HTTP 402 Payment Required vs 523 Origin Is Unreachable
HTTP 402 (Payment Required) is a 4xx Client Error response, while 523 (Origin Is Unreachable) is a 5xx Server Error response. 402 indicates that reserved for future use. Originally intended for digital payment systems, some APIs use it to indicate a billing or subscription issue. In contrast, 523 means that cloudflare-specific. Cloudflare could not reach the origin server (DNS resolution failed or no route).
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
Cloudflare-specific. Cloudflare could not reach the origin server (DNS resolution failed or no route).
When You See It
When Cloudflare's DNS for the origin fails to resolve.
How to Fix
Verify DNS records in Cloudflare dashboard. Check origin server's IP address.
Key Differences
402 is a 4xx Client Error response, while 523 is a 5xx Server Error response.
HTTP 402: Reserved for future use. Originally intended for digital payment systems, some APIs use it to indicate a billing or subscription issue.
HTTP 523: Cloudflare-specific. Cloudflare could not reach the origin server (DNS resolution failed or no route).
You encounter 402 when on some APIs when a subscription has expired or payment is needed.
You encounter 523 when when Cloudflare's DNS for the origin fails to resolve.
When to Use Which
For 402 (Payment Required): Check your billing status, update payment method, or upgrade your subscription. For 523 (Origin Is Unreachable): Verify DNS records in Cloudflare dashboard. Check origin server's IP address.