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402
Client Error

402 Payment Required

402 Payment Required — code reserved for future use, but currently used by some APIs to signal "payment needed".

Description

402 Payment Required was originally reserved for future use in digital payment schemes, but has since been adopted by many APIs and platforms to indicate that the user has exceeded a free tier or needs to upgrade their plan to access the resource.

Common in SaaS platforms, API gateways with usage limits, and premium content systems. The response typically includes information about how to make a payment or upgrade.

Common Causes

API quota exceeded (Stripe, GitHub, Cloudflare) Subscription expired, payment failed Paid feature requires plan upgrade

How to Fix

Read the response body — the API usually specifies exactly what needs to be paid. Check subscription status in the service's billing panel. Update payment method or smart card on file.

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