diff --git a/server/routers/partners/sas/otp/verify/verifyOtp.ts b/server/routers/partners/sas/otp/verify/verifyOtp.ts
index 3c868b658..f8a22ead6 100644
--- a/server/routers/partners/sas/otp/verify/verifyOtp.ts
+++ b/server/routers/partners/sas/otp/verify/verifyOtp.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { TRPCError } from "@trpc/server"
-import { cookies } from "next/headers"
 import { z } from "zod"
 
 import { env } from "@/env/server"
@@ -27,7 +26,7 @@ const outputSchema = z.object({
     "NULL",
     "NOTSENT",
   ]),
-  referenceId: z.string().uuid(),
+  referenceId: z.string().uuid().optional(),
   databaseUUID: z.string().uuid().optional(),
 })
 
@@ -47,19 +46,27 @@ export const verifyOtp = protectedProcedure
       verifyResponse.status,
       verifyResponse.statusText
     )
-    if (!verifyResponse.ok) {
-      const errorBody = await verifyResponse.json()
-      console.error("[SAS] verifyOTP error", errorBody)
-      throw createError(errorBody)
+
+    if (verifyResponse.status > 499) {
+      console.error("[SAS] verifyOTP error", await verifyResponse.text())
+      throw new TRPCError({
+        code: "SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE",
+        message: "Error from downstream SAS service",
+      })
+    }
+
+    const data = await verifyResponse.json()
+    console.log("[SAS] verifyOTP data", data)
+    const result = outputSchema.safeParse(data)
+    if (!result.success) {
+      console.error("[SAS] verifyOTP error", result.error)
+      throw createError(data)
     }
 
     console.log("[SAS] verifyOTP success")
-    const verifyData = await verifyResponse.json()
-    console.log("[SAS] verifyOTP data", verifyData)
-    const response = outputSchema.parse(verifyData)
-    console.log("[SAS] verifyOTP responding", response)
+    console.log("[SAS] verifyOTP responding", result.data)
 
-    return response
+    return result.data
   })
 
 async function fetchVerifyOtp(input: z.infer<typeof inputSchema>) {