diff --git a/client/play/geoword/admin/manage-payments.js b/client/play/geoword/admin/manage-payments.js
index 2983eac57..97642fe6b 100644
--- a/client/play/geoword/admin/manage-payments.js
+++ b/client/play/geoword/admin/manage-payments.js
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ document.getElementById('record-payment-form').addEventListener('submit', event
     switch (response.status) {
       case 200: return window.location.reload();
       case 400: return window.alert('User not found');
+      case 404: return window.alert('Packet not found');
       default: return window.alert('Something went wrong. Please try again.');
     }
   });
diff --git a/routes/api/geoword/admin/record-payment.js b/routes/api/geoword/admin/record-payment.js
index ada74dd61..dd6ca3b7a 100644
--- a/routes/api/geoword/admin/record-payment.js
+++ b/routes/api/geoword/admin/record-payment.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import getCost from '../../../../database/geoword/get-cost.js';
 import recordPayment from '../../../../database/geoword/record-payment.js';
 import getUserId from '../../../../database/account-info/get-user-id.js';
+import getPacketStatus from '../../../../database/geoword/get-packet-status.js';
 
 import { Router } from 'express';
 
@@ -9,6 +10,8 @@ const router = Router();
 router.put('/', async (req, res) => {
   const { packetName, username } = req.body;
 
+  if (await getPacketStatus(packetName) === null) { return res.status(404).send('Packet not found'); }
+
   const userId = await getUserId(username);
   if (!userId) { return res.status(400).send('User not found'); }