Agent Sandbox

Agent Skills

Ways to Pay

Migrating from V1

FAQ

Add the server

Signing in

Permissions

Verifying the connection

Disconnecting

Troubleshooting

Next steps

Usage guide

​Add the server

​Signing in

​Permissions

​Verifying the connection

​Disconnecting

​Troubleshooting

​Next steps

Usage guide

Add the server

Signing in

Permissions

Verifying the connection

Disconnecting

Troubleshooting

Next steps