Mandates

A mandate is the authority object for delegated action.

This subject may perform this class of action, under this policy, until this
expiry, within this budget, against this exact intent shape.

Mandates are the bridge between user approval and agent execution. They should be scoped, typed, revocable, and auditable.

Core Fields

Field	Role
Subject	User, org role, wallet, device, agent, or service.
Intent shape	The typed action family the mandate may authorize.
Constraints	Budget, merchant, recipient, chain, marketplace, geography, time, and risk rules.
Policy epoch	Versioned policy state for revocation-sensitive decisions.
Expiry	Hard lifetime for the delegated authority.
Audit facts	Evidence needed to explain what was allowed or denied.

Examples

• A shopping agent may buy one jacket under USD 500 from approved merchants.
• A bidding agent may bid up to a fixed ceiling on one listing.
• A merchant support agent may issue refunds up to a configured amount.
• A backend service may execute one wallet intent under a delegated lane.

Mandates do not replace signing controls. They constrain when signing or another execution adapter may proceed.