Skip to main content

​
Authentication Errors

​
Invalid API Key (401)

Error Response: 
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": 401,
    "type": "invalid_api_key",
    "info": "Invalid or missing API key."
  }
}
Fix:
  1. Check API key format: buderim_abc123...
  2. Use correct header: Authorization: Bearer your_api_key
  3. Verify key is active in dashboard

​
Account Suspended (401)

Error Response: 
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": 401,
    "type": "account_suspended", 
    "info": "Account is suspended. Please contact support."
  }
}
Causes:
  • Overdue payment
  • Terms violation
  • Billing issues
Fix: Check dashboard and contact support if needed.

​
Rate Limits

​
Monthly Quota Exceeded (429)

Error Response: 
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": 429,
    "type": "rate_limit_exceeded",
    "info": "Monthly quota of 5000 requests exceeded. Quota resets on your next billing cycle."
  }
}
Fix:
  • Wait until next billing cycle for reset
  • Cache responses (rates update once daily at 4 PM AEST)
  • Upgrade plan for higher quota

​
Free Tier Limit (429)

Free /convert endpoint: 3 requests/hour per IP. Fix:
  • Wait 1 hour
  • Sign up for 300 requests/month
  • Upgrade for higher limits

​
Data Issues

​
Stale Data

Indicators:
  • X-Data-Stale: true header
  • "stale": true in response
Cause: RBA hasn’t updated (weekends, holidays, technical issues) Action: No action needed - system recovers when RBA updates.

​
Historical Data Not Found (404)

Error Response: 
{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": 404,
    "type": "not_found",
    "info": "No data available for date 2017-12-31"
  }
}
Causes:
  • Date before 2018-01-01
  • Weekend (RBA publishes Monday-Friday only)
  • Australian public holiday
  • Future date

​
Technical Issues

​
Network Timeouts

Fix:
  1. Check internet connection
  2. Test: curl -I https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/status
  3. Check firewall allows HTTPS (port 443)
  4. Implement retry with exponential backoff

​
CORS Errors

Cause: Browser security blocks direct API calls with authentication. Fix:
  • Use backend proxy for API calls
  • Never put API keys in frontend code
  • For testing only: Use free /convert endpoint

​
Quick Diagnostics

​
1. Test Status

curl https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/status
Should return "status": "operational"

​
2. Test Authentication

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key" \
     https://api.exchangeratesapi.com.au/latest
Should return rate data

​
3. Check Rate Limits

Look for headers: 
X-RateLimit-Limit-Monthly: 5000
X-RateLimit-Remaining-Monthly: 4847

​
Contacting Support

Include:
  • Email address and plan type
  • Exact error message
  • Request ID from X-Request-Id header
  • Sample cURL command (API key redacted)
Contact us at https://www.exchangeratesapi.com.au/contact