Most Polymarket order errors mean one of five things: not enough pUSD or a missing approval, not enough orders in the book at your price, an order below the market's minimum size or off its price step, a location that is close-only, or a brief pause in Polymarket's matching engine. On Nimb, the order ticket translates each error into one plain sentence, and nothing is charged when an order fails.
What does each Polymarket error mean?
| Message (Polymarket) | On Nimb | Meaning | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|
not enough balance / allowance | Not enough balance in your Polymarket account. | Too little pUSD in the trading balance | Deposit, or wait for a deposit to convert |
| Allowance missing (names a spender) | Polymarket needs a trading approval for this market. Try again: your wallet will ask for one free signature. | A trading approval is missing; multi-outcome markets need their own | Approve, then retry |
couldn't be fully filled. FOK orders… | Not enough orders in the book at this price. Try a smaller amount. | The book is too thin for your amount at your limit | Smaller amount; check depth |
Size … lower than the minimum | Polymarket did not accept the order: (message) | The market has a minimum order size | Raise the amount |
breaks minimum tick size rule | Polymarket did not accept the order: (message) | Price is not a multiple of the market's tick (often 0.01, finer near the ends) | Round the price |
425 Too Early, 503 | Polymarket did not accept the order: (message) | Matching engine restarting, or the market is paused or cancel-only | Wait, then retry |
| Close-only or blocked location | Polymarket does not allow new orders from your location. | Close-only or blocked country | You can close positions only; eligibility |
| Chain mismatch | Your wallet is on another network. Switch it to Polygon and try again. | The wallet is set to another chain | Switch to Polygon |
| User rejected | You cancelled in your wallet. Nothing was sent. | You pressed reject | Try again if intended |
Polymarket's full list is in its error code reference, checked on 8 November 2026.
Why does my transaction say "approval"?
Before your first trade, your Polymarket wallet must allow Polymarket's exchange contracts to move pUSD and shares on your behalf. These approvals are one-off signatures or transactions; Polymarket's relayer usually pays the gas. Markets with several outcomes (neg-risk markets) use an extra adapter contract that needs its own approval, which is the most common cause of a "not enough balance / allowance" error with money in the account. Nimb sets these up when you connect: what you sign.
My transaction is stuck. What now?
- An order is not a blockchain transaction until it matches; an unmatched limit order simply rests on the book. Cancel it from your open orders.
- A deposit or withdrawal can wait for bridge confirmations. Check its status before sending again. Withdrawals · Deposits not showing.
- A wallet transaction (approval) that is pending in your wallet for a long time may have too low a gas price; most wallets offer "speed up" or "cancel".
Is Polymarket down?
If every request fails, Polymarket may be in maintenance: its docs describe matching-engine restarts, during which orders are refused with 425 and the book may be post-only for a short time afterwards. Prices on Nimb's map stop updating live while the stream is down and resume when it returns. Check Polymarket's official status channels before assuming a problem with your account.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my Polymarket order fail?
Usually balance or approval, a thin book, a size below the minimum or a restricted location. The message tells you which.
Was I charged for a failed order?
No. A rejected order moves no money. A partly filled order charges only for the part that filled.
Why does it say insufficient balance when I have money?
The money may still be USDC that is not yet wrapped into pUSD, or an approval is missing, often the neg-risk adapter for multi-outcome markets.
How do I contact Polymarket support?
Through the help centre on Polymarket's own website. Never share your recovery phrase with anyone claiming to be support.
Last reviewed 8 November 2026 · Data from Polymarket · Not financial advice · Nimb is not affiliated with Polymarket.