diff --git a/lib/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapper.php b/lib/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapper.php
index ddf8f26fa2..f319f6c18c 100644
--- a/lib/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapper.php
+++ b/lib/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapper.php
@@ -34,14 +34,15 @@ class MailPoetMapper {
       case API::RESPONSE_CODE_PAYLOAD_ERROR:
         $result_parsed = json_decode($result['message'], true);
         $message = __('Error while sending.', 'mailpoet');
-        if(is_array($result_parsed)) {
-          try {
-            $subscribers_errors = $this->getSubscribersErrors($result_parsed, $subscribers);
-          } catch (InvalidArgumentException $e) {
-            $message .= ' ' . $e->getMessage();
-          }
-        } else {
+        if(!is_array($result_parsed)) {
           $message .= ' ' . $result['message'];
+          break;
+        }
+        try {
+          $subscribers_errors = $this->getSubscribersErrors($result_parsed, $subscribers);
+          $level = MailerError::LEVEL_SOFT;
+        } catch (InvalidArgumentException $e) {
+          $message .= ' ' . $e->getMessage();
         }
         break;
       case API::RESPONSE_CODE_TEMPORARY_UNAVAILABLE:
diff --git a/tests/unit/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapperTest.php b/tests/unit/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapperTest.php
index 411e6238d3..697f18d393 100644
--- a/tests/unit/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapperTest.php
+++ b/tests/unit/Mailer/Methods/ErrorMappers/MailPoetMapperTest.php
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class MailPoetMapperTest extends \MailPoetTest {
     $error = $this->mapper->getErrorForResult($api_result, $this->subscribers);
     expect($error)->isInstanceOf(MailerError::class);
     expect($error->getOperation())->equals(MailerError::OPERATION_SEND);
-    expect($error->getLevel())->equals(MailerError::LEVEL_HARD);
+    expect($error->getLevel())->equals(MailerError::LEVEL_SOFT);
     $subscriber_errors = $error->getSubscriberErrors();
     expect(count($subscriber_errors))->equals(2);
     expect($subscriber_errors[0]->getEmail())->equals('a@example.com');