> ## 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

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

## Error Responses

| HTTP Response Code | 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.


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