diff --git a/src/app/api/bridge/external-account/create-external-account/route.ts b/src/app/api/bridge/external-account/create-external-account/route.ts
index a699f390a..e3339c0fb 100644
--- a/src/app/api/bridge/external-account/create-external-account/route.ts
+++ b/src/app/api/bridge/external-account/create-external-account/route.ts
@@ -68,6 +68,26 @@ export async function POST(request: NextRequest) {
         const data = await response.json()
 
         if (!response.ok) {
+            if (data.code && data.code == 'duplicate_external_account') {
+                // in case the bridge account already exists
+                //
+                // sending back error responses is not currently common across app 
+                // in how we deliver errors from backend -> frontend
+                // sends back an object like:
+                // {
+                //     id: '4c537540-80bf-41dd-a528-dbe39a4',
+                //     code: 'duplicate_external_account',
+                //     message: 'An external account with the same information has already been added for this customer'
+                //   }
+                //
+                // TODO: standardize error responses across backend
+                return new NextResponse(JSON.stringify(data), {
+                    status: response.status,
+                    headers: {
+                        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
+                    },
+                })
+            }
             throw new Error(`HTTP error! status: ${response.status}`)
         }
 
diff --git a/src/components/Global/LinkAccountComponent/index.tsx b/src/components/Global/LinkAccountComponent/index.tsx
index 49ea4f415..729178d81 100644
--- a/src/components/Global/LinkAccountComponent/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Global/LinkAccountComponent/index.tsx
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import Icon from '../Icon'
 import { useAuth } from '@/context/authContext'
 import { Divider } from '@chakra-ui/react'
 import { isIBAN } from 'validator'
+import { IBridgeAccount, IResponse } from '@/interfaces'
 
 const steps = [{ label: 'Step 1: Enter bank account' }, { label: 'Step 2: Provide details' }]
 
@@ -172,13 +173,25 @@ export const GlobaLinkAccountComponent = ({ accountNumber, onCompleted }: IGloba
                 throw new Error('Customer ID is missing')
             }
 
-            const data = await utils.createExternalAccount(
+            const response: IResponse = await utils.createExternalAccount(
                 customerId,
                 accountType as 'iban' | 'us',
                 accountDetails,
                 address,
                 accountOwnerName
             )
+            
+            if (!response.success) {
+                if (response.data && response.data.code == 'duplicate_external_account' ) {
+                    // bridge account already exists for this IBAN
+                    const errorMessage = 'An external account with the same information has already been added for this customer'
+                    throw new Error(errorMessage)
+                    
+                }
+                throw new Error('Creating Bridge account failed')
+            }
+
+            const data: IBridgeAccount = response.data
 
             await utils.createAccount(
                 user?.user?.userId ?? '',
@@ -193,7 +206,7 @@ export const GlobaLinkAccountComponent = ({ accountNumber, onCompleted }: IGloba
             onCompleted ? onCompleted() : setCompletedLinking(true)
         } catch (error) {
             console.error('Error during the submission process:', error)
-            setErrorState({ showError: true, errorMessage: 'An error occurred. Please try again later' })
+            setErrorState({ showError: true, errorMessage:  String(error)})
         } finally {
             setLoadingState('Idle')
         }
diff --git a/src/interfaces/interfaces.ts b/src/interfaces/interfaces.ts
index 36d15ea03..cab68e421 100644
--- a/src/interfaces/interfaces.ts
+++ b/src/interfaces/interfaces.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,11 @@ import { interfaces as peanutInterfaces } from '@squirrel-labs/peanut-sdk'
 
 export type RecipientType = 'address' | 'ens' | 'iban' | 'us'
 
+export interface IResponse {
+    success: boolean
+    data?: any
+}
+
 export interface IUserBalance {
     chainId: string
     address: string
diff --git a/src/utils/cashout.utils.ts b/src/utils/cashout.utils.ts
index 1d0f5219f..9d76ac2f6 100644
--- a/src/utils/cashout.utils.ts
+++ b/src/utils/cashout.utils.ts
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@ export async function createExternalAccount(
     accountDetails: any,
     address: any,
     accountOwnerName: string
-): Promise<interfaces.IBridgeAccount> {
+): Promise<interfaces.IResponse> {
     try {
         const response = await fetch(`/api/bridge/external-account/create-external-account?customerId=${customerId}`, {
             method: 'POST',
@@ -187,13 +187,36 @@ export async function createExternalAccount(
             }),
         })
 
+        const data = await response.json()
+
         if (!response.ok) {
+            if (data.code && data.code == 'duplicate_external_account') {
+                // if bridge account already exists for this iban
+                // but somehow not stored in our DB (this should never happen in
+                // prod, but can happen if same email used in prod & staging)
+                // 
+                // returns:  not interfaces.IBridgeAccount type, but
+                // a currently undefined error type on the data field of interfaces.IResponse
+                // of format:
+                // {
+                //     id: '4c537540-80bf-41dd-a528-d79a4',
+                //     code: 'duplicate_external_account',
+                //     message: 'An external account with the same information has already been added for this customer'
+                // }
+                //
+                // TODO: HTTP responses need to be standardized client wide
+                return {
+                    success: false,
+                    data
+                } as interfaces.IResponse
+            }
             throw new Error('Failed to create external account')
         }
 
-        const data = await response.json()
-
-        return data as interfaces.IBridgeAccount
+        return {
+            success: true,
+            data: data as interfaces.IBridgeAccount
+        } as interfaces.IResponse
     } catch (error) {
         console.error('Error:', error)
         throw new Error(`Failed to create external account. Error: ${error}`)