Errors

Every error response from the Tally API uses a consistent envelope. The HTTP status code tells you the rough category; the type and code in the body tell you the specifics.

Envelope

{
  "error": {
    "type": "validation_failed",
    "message": "Amount exceeds per-tx max.",
    "code": "amount_too_large",
    "details": { "max_per_tx_usdc": "10", "requested": "15" }
  }
}

Every error has type and message. code is set when there’s a more specific failure mode within a type (most payment policy violations carry one). details carries structured context when relevant — typically the failed Zod issue list for validation errors.

Error types

`type`	HTTP	Meaning
`unauthenticated`	401	Missing, malformed, or invalid API key.
`forbidden`	403	The request authenticated, but a policy check rejected it. Inspect `code`.
`not_found`	404	The resource doesn’t exist in this (account, mode).
`validation_failed`	400	The request body or query failed validation. `details` carries the Zod issues.
`conflict`	409	The request collides with existing state. Not used by `v1` endpoints today but reserved for future use.
`rate_limited`	429	The account is over its per-second ceiling. See Rate limits.
`internal`	500	A dependency failed (Privy, the chain). Retryable; see specific `code` for the cause.

The SDK maps each type to a typed exception class — see SDK errors. REST callers branch on type and code directly.

Codes on `POST /v1/payments`

The payments endpoint is the only v1 route with structured code values today. Branch on error.type first, error.code second.

`code`	`type`	Meaning
`agent_not_found`	`not_found`	No agent with that `agent_id` in this (account, mode).
`wallet_not_found`	`not_found`	The wallet address isn’t owned by this account, or is in the wrong mode.
`permission_not_found`	`not_found`	The agent has no active grant on that wallet.
`amount_invalid`	`validation_failed`	`amount_usdc` is malformed (non-decimal, too many decimal places, etc.).
`address_invalid`	`validation_failed`	`wallet` or `to` is not a valid EVM address.
`amount_too_large`	`forbidden`	Exceeds the grant’s per-transaction max.
`daily_cap_exceeded`	`forbidden`	Would push the rolling 24-hour spend over the grant’s daily cap.
`insufficient_balance`	`forbidden`	The wallet doesn’t have enough USDC to cover the requested amount. Surfaced when Privy’s enclave (or the chain) rejects the call as `ERC20: transfer amount exceeds balance`. Recovery is to fund the wallet — distinct from the other `forbidden` codes, which are policy violations the user can’t unilaterally fix.
`recipient_not_allowed`	`forbidden`	`to` is not in the grant’s recipient allowlist.
`contract_not_allowed`	`forbidden`	The destination contract is not on the grant’s contract allowlist (USDC is the default).
`permission_expired`	`forbidden`	The grant’s `expires_at` has passed.
`privy_call_failed`	`internal`	Privy’s API failed during signing for a reason Tally couldn’t classify (the catch path before falling back here pattern-matches the user-fixable cases like `insufficient_balance`). Retryable.

The forbidden-typed codes are policy violations, not auth failures. Surface them in your UI as “this permission doesn’t permit that,” not “your credentials are bad.”

Recovery patterns

Type	Should you retry?
`unauthenticated`	No. Fix the key or rotate.
`forbidden`	No, not the same way. Either fix the request shape (different `to`, smaller `amount_usdc`) or wait for a new grant.
`not_found`	No. Either the id is wrong or the resource doesn’t exist yet.
`validation_failed`	No. Fix the input.
`conflict`	Maybe. Depends on the specific endpoint; today no `v1` route emits this.
`rate_limited`	Yes, after `Retry-After`. Use exponential backoff.
`internal`	Yes, with an idempotency key. The cause is downstream.

Always read error.message for human context before deciding — the message often points at the specific field or constraint that failed.

Sample handlers

Branching on `type` and `code`

async function pay(input: PaymentInput) {
  const res = await fetch(`${baseUrl}/v1/payments`, {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      Authorization: `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify(input),
  });

  if (res.ok) return res.json();

  const { error } = await res.json();

  switch (error.type) {
    case "forbidden":
      if (
        error.code === "amount_too_large" ||
        error.code === "daily_cap_exceeded"
      ) {
        // Policy violation — prompt to top up the permission.
        return notifyToTopUpPermission(error);
      }
      if (error.code === "insufficient_balance") {
        // Wallet ran out of USDC. Distinct recovery: fund the wallet
        // (not the permission). Don't retry without action.
        return notifyToFundWallet(error);
      }
      throw new PolicyError(error);
    case "rate_limited":
      await sleep(Number(res.headers.get("Retry-After") ?? 1) * 1000);
      return pay(input); // retry with the same idempotency key
    case "internal":
      // Tally or Privy hiccup; retry idempotently
      return pay(input);
    default:
      throw new ApiError(error);
  }
}

Logging unknown errors

When you encounter a type your handler doesn’t branch on, log the entire envelope and surface a generic failure to the user. Don’t drop the body — the details field often has exactly the info you need to diagnose later.

Get started

Concepts

Guides

API reference

SDK reference

Ops

Resources

Envelope

Error types

Codes on `POST /v1/payments`

Recovery patterns

Sample handlers

Branching on `type` and `code`

Logging unknown errors

​Envelope

​Error types

​Codes on POST /v1/payments

​Recovery patterns

​Sample handlers

​Branching on type and code

​Logging unknown errors

Envelope

Error types

Codes on `POST /v1/payments`

Recovery patterns

Sample handlers

Branching on `type` and `code`

Logging unknown errors