HTTP 402 Payment Required vs 404 Not Found
Both HTTP 402 (Payment Required) and 404 (Not Found) belong to the 4xx Client Error category. 402 indicates that reserved for future use. Originally intended for digital payment systems, some APIs use it to indicate a billing or subscription issue. Meanwhile, 404 means that the server cannot find the requested resource. The URL may be wrong, the resource may have been deleted, or it may never have existed.
Description
Reserved for future use. Originally intended for digital payment systems, some APIs use it to indicate a billing or subscription issue.
When You See It
On some APIs when a subscription has expired or payment is needed.
How to Fix
Check your billing status, update payment method, or upgrade your subscription.
Description
The server cannot find the requested resource. The URL may be wrong, the resource may have been deleted, or it may never have existed.
When You See It
When a URL is mistyped, a page has been deleted, or an API endpoint doesn't exist.
How to Fix
Verify the URL is correct. Check for typos, case sensitivity, and trailing slashes.
Key Differences
HTTP 402: Reserved for future use. Originally intended for digital payment systems, some APIs use it to indicate a billing or subscription issue.
HTTP 404: The server cannot find the requested resource. The URL may be wrong, the resource may have been deleted, or it may never have existed.
You encounter 402 when on some APIs when a subscription has expired or payment is needed.
You encounter 404 when when a URL is mistyped, a page has been deleted, or an API endpoint doesn't exist.
When to Use Which
For 402 (Payment Required): Check your billing status, update payment method, or upgrade your subscription. For 404 (Not Found): Verify the URL is correct. Check for typos, case sensitivity, and trailing slashes.