> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pagos.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# BIN Continuity API Error Handling

<Warning>
  The BIN Continuity API is coming soon.
</Warning>

If the BIN Continuity API fails, you'll receive an error response with an appropriate HTTP status code.

## Error Responses

| HTTP Status | Error Code                 | Description                                                                 |
| :---------- | :------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 400         | `INVALID_BIN_FORMAT`       | BIN is malformed or incorrect length; [learn more](#invalid-bin-format-400) |
| 400         | `MISSING_PARAMETER`        | Required `bin` query parameter not provided                                 |
| 401         | `MISSING_AUTHORIZATION`    | Authorization header not present                                            |
| 401         | `INVALID_API_KEY`          | API key is invalid or expired                                               |
| 403         | `INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS` | API key lacks access to this endpoint                                       |
| 404         | `BIN_NOT_FOUND`            | No continuity record exists for the BIN; [learn more](#bin-not-found-404)   |
| 429         | `RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED`      | [Too many requests](#rate-limit-exceeded-429) in time window                |
| 500         | `INTERNAL_ERROR`           | Unexpected server error                                                     |
| 503         | `SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE`      | Service temporarily unavailable                                             |

## Error Response Format

Error responses are returned in the following JSON format:

```json theme={null}
{
  "message": "[ERROR MESSAGE]"
}
```

## Common Error Scenarios

### BIN Not Found (404)

Unlike the standard `/bins` endpoint which returns 404 for BINs not in the current file, the `/bins/continuity` endpoint only returns 404 if the BIN has **never** existed in any Pagos BIN file. If a BIN was previously active but has since been deleted, the continuity endpoint will return the historical data with the [status](/bin-data-APIs/bin-continuity-api-overview#bin-lifecycle-statuses) `"deleted"`.

### Invalid BIN Format (400)

Ensure your BIN value:

* Contains only numeric digits
* Is between 6 and 10 characters in length
* Does not include spaces or special characters

### Rate Limit Exceeded (429)

If you exceed the [rate limit](/bin-data-APIs/bin-continuity-api-overview#bin-continuity-api-limits) of 100 calls every 10 seconds, wait briefly before retrying. Consider implementing exponential backoff in your integration.
