How to Fix PhotoBiz Form Error Codes

PhotoBiz Form & Contract Builder allows you to create easy-to-use forms that visitors can complete and submit directly to you. Occasionally, a client may encounter an error when submitting a form. When this happens, an error code beginning with EC (for example, EC-1001) will appear.

This guide explains the most common PhotoBiz Form error codes, what causes them, and how to resolve each issue.

FORM ERRORS GUIDE

Error #1: Google reCAPTCHA Issue or Submit Button Not Working

Cause:
This error is usually caused by incorrect Google reCAPTCHA settings.

Solution:
Check your Google reCAPTCHA account and confirm that:

• Your Site Key and Secret Key are entered correctly

• The keys match your website’s domain

If the keys do not match the domain, the form submit button may not work.

Error #2: Unexpected Error – Form Deleted

Cause:
This error occurs when the form has been deleted or the form link is incorrect.

Solution:

• Check whether the form still exists in your PhotoBiz account

• If the form was deleted, recreate it

• If the form exists, update the link to use the correct URL

• Test the form link to confirm it submits successfully

Error #3: Blacklisted IP Detected (Error Code EC2)

Cause:
The IP address used to submit the form is listed in your Spam Policy.

Solution:

Log into your PhotoBiz account.

Open your Spam Policy settings.

Locate the Blacklisted IPs field and:

• Remove the specific IP causing the issue, or

• Clear all entries as a failsafe

Save your changes.

Have the client refresh the form page and submit again.

Error #4: Restricted Word Detected (Error Code EC3)

Cause:
The form submission contains a word listed in your Spam Policy’s Restricted Words field.

Solution:

Open your Spam Policy settings.

Review the Restricted Words field.

Remove the word(s) causing the issue or clear all entries as a failsafe.

Save your changes.

Refresh the form and submit again.

If you are using Google reCAPTCHA, it is generally safe to clear the Restricted Words list.

Error #5: Blacklisted Domain or Email Detected (Error Code EC4)

Cause:
The email address or domain used in the form submission is listed in your Spam Policy.

Solution:

Open your Spam Policy settings.

Check the Blacklisted Domains and Email Addresses field.

Remove any problematic entries, such as broad filters like @gmail.com.

Save your changes.

Refresh the form and have the client submit again.

Error #6: Monthly Submission Limit Reached

Cause:
Your monthly form submission limit has been reached.

Solution:

You can either:

• Purchase additional form submissions through Premium Upgrades in your PhotoBiz account, or

• Wait until the 1st of the next month when the submission count resets automatically

Error #7: Form Payment Error (Error Code EC 7.5)

Cause:
This error occurs when a form payment is connected to Square, but the Square merchant connection is outdated or no longer authorized. This most commonly affects accounts that do not display a Location ID in Merchant Settings.

Solution:
The Square connection must be refreshed.

Log into your PhotoBiz account.

Reconnect your Square merchant by following this guide:
How to Reconnect Your Square Account in PhotoBiz

Once Square is successfully reconnected and set to Active, return to the form.

Important:
If the form was already open when the error occurred, the client must refresh the form page before trying again.

Have the client:

• Refresh the browser page

• Re-enter their payment information

• Submit the form again

The form will continue to show the EC 7.5 error until the page is refreshed after the Square connection is restored.

Helpful Notes for EC 7.5

• Reconnecting Square does not affect past transactions or existing orders

• A visible Location ID confirms the Square connection is updated

• Clients do not need a new form link, only a refresh and resubmission

Error #8: Form Payment Error (Error Code S296)

Cause:

Error Code S296 is a Square payment error that can occur when a client submits a form with payment on your PhotoBiz website. This error can be caused by an outdated Square connection or by missing or incorrect payment, billing, or contact information entered on the form. Because reconnecting Square is quick and easy, we recommend starting there first. This guide walks you through the fastest resolution steps.

Solution: 

STEP ONE

Reconnect Your Square Account

Reconnecting Square is the quickest and easiest way to resolve Error Code S296 and should always be your first step.

Log into your PhotoBiz account and reconnect your Square merchant by following this guide:
How to Reconnect Your Square Account in PhotoBiz

Once reconnected, confirm that your Square merchant is marked as Active and that a Location ID is visible in your Merchant Settings.

Reconnecting Square does not affect past transactions or existing orders.

STEP TWO

Refresh The Form Page

If the form was already open when the error occurred, the client must refresh the page before trying again. Square will continue to return the same error until the page is reloaded.

Have the client refresh the browser page, re-enter their payment information, and submit the form again.

STEP THREE

Verify Client Payment Information

If the error continues after reconnecting Square, the issue is most likely related to information being entered on the form.

Confirm that the client is correctly entering all required payment and billing details, including the card number, expiration date, CVV, and any required billing address fields. Typos, missing fields, or mismatched billing information can all trigger Error Code S296.

If you are successfully receiving payments from other clients, this strongly indicates the Square connection is working and the error is caused by incorrect or incomplete information being entered.

Helpful Notes

• Reconnecting Square takes only a few seconds and should always be tried first

• A visible Location ID confirms the Square connection is current

• Clients do not need a new form link, only a page refresh

• Error Code S296 often results from user entry errors, even with a correct Square setup

• Receiving other successful payments usually rules out a Square configuration issue

STEP ONE

Log into your PhotoBiz account and click on MY ACCOUNT on the left-side menu. The key to fixing form error codes is to get familiar with your Spam Protection settings.

STEP TWO

Mouse over SETTINGS at the top of your My Account control panel and click on SPAM PROTECTION in the drop down menu that opens.

GOOGLE RECAPTCHA

The first section is information to enable Google reCAPTCHA. You can check our SITE KEY and SECRET KEY for your domain by logging into your Google reCAPTCHA account at the link below:

https://www.google.com/recaptcha

SPAM POLICY

The Spam Policy section includes the following options:

• BLACKLISTED DOMAINS AND EMAIL ADDRESSES

• BLACKLISTED IPS

• RESTRICTED WORDS

In this section, you can add or remove restricted emails, IP addresses or words that you don’t want to allow to be submitted. However, use caution with restricting emails and words so you don’t cause an error code for a client you may want to be able to reach you.