diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/confirm/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/confirm/route.ts
index e686a564..55a9aab6 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/confirm/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/confirm/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import {
   buildProxyExceptionResponse,
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export async function POST(
   try {
     const body = await req.json();
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const proxiedHeaders = new Headers(auth.headers);
     proxiedHeaders.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/submit/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/submit/route.ts
index 624ff527..3f47ef34 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/submit/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/submit/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import {
   buildProxyExceptionResponse,
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export async function POST(
   try {
     const body = await req.json();
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const proxiedHeaders = new Headers(auth.headers);
     proxiedHeaders.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/validate/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/validate/route.ts
index ca66bff0..68b86dab 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/validate/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/[intentId]/validate/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import {
   buildProxyExceptionResponse,
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ export async function POST(
   try {
     const body = await req.json();
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const proxiedHeaders = new Headers(auth.headers);
     proxiedHeaders.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/route.ts
index 48b0d7f0..5a7d955d 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/intents/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import {
   buildProxyExceptionResponse,
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
   try {
     const body = await req.json();
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const proxiedHeaders = new Headers(auth.headers);
     proxiedHeaders.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/reconcile-latest/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/reconcile-latest/route.ts
index 9d62e36f..d2e78f1d 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/reconcile-latest/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/reconcile-latest/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import { buildProxyExceptionResponse } from "@/lib/api-proxy";
 
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
 
   try {
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const res = await fetch(`${API_BASE}/api/payments/reconcile-latest`, {
       method: "POST",
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/challenge/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/challenge/route.ts
index a993d792..6db5ec76 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/challenge/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/challenge/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import {
   buildProxyExceptionResponse,
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
   try {
     const body = await req.json();
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const proxiedHeaders = new Headers(auth.headers);
     proxiedHeaders.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/route.ts
index f6696760..0dfee0b4 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import {
   buildProxyExceptionResponse,
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ export async function DELETE(req: NextRequest) {
   }
   try {
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const proxiedHeaders = new Headers(auth.headers);
     proxiedHeaders.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
diff --git a/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/verify/route.ts b/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/verify/route.ts
index 49f93e75..f691af27 100644
--- a/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/verify/route.ts
+++ b/frontend/app/api/payments/wallets/verify/route.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { NextRequest, NextResponse } from "next/server";
 import {
   applyAuthResponseCookies,
   buildBackendRequestHeaders,
-  requireBackendAuthUser,
+  requireBackendPaymentAuth,
 } from "@/lib/backend-auth";
 import {
   buildProxyExceptionResponse,
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ export async function POST(req: NextRequest) {
   try {
     const body = await req.json();
     const auth = await buildBackendRequestHeaders(req);
-    const authError = requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+    const authError = requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth);
     if (authError) return authError;
     const proxiedHeaders = new Headers(auth.headers);
     proxiedHeaders.set("Content-Type", "application/json");
diff --git a/frontend/components/account/__tests__/paymentSecurity.test.ts b/frontend/components/account/__tests__/paymentSecurity.test.ts
index 1daf38ac..7fb13a57 100644
--- a/frontend/components/account/__tests__/paymentSecurity.test.ts
+++ b/frontend/components/account/__tests__/paymentSecurity.test.ts
@@ -100,6 +100,11 @@ export function runTests() {
     backendAuthSource.includes("requireBackendAuthUser"),
     "backend auth helper must expose a real-user requirement for payment mutations",
   );
+  assert(
+    backendAuthSource.includes("requireBackendPaymentAuth") &&
+      backendAuthSource.includes("hasBearerAuth"),
+    "backend auth helper must allow bearer-backed payment mutations to reach the backend verifier",
+  );
 
   const middlewareSource = fs.readFileSync(middlewarePath, "utf8");
   assert(
@@ -205,8 +210,9 @@ export function runTests() {
   for (const route of paymentRoutes) {
     const routeSource = fs.readFileSync(path.join(projectRoot, route), "utf8");
     assert(
-      routeSource.includes("requireBackendAuthUser"),
-      `${route} must reject payment mutations without a real Supabase user`,
+      routeSource.includes("requireBackendPaymentAuth") &&
+        !routeSource.includes("requireBackendAuthUser(auth)"),
+      `${route} must allow bearer-backed payment mutations while still rejecting requests with no auth context`,
     );
   }
 }
diff --git a/frontend/lib/backend-auth.ts b/frontend/lib/backend-auth.ts
index bb4d7294..40990efd 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/backend-auth.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/backend-auth.ts
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ export type BackendHeaderBuildResult = {
   response: NextResponse | null;
   authUserId?: string | null;
   authEmail?: string | null;
+  hasBearerAuth?: boolean;
 };
 
 type HeaderBuildOptions = {
@@ -53,13 +54,25 @@ export async function buildBackendRequestHeaders(
   const incomingAuth = extractBearerToken(request.headers.get("authorization"));
   if (incomingAuth) {
     headers.set("Authorization", `Bearer ${incomingAuth}`);
-    return { headers, response: null, authUserId: null, authEmail: null };
+    return {
+      headers,
+      response: null,
+      authUserId: null,
+      authEmail: null,
+      hasBearerAuth: true,
+    };
   }
 
   const includeSupabaseIdentity = options?.includeSupabaseIdentity !== false;
   if (hasSupabaseServerEnv() && includeSupabaseIdentity) {
     if (!hasSupabaseSessionCookie(request)) {
-      return { headers, response: null, authUserId: null, authEmail: null };
+      return {
+        headers,
+        response: null,
+        authUserId: null,
+        authEmail: null,
+        hasBearerAuth: false,
+      };
     }
 
     const passthroughResponse = new NextResponse(null, { status: 200 });
@@ -81,10 +94,22 @@ export async function buildBackendRequestHeaders(
     if (forwardedEmail) {
       headers.set(FORWARDED_SUPABASE_EMAIL_HEADER, forwardedEmail);
     }
-    return { headers, response: passthroughResponse, authUserId: forwardedUserId || null, authEmail: forwardedEmail || null };
+    return {
+      headers,
+      response: passthroughResponse,
+      authUserId: forwardedUserId || null,
+      authEmail: forwardedEmail || null,
+      hasBearerAuth: Boolean(accessToken),
+    };
   }
 
-  return { headers, response: null, authUserId: null, authEmail: null };
+  return {
+    headers,
+    response: null,
+    authUserId: null,
+    authEmail: null,
+    hasBearerAuth: false,
+  };
 }
 
 export function applyAuthResponseCookies(
@@ -110,3 +135,8 @@ export function requireBackendAuthUser(auth: BackendHeaderBuildResult) {
     auth.response,
   );
 }
+
+export function requireBackendPaymentAuth(auth: BackendHeaderBuildResult) {
+  if (auth.authUserId || auth.hasBearerAuth) return null;
+  return requireBackendAuthUser(auth);
+}