diff --git a/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/exception/GlobalExceptionHandler.java b/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/exception/GlobalExceptionHandler.java
index 3b09f07..15a4eac 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/exception/GlobalExceptionHandler.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/exception/GlobalExceptionHandler.java
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ package com.billpaymentservice.bbps.exception;
 
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+import java.net.ConnectException;
+import java.net.SocketTimeoutException;
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -12,6 +14,7 @@ import org.springframework.web.bind.MethodArgumentNotValidException;
 import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.*;
 import org.springframework.web.method.HandlerMethod;
 import org.springframework.web.servlet.NoHandlerFoundException;
+import org.springframework.web.client.ResourceAccessException;
 
 import com.billpaymentservice.bbps.dto.ResponseModel;
 
@@ -161,6 +164,79 @@ public class GlobalExceptionHandler {
         return ResponseEntity.status(httpStatus).body(resp);
     }
 
+    // ------------------------- RESOURCE ACCESS / TIMEOUT / CONNECT ------------------------
+    @ExceptionHandler(ResourceAccessException.class)
+    public ResponseEntity<ResponseModel<?>> handleResourceAccess(
+            ResourceAccessException ex,
+            HttpServletRequest request,
+            HandlerMethod handlerMethod) {
+
+        String context = buildErrorContext(ex, request, handlerMethod);
+        logger.error("ResourceAccessException → {}", context, ex);
+
+        Throwable cause = ex.getCause();
+        String message;
+        HttpStatus status;
+
+        if (cause instanceof SocketTimeoutException) {
+            message = "Server timeout - server may be down";
+            status = HttpStatus.GATEWAY_TIMEOUT; // 504
+        } else if (cause instanceof ConnectException) {
+            message = "Server unavailable - connection refused";
+            status = HttpStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE; // 503
+        } else {
+            message = "Server unreachable: " + ex.getMessage();
+            status = HttpStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE;
+        }
+
+        ResponseModel<?> resp = new ResponseModel<>(
+                message,
+                "FAILED",
+                status.value(),
+                null
+        );
+
+        return ResponseEntity.status(status).body(resp);
+    }
+
+    @ExceptionHandler(SocketTimeoutException.class)
+    public ResponseEntity<ResponseModel<?>> handleSocketTimeout(
+            SocketTimeoutException ex,
+            HttpServletRequest request,
+            HandlerMethod handlerMethod) {
+
+        String context = buildErrorContext(ex, request, handlerMethod);
+        logger.error("SocketTimeoutException → {}", context, ex);
+
+        ResponseModel<?> resp = new ResponseModel<>(
+                "Server timeout - server is down",
+                "FAILED",
+                HttpStatus.GATEWAY_TIMEOUT.value(),
+                null
+        );
+
+        return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.GATEWAY_TIMEOUT).body(resp);
+    }
+
+    @ExceptionHandler(ConnectException.class)
+    public ResponseEntity<ResponseModel<?>> handleConnectException(
+            ConnectException ex,
+            HttpServletRequest request,
+            HandlerMethod handlerMethod) {
+
+        String context = buildErrorContext(ex, request, handlerMethod);
+        logger.error("ConnectException → {}", context, ex);
+
+        ResponseModel<?> resp = new ResponseModel<>(
+                "Server unavailable - connection refused",
+                "FAILED",
+                HttpStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE.value(),
+                null
+        );
+
+        return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE).body(resp);
+    }
+
     // ------------------------- GENERIC EXCEPTION ------------------------
     @ExceptionHandler(Exception.class)
     public ResponseEntity<ResponseModel<?>> handleAll(
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/serviceImpl/HttpService.java b/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/serviceImpl/HttpService.java
index 9541c06..32aa1a7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/serviceImpl/HttpService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/billpaymentservice/bbps/serviceImpl/HttpService.java
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.billpaymentservice.bbps.serviceImpl;
 
 
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.net.ConnectException;
 
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
@@ -12,6 +13,7 @@ import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
 import org.springframework.web.client.HttpClientErrorException;
 import org.springframework.web.client.HttpServerErrorException;
 import org.springframework.web.client.RestClient;
+import org.springframework.web.client.ResourceAccessException;
 
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
 
@@ -24,6 +26,15 @@ public class HttpService {
     private final RestClient restClient;
     private final ObjectMapper objectMapper = new ObjectMapper();
 
+    // Helper to produce server-down/timeout style responses
+    private HashMap<String, String> buildServerDownResponse(String code, String message, Exception e) {
+        HashMap<String, String> response = new HashMap<>();
+        response.put("respCode", code);
+        response.put("data", message);
+        log.error("❌ {} - {}", code, message, e);
+        return response;
+    }
+
     
 
     public HashMap<String, String> postRequest(String url, String payload, HttpHeaders customHeaders) {
@@ -60,6 +71,15 @@ public class HttpService {
             response.put("respCode", "403");
             response.put("data", "FORBIDDEN - Check credentials in HttpService");
             
+        } catch (ResourceAccessException e) {
+            // This often wraps timeouts or connection refused
+            Throwable cause = e.getCause();
+            if (cause instanceof ConnectException) {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unavailable - connection refused", e);
+            } else {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unreachable: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
+
         } catch (Exception e) {
             log.error("❌ HttpService Exception: {}", e.getMessage());
             response.put("respCode", "500");
@@ -97,6 +117,13 @@ public class HttpService {
             log.error("❌ HTTP Error: {}", httpException.getMessage(), httpException);
             response.put("respCode", String.valueOf(httpException.getStatusCode().value()));
             response.put("data", httpException.getResponseBodyAsString());
+        } catch (ResourceAccessException e) {
+            Throwable cause = e.getCause();
+            if (cause instanceof ConnectException) {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unavailable - connection refused", e);
+            } else {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unreachable: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             log.error("❌ Exception during GET call: {}", e.getMessage(), e);
             response.put("respCode", "500");
@@ -133,6 +160,13 @@ public class HttpService {
             log.error("❌ HTTP Error: {}", httpException.getMessage(), httpException);
             response.put("respCode", String.valueOf(httpException.getStatusCode().value()));
             response.put("data", httpException.getResponseBodyAsString());
+        } catch (ResourceAccessException e) {
+            Throwable cause = e.getCause();
+            if (cause instanceof ConnectException) {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unavailable - connection refused", e);
+            } else {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unreachable: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             log.error("❌ Exception during GET call: {}", e.getMessage(), e);
             response.put("respCode", "500");
@@ -171,6 +205,13 @@ public class HttpService {
             response.put("respCode", String.valueOf(e.getStatusCode().value()));
             response.put("data", e.getResponseBodyAsString()); // still HTML or error string
             
+        } catch (ResourceAccessException e) {
+            Throwable cause = e.getCause();
+            if (cause instanceof ConnectException) {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unavailable - connection refused", e);
+            } else {
+                return buildServerDownResponse("503", "Server unreachable: " + e.getMessage(), e);
+            }
         } catch (Exception e) {
             log.error("❌ FORM POST Exception: {}", e.getMessage(), e);
             
@@ -181,7 +222,4 @@ public class HttpService {
         return response;
     }
 
- 
-    
-
 }
\ No newline at end of file