diff --git a/agent/sn_agent/accounting/__init__.py b/agent/sn_agent/accounting/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f74db6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/sn_agent/accounting/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+#
+# sn_agent/accounting/__init__.py - manages AGI token payment processing,
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2017 SingularityNET
+#
+# Distributed under the MIT software license, see LICENSE file.
+#
+
+from abc import ABC
+from sn_agent.accounting.settings import AccountingSettings
+from sn_agent.job.job_descriptor import JobDescriptor
+
+class Accounting(ABC):
+    def __init__(self, app):
+        self.app = app
+        self.settings = AccountingSettings()
+
+    def job_is_contracted(self, job: JobDescriptor):
+        if not job is None:
+            return True
+        else:
+            return False
+
+def setup_accounting(app):
+    app['accounting'] = Accounting(app)
diff --git a/agent/sn_agent/accounting/accounting.yml b/agent/sn_agent/accounting/accounting.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2d3ac5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/sn_agent/accounting/accounting.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#
+# sn_agent/accounting/accounting.yml - configuration parameters for the accounting module,
+#
+# Copyright (c) 2017 SingularityNET
+#
+# Distributed under the MIT software license, see LICENSE file.
+#
+
+accounting:
+  token_id: AGI
+
+  # One COG is 1 / 10^8 of an AGI
+  sub_token_id: COG
+  sub_token_divisor: 8
diff --git a/agent/sn_agent/accounting/settings.py b/agent/sn_agent/accounting/settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22f2ef2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/agent/sn_agent/accounting/settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import os
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from sn_agent import SettingsBase
+
+THIS_DIR = Path(__file__).parent
+
+
+class AccountingSettings(SettingsBase):
+    def __init__(self, **custom_settings):
+        self._ENV_PREFIX = 'SN_ACCOUNTING_'
+        self.CONFIG_FILE = os.path.join(THIS_DIR, 'accounting.yml')
+        super().__init__(**custom_settings)
diff --git a/agent/sn_agent/api/job.py b/agent/sn_agent/api/job.py
index 23a53a1..7a0c8a2 100644
--- a/agent/sn_agent/api/job.py
+++ b/agent/sn_agent/api/job.py
@@ -22,13 +22,22 @@ async def perform_job(app, job_descriptor: JobDescriptor):
     logger.debug("perform_job: %s", job_descriptor)
 
     service_manager = app['service_manager']
+    accounting = app['accounting']
 
-    service_descriptor = job_descriptor.service
+    if accounting.job_is_contracted(job_descriptor):
 
-    service_adapter = service_manager.get_service_adapter_for_id(service_descriptor.ontology_node_id)
+        # Get the adapter for this job's service.
+        service_descriptor = job_descriptor.service
+        service_adapter = service_manager.get_service_adapter_for_id(service_descriptor.ontology_node_id)
+        if service_adapter is None:
+            raise Exception('Service not available')
 
-    if service_adapter is None:
-        raise Exception('Service not available')
+        results = service_adapter.perform(job_descriptor)
+
+    else:
+        results = [{
+            'error': "Job {0} has no valid contract".format(job_descriptor.error_description())
+        }]
 
-    return service_adapter.perform(job_descriptor)
+    return results
 
diff --git a/agent/sn_agent/app.py b/agent/sn_agent/app.py
index a48eab0..b8667c3 100644
--- a/agent/sn_agent/app.py
+++ b/agent/sn_agent/app.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import uvloop
 from aiohttp import web
 
+from sn_agent.accounting import setup_accounting
 from sn_agent.agent import setup_agent
 from sn_agent.api import setup_api
 from sn_agent.log import setup_logging
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ def create_app():
     setup_ontology(app)
     setup_network(app)
     setup_service_manager(app)
+    setup_accounting(app)
     setup_api(app)
     setup_agent(app)
     setup_routes(app)
diff --git a/agent/sn_agent/job/job_descriptor.py b/agent/sn_agent/job/job_descriptor.py
index 2e19cb4..d92ecba 100644
--- a/agent/sn_agent/job/job_descriptor.py
+++ b/agent/sn_agent/job/job_descriptor.py
@@ -50,6 +50,13 @@ def __setitem__(self, key, value):
     def __len__(self):
         return len(self.job_parameters)
 
+    def error_description(self):
+        if self.service is None:
+            description = ""
+        else:
+            description = self.service.name()
+        return 'Job for service %s' % (description)
+
     def append_job_item(self, job_item: dict):
         self.job_parameters.append(job_item)
 
diff --git a/docker-compose.abc.yml b/docker-compose.abc.yml
index 3154da0..925aa71 100644
--- a/docker-compose.abc.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.abc.yml
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ services:
         - "8545:8545"
         - "8546:8546"
         - "30303:30303"
-      command: testrpc
+      command: ganache-cli
 
     relex:
       image: opencog/relex
diff --git a/docker-compose.dev.yml b/docker-compose.dev.yml
index 6a9384a..e68a434 100644
--- a/docker-compose.dev.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.dev.yml
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ services:
         - "8545:8545"
         - "8546:8546"
         - "30303:30303"
-      command: testrpc
+      command: ganache-cli
 
     relex:
       image: opencog/relex
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index fcc0d32..4695b95 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -24,4 +24,4 @@ services:
         - "8545:8545"
         - "8546:8546"
         - "30303:30303"
-      command: testrpc
+      command: ganache-cli