# Getting started

Performance Agreements provide end users with a leverage to influence the API providers quality of services. They represent [independently-verified](https://chain-love.gitbook.io/chain.loves-performance/monitoring/how-it-works) promises to pay certain amount of [USDC](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USDC_\(cryptocurrency\)) if provider fulfills their duty correctly.

Conditions of what is considered "healthy" is defined when the Agreement is signed. The parameters are:

* **Service availability** or "how much time can API provider stay behind the chain per specified timeframe (per minute, hour, day, etc.)
* **What is considered as non-healthy**. Same as in the [Monitoring configuration](https://chain-love.gitbook.io/chain.loves-performance/monitoring/getting-started#configure-the-details), both block and time limit can be set, and the **stricter (lower) of the two thresholds** is applied.
* **Payment and retention**. Payment defines amount of USDC that you will pay before comissions, that will be split between provider, Chain.Love and [EigenLayer Operators](https://chain-love.gitbook.io/chain.loves-performance/monitoring/how-it-works). Retention is a percentage of a payment that you would like to keep if the provider does not fulfil the defined conditions. For example, 100% of retention means that all the funds intended for the provider are going to be refunded to the user if provider does not fulfil the Agreement.
* Duration - or for how long the Agreement is effective. Please note that rewards distribute proportionally over the time.

<figure><img src="https://3120590109-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzHukEzyKtop3oVU5Uj2y%2Fuploads%2Fmr5w5zDYTsSxesAnpXbJ%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=66d6942e-045f-4a8b-9b46-ed08905db924" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Signing a Performance agreement would require your wallet to be connected, and is essentially a two-step procedure:

1\) Allow spending for the USDC token (if not allowed yet)

2\) Sign the Agreement and pay the USDC.

Before the deals is signed you will get a text interpretation of the contract you are going to sign to ensure that the understanding of all the parameters you are having is correct:

<figure><img src="https://3120590109-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzHukEzyKtop3oVU5Uj2y%2Fuploads%2FDrBL1tJLyZBAkk6dYJ7m%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=f4e3dd67-3672-49fd-8233-154cf68f557b" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Terminating the Agreement

Agreement can be terminated in the following cases:

1\) Provider violates the agreement

2\) Deal has expired and Provider did not sign up for rewards retrieval. If you are the Provider - please, add your rewards 0x `address` on ETH Mainnet at our public provider database [here](https://github.com/Chain-Love/chain-love/blob/main/providers/api.csv).