Payment Method Registration Errors [Error Code 401 and 601]

[ComradeQuestions]

SOoooooo is this all just going completely unresolved by Square? I went to RE-subscribe, as in I had previously purchased 6 months, my credit information changed since then, so I went to prepay for ANOTHER 6 months only to get this 401 error. Tried again, same error. Tried unregistering/registering my payment information, same error. Tried buying Crista, same error. Tried different card, same error. Tried different browser (both Firefox/IE, both up to date) same error.

Checked my bank account, and now I have like 6 $1 transactions pending...

Soooo that would lead me to believe that it is OBVIOUSLY not my bank, but YOUR payment system/server having issues. And sure, I can go through the process of fraud/stop payments, but if I go that route, I sure as heck won't be coming back to FFXIV, even if I do really like the game. Nobody deserves to be ripped off or potentially defrauded because a company doesn't care about their payment process.

I don't get it though, you do all the hard stuff, the marketing, the programming, etc, and yet the place you falter is the ability to take money? What kind of a stupid business model is that?

[ChiefMohican]

Update: So I had two different experiences with customer service. Initially, I used the Chat Support option and that was simply not my ideal customer service experience. Granted, chatting, just like in FFXIV game play, is easy to misunderstand and/or not feel like you got your point across and vice-versa. But during my chat with customer service, I felt really rushed with prescript-ed text copied in the text box. My hangup was this...I wanted to understand why I got the error-code and the solution to my problem that I (the customer) was comfortable with. Which was, to renew my subscription (at $12.99) via the Account Services webpage. Not through a third-party. Which is what I was told was the solution, at $14.99. I was told that the error-code resulted from me using Chrome or Safari browser, as their payment services doesn't work well with the two browsers. Use Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox. I called her BS. I used all three browsers (minus Safari) and got the same error code. It didn't help either that she would refer to error-code 401, which I typed was only error-code 406. This is where I think I was lost in translation because as I read "Third-party services" at $14.99, in the chat as my solution, I see some back-alley, smoked-filled, low-rate shop taking my money and me not knowing if it actually is going to Square Enix for game-play. Of course, I was perturbed when I asked the rep why I couldn't use the Account Services option and pay $12.99 because I didn't want to pay $14.99 to this third-party service. Quickly, the rep copied the instructions to the third party services repeating that this is my only option and wanted to know if there was anything else. So I ended the chat expressing my frustration.

I then used the call option which lasted an hour of being on hold waiting for a rep, but when I did get a rep, I was pleasantly surprised that it was a well-spoken person on the other end. Sounded state-side if had I to guess. What's the odds of that? My hangup was quickly cured as I was given a plausible explanation for why I got the error-code. Which had to deal with suspicious activity alert reported from either my bank or Square Enix. Explanation went a little further than than, but it was such that I felt relieved that all was not lost. I was explained the option of using the Crysta Services, which is through a "third-party" company, which is Ultimate Pay. That if I used that, which is ran by another bank outside of what Square Enix uses, my credit card should go through there since any alerts received would not be carried over to the third-party company. In addition, once my account was renewed this way, that I should try to renew my subscription via the account service webpage as opposed to Crysta if I so choose to. And most-likely, I would be successful in that process. We shall see. So, I was convinced to use Crysta, where I purchased 1,299 which translated to $12.99. Payment accepted and (15) minutes later, 1,299 crysta showed in my account. Used that to pay for subscription and was back in the game. And BTW, remember those $1.00 charges I have showing up in my account, still pending (I think like a total of $6 or $7 bucks)? I was told that should be reimbursed to me soon since payment for subscription was not received. We shall see. As of today, it is still a withdrawal from my account along with my recent $12.99 for crysta through Ultimate Pay.

I will say this, the Error-Code 401 and 601 must be such or large enough issue that now Square Enix has extended their support to the weekend, where as I found, was not available before. Probably by chat alone. Good luck with that!!!

[ChiefMohican]

Edit: Be sure to sure to have ticket created before using phone-support option.You wont get any help until you do that 1st.

[MadBuelo]

Can someone please for the love of my life explain to me what is going on with this game? I have been trying to renew this game's subscription and it almost seems impossible in this Universe. I keep getting this error 401, error 406 every single time, can someone nicely explain to me what i am doing wrong and how i can fix this mess. Is Sony aware of this problem, posts and threads date back to 2011 !! Has this issue been going this long? Jeez .. what in the world could be going on? Please help me get a least some 30 days of game time. If not i am going to quit this game i sell it and forget about it for the rest of my lifetime !!

If this is any help in finding a solution to this problem. I've used the following payment methods.

-My Visa Card/Debit Card - Error 406
-A Pre-Paid Visa Card - Error 406
-A Credit Card/Discover - Error 401

[MadBuelo]

I GAVE YOU 3 minutes 3 minutes of my time of my life and time is up. I don't get BS ! from you or anyone else that keeps doing this MMO's. Time is up. It's your shit server payment method and i suggest you get your japanese yellow ass moving to fix this shit. I can't fucking believe you the ones that have been charging me 1$ charges on my card. Fuck YOU!! I am selling this game i pissed up. This game sucks ass anyways. I going to Elder Scrolls fuck you Square Enix your company sucks and your graphic designers and programmers suck ass. Fuck You.

[MadBuelo]

And i don't give a shit if a mod comes in i don't give a shit about your shitty ass website this is my fucking money. You want to purchase it for me go ahead. If not then shut the fuck up and back off. Bitch ass game sucks ass. Elder Scrolls here i come. Final Fantasy done! !!!!

[Moriix]

When you have an error wait 30 days and then try again , dont try to sub again aver till 30 day pass , still a week for me to know if I can or not , its sad I cant transfer or buy additional retainers .

[jmarquez99]

This is an opinion of what I went through, it's my fix for out of country folks like me

Playspan (and their Ultimatepay program) has a very strong anti-fraud program, if you're not where your home address is, chances are you will get rejected. It's not square enix (though they did contract them), it's Playspan/Ultimatepay. It took me three days but I had to have my ffxiv fix and was playing by monday (hassle started friday, so weekend hours slowed down the process)

Well I live in the US but I'm traveling overseas and my 30 day trial was up. I put in my debit card information and no joy, I tried paypal and no luck, I then tried buying crysta first via visa, then via paypal, then I even bought an ultimate gamecard online and I kept getting these errors! I called square enix and they said there was nothing they could do and to call paypal or my bank....

I went to ultimate pay and couldnt find their phone number. I eventually found this number to work: 1-877-703-6339. I called them from colombia and they asked me for the activation code for the Ultimate Gamecard I had bought online at pcgamesupply.com (one of their authorized online sellers). you have to have an account with pcgamesupply to buy the card, and to do that they have to send you a text message to your cell phone, It took me 5 tries (pressing resend button, logging out and back in and again) until the text message arrived to my cell phone in colombia, you can choose the country and phone# to send the text message to btw.

so Ultimatepay checked the card's activation key, looked up the card and saw that I had tried to apply it to a ffxiv account#. This account number is NOT your login name, it's a number, and Ultimatepay won't see it until you try and fail to apply the card to ffxiv, so at mogstation you need to try using ultimatepay, the tab that says 4 or 5 more options, select ultimategame card, and enter it there, apply it and confirm it rejects the card. Then Ultimatepay will have the failed transaction on record (which has your numeric account#), and when u call them they'll ask you if you want them to manually apply the funds from the card. After that they email you to confirm you want to do so, and you reply yes you confirm you want the funds transferred to ffxiv, and after a while you are done with the nightmare! Once I got a hold of ultimatepay customer support, they resolved my problem real quick

I plan to buy like 4 cards and apply them all at once next time I do this lol. I'd hate to have to do this every month....

Hmm I noticed when I clicked ultimategame card customer support, it takes me straight to the UltimatePay support page (which sux in my opinion), so that means to me that Square Enix has Playspan controlling subscriptions via their own UltimatePay, who takes billing via debit/credit and their own UltimateGame cards. So yeah, everyone will probably have more luck talking to Ultimatepay (the consumer side of Playspan) just my opinion

[Danblog]

So since i have started playing this game i've been adding crystia monthly to my account with my prepaid credit card since the last month i haven't any problem with that, but today i tried to pay $13 USD of cristya and they refuse to accept my payment method i keep getting the error code 601, i tried purchasing on steam to see if my card was the issue but it accepted the transaction, so i don't know what's going on with you SE i just wanna pay my monthly fee, give me a solution please

[Tusembobel]

Well, I wanted to hire one retainer, filled in all the info, my money was taken (I got SMS), but ofc I got nothing from SE. It's just...indecent. How could u guys take my money and give me back just an error 601?