diff --git a/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts b/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts
index 3112965..93dfc39 100644
--- a/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts
+++ b/src/api/challenges/challenges.service.ts
@@ -470,25 +470,34 @@ export class ChallengesService {
 
   async generateChallengePayments(challengeId: string, userId: string) {
     const challenge = await this.getChallenge(challengeId);
+    this.logger.log(`Fetched challenge ${challengeId}`);
 
     if (!challenge) {
+      this.logger.error(`Challenge not found: ${challengeId}`);
       throw new Error('Challenge not found!');
     }
 
+    this.logger.log(`Challenge ${challenge.id} - "${challenge.name}" with status "${challenge.status}" retrieved`);
+
     const allowedStatuses = [
       ChallengeStatuses.Completed.toLowerCase(),
       ChallengeStatuses.CancelledFailedReview.toLowerCase(),
     ];
 
     if (!allowedStatuses.includes(challenge.status.toLowerCase())) {
+      this.logger.error(
+        `Challenge ${challenge.id} isn't in a payable status: ${challenge.status}`,
+      );
       throw new Error("Challenge isn't in a payable status!");
     }
 
     // need to read for update (LOCK the rows)
+    this.logger.log(`Attempting to acquire lock for challenge ${challenge.id}`);
     try {
       await this.prisma.challenge_lock.create({
         data: { external_id: challenge.id },
       });
+      this.logger.log(`Lock acquired for challenge ${challenge.id}`);
     } catch (err: any) {
       if (err.code === 'P2002') {
         this.logger.log(`Challenge Lock already acquired for ${challenge.id}`);
@@ -497,13 +506,28 @@ export class ChallengesService {
           `Challenge Lock already acquired for ${challenge.id}`,
         );
       }
+      this.logger.error(
+        `Failed to acquire lock for challenge ${challenge.id}`,
+        err.message ?? err,
+      );
       throw err;
     }
 
     try {
+      this.logger.log(`Starting payment creation for challenge ${challenge.id}`);
       await this.createPayments(challenge, userId);
+      this.logger.log(`Payment creation completed for challenge ${challenge.id}`);
     } catch (error) {
-      if (error.message.includes('Lock already acquired')) {
+      this.logger.error(
+        `Error while creating payments for challenge ${challenge.id}`,
+        error.message ?? error,
+      );
+      if (
+        error &&
+        (typeof error.message === 'string') &&
+        error.message.includes('Lock already acquired')
+      ) {
+        this.logger.log(`Conflict detected while creating payments for ${challenge.id}`);
         throw new ConflictException(
           'Another payment operation is in progress.',
         );
@@ -511,13 +535,20 @@ export class ChallengesService {
         throw error;
       }
     } finally {
-      await this.prisma.challenge_lock
-        .deleteMany({
+      try {
+        const result = await this.prisma.challenge_lock.deleteMany({
           where: { external_id: challenge.id },
-        })
-        .catch(() => {
-          // swallow errors if lock was already released
         });
+        this.logger.log(
+          `Released lock for challenge ${challenge.id}. Rows deleted: ${result.count}`,
+        );
+      } catch (releaseErr) {
+        // swallow errors if lock was already released but log for observability
+        this.logger.error(
+          `Failed to release lock for challenge ${challenge.id}`,
+          releaseErr.message ?? releaseErr,
+        );
+      }
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/shared/topcoder/billing-accounts.service.ts b/src/shared/topcoder/billing-accounts.service.ts
index b0ca3bd..fdbbbec 100644
--- a/src/shared/topcoder/billing-accounts.service.ts
+++ b/src/shared/topcoder/billing-accounts.service.ts
@@ -8,12 +8,11 @@ const { TOPCODER_API_V6_BASE_URL, TGBillingAccounts } = ENV_CONFIG;
 
 interface LockAmountDTO {
   challengeId: string;
-  lockAmount: number;
+  amount: number;
 }
 interface ConsumeAmountDTO {
   challengeId: string;
-  consumeAmount: number;
-  markup?: number;
+  amount: number;
 }
 
 export interface BAValidation {
@@ -40,7 +39,7 @@ export class BillingAccountsService {
         `${TOPCODER_API_V6_BASE_URL}/billing-accounts/${billingAccountId}/lock-amount`,
         {
           method: 'PATCH',
-          body: JSON.stringify({ param: dto }),
+          body: JSON.stringify(dto),
         },
       );
     } catch (err: any) {
@@ -49,7 +48,7 @@ export class BillingAccountsService {
           'Failed to lock challenge amount',
       );
       throw new Error(
-        `Budget Error: Requested amount $${dto.lockAmount} exceeds available budget for Billing Account #${billingAccountId}.
+        `Budget Error: Requested amount $${dto.amount} exceeds available budget for Billing Account #${billingAccountId}.
         Please contact the Topcoder Project Manager for further assistance.`,
       );
     }
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ export class BillingAccountsService {
         `${TOPCODER_API_V6_BASE_URL}/billing-accounts/${billingAccountId}/consume-amount`,
         {
           method: 'PATCH',
-          body: JSON.stringify({ param: dto }),
+          body: JSON.stringify(dto),
         },
       );
     } catch (err: any) {
@@ -111,7 +110,7 @@ export class BillingAccountsService {
 
       await this.lockAmount(billingAccountId, {
         challengeId: baValidation.challengeId!,
-        lockAmount:
+        amount:
           (rollback ? prevAmount : currAmount) * (1 + baValidation.markup!),
       });
     } else if (status === ChallengeStatuses.Completed.toLowerCase()) {
@@ -125,9 +124,8 @@ export class BillingAccountsService {
       if (currAmount !== prevAmount) {
         await this.consumeAmount(billingAccountId, {
           challengeId: baValidation.challengeId!,
-          consumeAmount:
+          amount:
             (rollback ? prevAmount : currAmount) * (1 + baValidation.markup!),
-          markup: baValidation.markup,
         });
       }
     } else if (
@@ -155,7 +153,7 @@ export class BillingAccountsService {
         if (currAmount !== prevAmount) {
           await this.lockAmount(billingAccountId, {
             challengeId: baValidation.challengeId!,
-            lockAmount: rollback ? prevAmount : 0,
+            amount: rollback ? prevAmount : 0,
           });
         }
       }
diff --git a/src/shared/topcoder/topcoder-m2m.service.ts b/src/shared/topcoder/topcoder-m2m.service.ts
index d36d1f1..de5f5a2 100644
--- a/src/shared/topcoder/topcoder-m2m.service.ts
+++ b/src/shared/topcoder/topcoder-m2m.service.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,29 @@ export class TopcoderM2MService {
     const response = await fetch(url, finalOptions);
 
     if (!response.ok) {
+      let responseBody: unknown;
+      try {
+        const text = await response.text();
+        try {
+          responseBody = JSON.parse(text);
+        } catch {
+          responseBody = text;
+        }
+      } catch (e) {
+        responseBody = `Failed to read response body: ${e?.message ?? e}`;
+      }
+
+      this.logger.error(
+        'M2M fetch failed',
+        {
+          url: String(url),
+          method: (finalOptions.method ?? 'GET'),
+          status: response.status,
+          statusText: response.statusText,
+          requestBody: (finalOptions as any).body,
+          responseBody,
+        },
+      );
       // Optional: You could throw a custom error here
       throw new Error(`HTTP error! Status: ${response.status}`);
     }