You may encounter an error message (Error 1020) when accessing Autobooks from an international location. Your customer may also see this error if they are using a foreign bank issued payment method.
When your customers are outside of the United States
If your customer is traveling outside of the United States, they must use a payment method that is issued by a US-based financial institution. Autobooks is unable to process payment methods that have been issued to the payor outside of the United States.
When you are outside of the continental United States
You may encounter an error message when accessing your Autobooks tools outside of the United States. This error typically occurs when an IP address outside of the continental United States tries to access our services.
Our security protocols are in place to protect your financial transactions, and as a part of this, we have certain geographical restrictions. On occasion, IP addresses from U.S. territories like Puerto Rico may be mistakenly flagged as non-U.S. due to outdated IP databases.
How to Identify Your IP Address
At the bottom of the "Access Denied" page, you'll find your IP address listed. This is a unique number assigned to your internet connection that helps in identifying the geographic location from which you're accessing the internet.
What to Do If You're in a U.S. Territory
If you're in Puerto Rico or another U.S. territory and receive this error, it's likely due to an IP misclassification. Here's what you can do:
- Check Your IP: Note the IP address shown on the "Access Denied" error page.
- Verify Location: You can perform a quick IP lookup online to confirm that your IP address is indeed from a U.S. territory.
- Contact Us: Reach out to Autobooks Support with this information, and we'll help address the situation.
Steps to Resolve the Error
- Verify Location: Use an IP lookup service to check if your IP address is registered within the continental United States.
- Reach Out for Support: If you believe your IP should not be blocked, please contact our support team for assistance.
- Payment Alternatives: In the meantime, you might want to consider using a payment method from a U.S.-based bank.
Preventing Future Access Issues
- Update Your Information: Make sure your account details, especially your location, are up to date in your Autobooks profile. You can access your profile information from the Settings tab.
- Traveling Soon: If you're planning to travel, inform our support team to avoid service interruptions.