diff --git a/backend/src/api.rs b/backend/src/api.rs
index 17a6289..6f68808 100644
--- a/backend/src/api.rs
+++ b/backend/src/api.rs
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ use base64::Engine;
 use nostr_sdk::{Event, JsonUtil, Kind};
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
 
-use crate::billing::Billing;
+use crate::billing::{Billing, InvoiceLookupError};
 use crate::command::Command;
 use crate::models::{
     RELAY_STATUS_ACTIVE, RELAY_STATUS_DELINQUENT, RELAY_STATUS_INACTIVE, Relay, Tenant,
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ enum ApiError {
     Unauthorized(anyhow::Error),
     Forbidden(&'static str),
     NotFound(&'static str),
+    Client {
+        status: StatusCode,
+        code: &'static str,
+        message: &'static str,
+    },
     Internal(String),
 }
 
@@ -81,11 +86,36 @@ impl IntoResponse for ApiError {
             Self::Unauthorized(e) => err(StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED, "unauthorized", &e.to_string()),
             Self::Forbidden(message) => err(StatusCode::FORBIDDEN, "forbidden", message),
             Self::NotFound(message) => err(StatusCode::NOT_FOUND, "not-found", message),
+            Self::Client {
+                status,
+                code,
+                message,
+            } => err(status, code, message),
             Self::Internal(message) => err(StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, "internal", &message),
         }
     }
 }
 
+fn map_invoice_lookup_error(error: InvoiceLookupError) -> ApiError {
+    match error {
+        InvoiceLookupError::StripeClient { status } => {
+            let status = StatusCode::from_u16(status.as_u16()).unwrap_or(StatusCode::BAD_REQUEST);
+            match status {
+                StatusCode::NOT_FOUND => ApiError::NotFound("invoice not found"),
+                StatusCode::UNAUTHORIZED | StatusCode::FORBIDDEN => {
+                    ApiError::Forbidden("invoice access denied")
+                }
+                _ => ApiError::Client {
+                    status,
+                    code: "invoice-request-rejected",
+                    message: "invoice request rejected",
+                },
+            }
+        }
+        InvoiceLookupError::Internal(error) => ApiError::Internal(error.to_string()),
+    }
+}
+
 impl Api {
     pub fn new(query: Query, command: Command, billing: Billing) -> Self {
         let host = std::env::var("HOST").unwrap_or_else(|_| "127.0.0.1".to_string());
@@ -808,7 +838,7 @@ async fn get_invoice(
         .billing
         .get_invoice_with_tenant(&id)
         .await
-        .map_err(|e| ApiError::Internal(e.to_string()))?;
+        .map_err(map_invoice_lookup_error)?;
     state.api.require_admin_or_tenant(&auth, &tenant.pubkey)?;
 
     Ok(ok(StatusCode::OK, invoice))
@@ -825,7 +855,7 @@ async fn get_invoice_bolt11(
         .billing
         .get_invoice_with_tenant(&id)
         .await
-        .map_err(|e| ApiError::Internal(e.to_string()))?;
+        .map_err(map_invoice_lookup_error)?;
     state.api.require_admin_or_tenant(&auth, &tenant.pubkey)?;
 
     let status = invoice["status"].as_str().unwrap_or_default();
diff --git a/backend/src/billing.rs b/backend/src/billing.rs
index 4f3a7f5..8a41265 100644
--- a/backend/src/billing.rs
+++ b/backend/src/billing.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,41 @@ const STRIPE_API: &str = "https://api.stripe.com/v1";
 const COINBASE_SPOT_API: &str = "https://api.coinbase.com/v2/prices";
 const WEBHOOK_TOLERANCE_SECS: i64 = 300;
 
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum InvoiceLookupError {
+    StripeClient { status: reqwest::StatusCode },
+    Internal(anyhow::Error),
+}
+
+impl std::fmt::Display for InvoiceLookupError {
+    fn fmt(&self, f: &mut std::fmt::Formatter<'_>) -> std::fmt::Result {
+        match self {
+            Self::StripeClient { status } => {
+                write!(
+                    f,
+                    "stripe invoice lookup failed with status {}",
+                    status.as_u16()
+                )
+            }
+            Self::Internal(error) => write!(f, "{error}"),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+impl std::error::Error for InvoiceLookupError {}
+
+impl From<anyhow::Error> for InvoiceLookupError {
+    fn from(value: anyhow::Error) -> Self {
+        Self::Internal(value)
+    }
+}
+
+impl From<reqwest::Error> for InvoiceLookupError {
+    fn from(value: reqwest::Error) -> Self {
+        Self::Internal(value.into())
+    }
+}
+
 #[derive(serde::Deserialize)]
 struct StripeEvent {
     #[serde(rename = "type")]
@@ -462,16 +497,18 @@ impl Billing {
     pub async fn get_invoice_with_tenant(
         &self,
         invoice_id: &str,
-    ) -> Result<(serde_json::Value, crate::models::Tenant)> {
+    ) -> std::result::Result<(serde_json::Value, crate::models::Tenant), InvoiceLookupError> {
         let invoice = self.stripe_get_invoice(invoice_id).await?;
         let customer_id = invoice["customer"]
             .as_str()
-            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("invoice missing customer"))?;
+            .ok_or_else(|| InvoiceLookupError::Internal(anyhow!("invoice missing customer")))?;
         let tenant = self
             .query
             .get_tenant_by_stripe_customer_id(customer_id)
             .await?
-            .ok_or_else(|| anyhow!("tenant not found for customer"))?;
+            .ok_or_else(|| {
+                InvoiceLookupError::Internal(anyhow!("tenant not found for customer"))
+            })?;
         Ok((invoice, tenant))
     }
 
@@ -515,7 +552,10 @@ impl Billing {
         Ok(body["data"].clone())
     }
 
-    pub async fn stripe_get_invoice(&self, invoice_id: &str) -> Result<serde_json::Value> {
+    pub async fn stripe_get_invoice(
+        &self,
+        invoice_id: &str,
+    ) -> std::result::Result<serde_json::Value, InvoiceLookupError> {
         let resp = self
             .http
             .get(format!("{STRIPE_API}/invoices/{invoice_id}"))
@@ -523,6 +563,12 @@ impl Billing {
             .send()
             .await?;
 
+        if resp.status().is_client_error() {
+            return Err(InvoiceLookupError::StripeClient {
+                status: resp.status(),
+            });
+        }
+
         let body: serde_json::Value = resp.error_for_status()?.json().await?;
         Ok(body)
     }