Validate · Enforce · Trust

Authentication Requirements v2.12 min read

This page defines the required error handling behaviour when the end user fails to authenticate during the consent journey. The LFI MUST invoke POST /auth/{interactionId}/doFail with the exact error and error_description values specified below.

For the full doFail API specification, see the POST /auth/{interactionId}/doFail API Reference.

01 Section

Error scenarios

1. End user fails initial authentication

The end user does not successfully complete initial authentication — for example, by exceeding the maximum number of allowed attempts (e.g. 3 failed attempts).

Field
Value
error
access_denied
error_description
user_failed_to_authenticate

The LFI MUST NOT PATCH the consent to Rejected in this scenario — the end user's identity has not been confirmed, so no end user identifiers are available.

2. End user fails step-up authentication

The end user authenticated successfully during initial login but fails the step-up authentication required for payment consent confirmation — for example, failing biometric verification or exceeding the maximum number of step-up attempts.

Field
Value
error
access_denied
error_description
user_failed_step_up_authentication

The LFI MUST PATCH the consent to Rejected before calling doFail — the end user was already identified during initial authentication.

3. End user is blocked, suspended, or flagged

The end user authenticates successfully but the LFI determines the customer account is blocked, suspended, or otherwise flagged — for example, due to a fraud hold, deceased marker, or sanctions screening.

Field
Value
error
access_denied
error_description
user_account_blocked

The LFI MUST NOT PATCH the consent to Rejected in this scenario — the LFI SHOULD NOT associate the consent with a blocked account in the API Hub.

4. LFI internal technical error

The LFI encounters an internal technical error during the authentication process — for example, an internal service failure or inability to retrieve customer data.

Field
Value
error
server_error
error_description
lfi_internal_error

The LFI MUST NOT PATCH the consent to Rejected — the end user's identity may not have been confirmed, and the failure is not attributable to the end user.

5. LFI fails to communicate with API Hub

When GET /auth itself fails
If GET /auth fails, the LFI has no interactionId and therefore cannot call doFail. In this case the LFI MUST render an error page to the end user explaining that the service is temporarily unavailable.

The LFI cannot communicate with the API Hub after the initial GET /auth call — for example, a failure when calling GET /consents/{consentId} to retrieve the consent details.

Field
Value
error
server_error
error_description
api_hub_communication_error

The LFI MUST NOT PATCH the consent to Rejected — the API Hub may be unreachable.

6. LFI temporarily unavailable

The LFI cannot complete authentication due to high load or temporary capacity constraints at the LFI's systems.

Field
Value
error
temporarily_unavailable
error_description
lfi_temporarily_unavailable

The LFI MUST NOT PATCH the consent to Rejected — the end user's identity may not have been confirmed.

02 Section

Summary

FAPI error code validation
If the LFI submits an error code that is not supported by the FAPI 2.0 Security Profile, the API Hub will overwrite it with invalid_request.
#
Scenario
`error`
`error_description`
PATCH to Rejected?
1
End user fails initial authentication
access_denied
user_failed_to_authenticate
No
2
End user fails step-up authentication
access_denied
user_failed_step_up_authentication
Yes
3
End user is blocked, suspended, or flagged
access_denied
user_account_blocked
No
4
LFI internal technical error
server_error
lfi_internal_error
No
5
LFI fails to communicate with API Hub
server_error
api_hub_communication_error
No
6
LFI temporarily unavailable
temporarily_unavailable
lfi_temporarily_unavailable
No