# Automatic downtime retries

You can enable automatic downtime retries for merchant-initiated transactions (MITs) that fail due to an issuer or acquirer network timeout and return one of the following response codes:

**Eligible response codes**

- `20068` - Response received too late / Timeout / Internal error
- `20091` - Issuer unavailable or switch is inoperative
- `20096` - System malfunction

If an MIT fails and a retry is scheduled, you receive a [Payment retry scheduled](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/event-notifications/event-types/payment_retry_scheduled.md) webhook.

To enable automatic downtime retries for a payment, call the [Request a payment](https://api-reference.checkout.com/tag/Payments/#operation/requestAPaymentOrPayout) endpoint and set the `retry.downtime` field to `true`.

> **Information**
>
> Your base URL's `{prefix}` value is unique to your account and environment. To learn how to retrieve your base URLs for the sandbox and production environments, see [API endpoints](https://www.checkout.com/docs/developer-resources/api/api-endpoints.md).

**Production**

`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.checkout.com/payments`

**Sandbox**

`POST` `https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments`

### Request example

```json
{
  "source": {
    "type": "card",
    "name": "test",
    "expiry_month": 12,
    "expiry_year": 2029,
    "cvv": "422",
    "number":"4242424242424242"
  },
  "3ds": {
    "enabled": false
  },
  "retry": {
    "downtime": {
      "enabled": true
    }
  },
  "amount": 100,
  "currency": "GBP",
  "capture": false,
  "merchant_initiated": true,
  "payment_type": "Recurring",
  "processing_channel_id": "pc_lseidaphwziubknx6sbfifq6dq"
}
```

### Response example

```json
{
  "id": "pay_foyki4polp7upkooyx3xnvfcca",
  "action_id": "act_sgr6fxcobgwutjhfggsvyx7rie",
  "amount": 100,
  "currency": "GBP",
  "approved": false,
  "status": "Retry Scheduled",
  "response_code": "20096",
  "response_summary": "System Malfunction",
  "retry": {
    "max_attempts": 2,
    "next_attempt_on": "2023-11-27T12:59:31.5797568Z",
    "ends_on": "2023-11-28T12:59:18.1914252Z"
  },
  "processed_on": "2023-11-27T12:59:21.645231Z",
  "_links": {
    "self": {
      "href": "https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/payments/pay_foyki4polp7upkooyx3xnvfcca"
    },
    "actions": {
      "href": "https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/gateway/payments/pay_foyki4polp7upkooyx3xnvfcca/actions"
    },
    "cancel": {
      "href": "https://{prefix}.api.sandbox.checkout.com/gateway/payments/pay_foyki4polp7upkooyx3xnvfcca/cancellations"
    }
  }
}
```