diff --git a/backend/app/domains/accounts/__init__.py b/backend/app/domains/accounts/__init__.py
index 986d2a4..5987594 100644
--- a/backend/app/domains/accounts/__init__.py
+++ b/backend/app/domains/accounts/__init__.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from .errors import (
     CodeExhausted,
     CodeExpired,
     CodeMismatch,
+    DeliveryFailed,
     InvalidEmail,
     ResendCooldown,
 )
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ __all__ = [
     "CodeMismatch",
     "CodeExpired",
     "CodeExhausted",
+    "DeliveryFailed",
     "request_code",
     "verify",
     "get_account",
diff --git a/backend/app/domains/accounts/errors.py b/backend/app/domains/accounts/errors.py
index 68ca901..5d68742 100644
--- a/backend/app/domains/accounts/errors.py
+++ b/backend/app/domains/accounts/errors.py
@@ -36,3 +36,7 @@ class CodeExpired(AccountsError):
 
 class CodeExhausted(AccountsError):
     """The code's attempt budget is spent; it is invalidated (INV-3 → §6.4 400 code_exhausted)."""
+
+
+class DeliveryFailed(AccountsError):
+    """The relay refused the code email; nothing was committed (INV-9 → §6.4 502 delivery_failed)."""
diff --git a/backend/app/domains/accounts/service.py b/backend/app/domains/accounts/service.py
index b6e5874..e9bc953 100644
--- a/backend/app/domains/accounts/service.py
+++ b/backend/app/domains/accounts/service.py
@@ -18,9 +18,16 @@ from datetime import datetime, timedelta, timezone
 import psycopg
 
 from app.platform import config
-from app.platform.mailer import Mailer
+from app.platform.mailer import Mailer, MailerError
 
-from .errors import CodeExhausted, CodeExpired, CodeMismatch, InvalidEmail, ResendCooldown
+from .errors import (
+    CodeExhausted,
+    CodeExpired,
+    CodeMismatch,
+    DeliveryFailed,
+    InvalidEmail,
+    ResendCooldown,
+)
 from .models import Account
 
 # INV-3 constants — the one-time-code policy.
@@ -82,17 +89,23 @@ def request_code(conn: psycopg.Connection, mailer: Mailer, email: str) -> None:
         "INSERT INTO auth_code (email, code_hash, expires_at) VALUES (%s, %s, %s)",
         (email, _hash_code(code), now + CODE_TTL),
     )
-    conn.commit()
 
-    mailer.send(
-        to=email,
-        subject=f"Your ecomm code: {code}",
-        body=(
-            f"Your ecomm one-time code is {code}.\n"
-            f"It is valid for {int(CODE_TTL.total_seconds() // 60)} minutes.\n"
-            "If you didn't request this, ignore this message."
-        ),
-    )
+    # Send BEFORE commit (ecomm#7): a refused delivery rolls the row back, so no orphan
+    # code blocks the 60s cooldown and the caller can honestly retry at once (INV-9).
+    try:
+        mailer.send(
+            to=email,
+            subject=f"Your ecomm code: {code}",
+            body=(
+                f"Your ecomm one-time code is {code}.\n"
+                f"It is valid for {int(CODE_TTL.total_seconds() // 60)} minutes.\n"
+                "If you didn't request this, ignore this message."
+            ),
+        )
+    except MailerError as exc:
+        conn.rollback()
+        raise DeliveryFailed(str(exc)) from exc
+    conn.commit()
 
 
 def verify(conn: psycopg.Connection, email: str, code: str) -> tuple[Account, bool]:
diff --git a/backend/app/main.py b/backend/app/main.py
index 88e5157..c2c0c69 100644
--- a/backend/app/main.py
+++ b/backend/app/main.py
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ def create_app(database_url: str | None = None, static_dir: str | Path | None =
                 f"Please wait {exc.retry_after_s}s before requesting another code.",
                 retry_after_s=exc.retry_after_s,
             )
+        except accounts.DeliveryFailed:
+            return _error(
+                502, "delivery_failed",
+                "We couldn't send the code — try again in a moment.",
+            )
         return Response(status_code=204)
 
     @app.post("/api/auth/verify")
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_accounts_request_code.py b/backend/tests/test_accounts_request_code.py
index e7ac722..34a1b9d 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_accounts_request_code.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_accounts_request_code.py
@@ -64,3 +64,28 @@ def test_request_code_rejects_invalid_email(conn):
     with pytest.raises(accounts.InvalidEmail):
         accounts.request_code(conn, m, "not-an-email")
     assert m.outbox == []
+
+
+class _FailingMailer:
+    """A mailer whose relay always refuses — the INV-9 honest-failure path."""
+
+    def send(self, to: str, subject: str, body: str) -> None:
+        raise mailer.MailerError("relay refused")
+
+
+def test_delivery_failure_leaves_no_orphan_code(conn):
+    # ecomm#7: send happens BEFORE commit — a failed delivery must not strand an
+    # auth_code row (which would also trip the resend cooldown for 60s).
+    with pytest.raises(accounts.DeliveryFailed):
+        accounts.request_code(conn, _FailingMailer(), "merchant@example.com")
+    rows = conn.execute("SELECT count(*) FROM auth_code").fetchone()[0]
+    assert rows == 0
+
+
+def test_delivery_failure_does_not_trip_cooldown(conn):
+    with pytest.raises(accounts.DeliveryFailed):
+        accounts.request_code(conn, _FailingMailer(), "merchant@example.com")
+    # the immediate retry (relay back up) succeeds — no ResendCooldown
+    m = mailer.LogMailer()
+    accounts.request_code(conn, m, "merchant@example.com")
+    assert len(m.outbox) == 1
diff --git a/backend/tests/test_auth_endpoints.py b/backend/tests/test_auth_endpoints.py
index 1766fd5..aaea47c 100644
--- a/backend/tests/test_auth_endpoints.py
+++ b/backend/tests/test_auth_endpoints.py
@@ -128,3 +128,19 @@ def test_puc_09_logout_clears_session(fresh_db_url):
         # after logout the cookie is cleared -> /me is unauthenticated again
         client.cookies.clear()
         assert client.get("/api/auth/me").status_code == 401
+
+
+def test_request_code_delivery_failure_is_502(fresh_db_url, monkeypatch):
+    # INV-9 honest failure over HTTP (§6.4): the relay refused -> 502 delivery_failed,
+    # never a fake 204. Force the app's mailer to fail after startup.
+    from app.platform import mailer as mailer_mod
+
+    class _FailingMailer:
+        def send(self, to, subject, body):
+            raise mailer_mod.MailerError("relay refused")
+
+    with _client(fresh_db_url) as client:
+        client.app.state.mailer = _FailingMailer()
+        resp = client.post("/api/auth/request-code", json={"email": "merchant@example.com"})
+    assert resp.status_code == 502
+    assert resp.json()["error"]["code"] == "delivery_failed"