Should I Pay With Militech Money?

When It Makes Sense

• Good fit: You want to conserve your own eurodollars for cyberware, weapons, vehicles, or crafting early in the game. The Militech credchip is pre-loaded with corporate funds, so handing it to Royce lets you walk away with the Flathead without spending 10,000 of your own eddies. For cash-strapped characters or players saving for a major purchase, this can be an attractive option.
• Good fit: You are playing a combat-focused build, enjoy firefights, or want the extra experience, street cred, and loot that often come from a hostile encounter. In many playthroughs, paying with the Militech chip turns the All Foods meeting violent, which can be rewarding if your V is built for shooting rather than stealth.

When You Should Avoid It

• Warning sign: You prefer a peaceful, stealthy, or diplomatic resolution and want to keep Maelstrom non-hostile. If the chip still carries Militech’s tracing malware when you hand it over, Royce’s crew may turn hostile immediately. This can eliminate a quiet exit and prevent certain characters from appearing in later missions.
• Warning sign: You are roleplaying an anti-corporate solo, a street kid loyal to Maelstrom, or a V who avoids corporate entanglements. Using Militech money ties the deal to Meredith Stout and the corporation behind her, which can conflict with an independent narrative and may shape how you view your character’s choices.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Keeps your personal funds untouched. Saving 10,000 eurodollars early in Night City can make a real difference when you need cyberware, quickhacks, or crafting components. A netrunner who can sanitize the chip may even keep the cash benefit while avoiding the malware downside.
• Can unlock combat rewards and Militech-aligned content. A hostile turn of events lets you loot gear, gain experience and street cred, and move closer to Meredith Stout’s storyline. For players seeking action or corporate-aligned roleplay, the chip can advance both goals.

Cons

• High risk of violence and lost Maelstrom relations. Unless you remove the malware, the handover frequently ends in a shootout. That can kill characters who might otherwise reappear later and can remove peaceful dialogue options for the remainder of the mission.
• Corporate entanglement and tracking concerns. The credchip is not anonymous cash; it is a traced Militech asset. Using it means the deal is linked to a powerful corporation, which may undermine an anti-corpo or independent playthrough and leave you with less narrative freedom.

Decision Checklist

• Can you afford to spend 10,000 of your own eddies? If your wallet is empty, the Militech chip is tempting, but weigh whether saving that money is worth a potential gunfight or corporate strings.
• Do you have the skills to crack the chip? A netrunner with Breach Protocol can often remove the malware, giving you the financial benefit without the guaranteed hostility. If your build lacks those skills, the risks rise.
• Have you saved recently? Because this choice can swing the encounter toward combat or peace, keeping a manual save before meeting Royce lets you experiment with both outcomes and continue with the one that fits your story.

Alternatives to Consider

The simplest alternative is to pay Royce with 10,000 of your own eurodollars. In many playthroughs this keeps the meeting peaceful, preserves relations with Maelstrom, and allows certain characters to survive for later content. If you already accepted Meredith’s chip, you can also use Breach Protocol to remove the malware before entering All Foods, letting you hand over clean Militech money while keeping your personal funds. Another path is to skip Meredith’s offer entirely and rely on your own cash or intimidation options tied to your build. Finally, if your run does not need the Flathead, you can avoid the purchase altogether and focus on other missions.

Final Recommendation

Use the Militech money if you want to save your own eddies and are ready for a possible fight, or if you have the netrunner skills to clean the malware off the chip first. Pay with your own eurodollars if you value a peaceful resolution, want to stay friendly with Maelstrom, or are roleplaying a V who refuses corporate favors. Because Cyberpunk 2077 is a single-player game with reloadable saves, the most practical approach is to save before the decision, try the outcome, and continue with whichever path matches your character and mood. This guide is for gameplay and entertainment planning only and does not provide real-world financial or legal advice.