Error Reference

All errors from the Ticket Buyback Partner API follow a standard response envelope. This page lists every error code, its HTTP status, and how to handle it.

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Error Response Format

Every error response returns "success": false with an error object:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "QUOTE_EXPIRED",
    "message": "The requested quote has expired. Please create a new quote.",
    "details": {
      "quote_id": "qt_abc123",
      "expired_at": "2026-02-26T09:00:00Z"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "timestamp": "2026-02-26T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

Field	Description
error.code	Machine-readable error code — use this in your error handling logic
error.message	Human-readable description of the error
error.details	Optional object with additional context — fields vary by error type
meta.request_id	Include this in any support requests to Ticket Buyback

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Authentication Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
INVALID_CREDENTIALS	401	client_id or client_secret is incorrect	Verify your credentials — contact support if correct credentials fail
UNAUTHORIZED	401	Missing or invalid Bearer token on a protected endpoint	Include a valid Authorization: Bearer <token> header
TOKEN_EXPIRED	401	Access token has expired	Re-authenticate via POST /v1/auth/token to get a new token
ACCOUNT_SUSPENDED	403	Partner account has been deactivated	Contact Ticket Buyback support
UNSUPPORTED_GRANT_TYPE	400	grant_type value is not client_credentials	Set grant_type to client_credentials

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Authorization Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
FORBIDDEN	403	Token is valid but you do not have permission to access this resource	Verify the resource belongs to your partner account
PAYMENT_NOT_CONFIGURED	403	Partner has not configured Routable payment methods	Complete Routable Setup before creating quotes or orders

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Validation Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
VALIDATION_ERROR	400	Request body fails schema validation	Check error.details for the specific field that failed validation

Example — Validation Error Response

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "VALIDATION_ERROR",
    "message": "Request body validation failed.",
    "details": {
      "field": "delivery_type",
      "issue": "Value 'email' is not a valid delivery_type. Accepted values: mobile_transfer, mobile_qr, pdf"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "abc123",
    "timestamp": "2026-02-26T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

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Event Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
EVENT_NOT_FOUND	404	Event ID does not exist in the TBB catalog	Verify the event_id from the Discovery API
EVENT_EXPIRED	422	Event date has already passed	Do not allow quotes or orders for past events

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Inventory Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
SECTION_NOT_FOUND	404	Section not found for this event	Verify section_name from the Sections API
NO_INVENTORY_AVAILABLE	422	No tickets available for the requested seat configuration	Try a different section, row, or quantity
INSUFFICIENT_QUANTITY	422	Requested quantity exceeds available inventory	Reduce quantity or try a different section/row

---

Quote Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
QUOTE_NOT_FOUND	404	Quote ID does not exist	Verify the quote_id from the Create Quote response
QUOTE_EXPIRED	422	Quote TTL has elapsed	Request a new quote via POST /v1/quotes
QUOTE_ALREADY_CONSUMED	422	Quote was already used to create an order	Each quote can only be used once — create a new quote if needed

Example — Quote Expired Response

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "QUOTE_EXPIRED",
    "message": "The requested quote has expired. Please create a new quote.",
    "details": {
      "quote_id": "qt_abc123",
      "expired_at": "2026-02-26T09:00:00Z"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "abc123",
    "timestamp": "2026-02-26T10:30:00Z"
  }
}

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Order Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
INVALID_DELIVERY_DEADLINE	422	delivery_deadline is after or too close to the event start time	Set delivery_deadline to a datetime before the event starts

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Rate Limit Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED	429	Too many requests in a short period	Wait for the duration in the Retry-After response header before retrying

Handling Rate Limits in Code

JavaScript — Retry with backoff

async function fetchWithRetry(url, options, retries = 3) {
  const response = await fetch(url, options);

  if (response.status === 429 && retries > 0) {
    const retryAfter = response.headers.get("Retry-After") || 5;
    await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, retryAfter * 1000));
    return fetchWithRetry(url, options, retries - 1);
  }

  return response;
}

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Server Errors

Code	HTTP Status	Description	How to Handle
INTERNAL_ERROR	500	Unexpected server-side error	Retry the request. If it persists, contact support with the meta.request_id

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Global Error Handling Pattern

JavaScript — Global error handler

async function apiRequest(url, options = {}) {
  const response = await fetch(url, {
    ...options,
    headers: {
      Authorization: `Bearer ${token}`,
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
      Accept: "application/json",
      ...options.headers,
    },
  });

  const body = await response.json();

  if (!body.success) {
    const { code, message } = body.error;

    switch (code) {
      case "TOKEN_EXPIRED":
        await refreshToken();
        return apiRequest(url, options);

      case "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED":
        const retryAfter = response.headers.get("Retry-After") || 5;
        await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, retryAfter * 1000));
        return apiRequest(url, options);

      case "QUOTE_EXPIRED":
        throw new Error("Quote expired — please request a new quote.");

      case "PAYMENT_NOT_CONFIGURED":
        throw new Error("Routable payment not configured on your TBB account.");

      default:
        throw new Error(`API error [${code}]: ${message}`);
    }
  }

  return body.data;
}

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Quick Reference — All Error Codes

Code	HTTP Status
INVALID_CREDENTIALS	401
UNAUTHORIZED	401
TOKEN_EXPIRED	401
UNSUPPORTED_GRANT_TYPE	400
ACCOUNT_SUSPENDED	403
FORBIDDEN	403
PAYMENT_NOT_CONFIGURED	403
VALIDATION_ERROR	400
EVENT_NOT_FOUND	404
EVENT_EXPIRED	422
SECTION_NOT_FOUND	404
NO_INVENTORY_AVAILABLE	422
INSUFFICIENT_QUANTITY	422
QUOTE_NOT_FOUND	404
QUOTE_EXPIRED	422
QUOTE_ALREADY_CONSUMED	422
INVALID_DELIVERY_DEADLINE	422
RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED	429
INTERNAL_ERROR	500

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Always Log the request_id

Every response — success or error — includes a meta.request_id. Always log this value. It is the fastest way for Ticket Buyback support to locate and debug any issue.