# gateway.technical.rate_limit_exceeded

> For the complete machine-readable documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://apidocs.chargebee.com/llms.txt).


**gateway**

The API rate limit has been exceeded. This happens when too many requests are sent to the gateway API in a short time, traffic spikes overwhelm the service, or inefficient retry mechanisms cause repeated requests.

## Recommended Customer Message

We have received too many requests at the moment. Please wait a moment and try again

## Root Cause[](#root-cause)

-   **API rate limit exceeded:** Too many requests were sent to the gateway API in a short time, surpassing the allowed threshold. Each gateway has a limit on the number of API requests allowed per second, minute, or hour.
-   **Spikes in traffic:** Unforeseen increases in traffic can temporarily overwhelm a service and cause it to trigger rate limits.
-   **Inefficient retry mechanisms:** Automated retry logic caused repeated API requests, contributing to the rate limit breach.

## Troubleshooting and Solutions[](#troubleshooting-and-solutions)

-   Review API integration to ensure proper handling of rate limits.
-   Use request queuing to manage traffic spikes and ensure a steady flow of requests.
-   If higher limits are consistently required for valid use cases, contact the payment gateway to request an increase in the rate limit.