diff --git a/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/actions/firebase_app_distribution_action.rb b/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/actions/firebase_app_distribution_action.rb
index e70395e..69b62fc 100644
--- a/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/actions/firebase_app_distribution_action.rb
+++ b/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/actions/firebase_app_distribution_action.rb
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def self.run(params)
 
         binary_type = binary_type_from_path(binary_path)
         UI.message("📡 Uploading the #{binary_type}.")
-        operation = upload_binary(app_name, binary_path, client, timeout)
+        operation = upload_binary(app_name, binary_path, binary_type, client, timeout)
         UI.message("🕵️ Validating upload…")
         release = poll_upload_release_operation(client, operation, binary_type)
 
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ def self.poll_upload_release_operation(client, operation, binary_type)
         extract_release(operation)
       end
 
-      def self.upload_binary(app_name, binary_path, client, timeout)
+      def self.upload_binary(app_name, binary_path, binary_type, client, timeout)
         options = Google::Apis::RequestOptions.new
         options.max_elapsed_time = timeout # includes retries (default = no retries)
         options.header = {
@@ -282,12 +282,21 @@ def self.upload_binary(app_name, binary_path, client, timeout)
         # standard http call instead and convert it to a long running object
         # https://github.com/googleapis/google-api-ruby-client/blob/main/generated/google-apis-firebaseappdistribution_v1/lib/google/apis/firebaseappdistribution_v1/service.rb#L79
         # TODO(kbolay): Prefer client.upload_medium
-        response = client.http(
-          :post,
-          "https://firebaseappdistribution.googleapis.com/upload/v1/#{app_name}/releases:upload",
-          body: File.open(binary_path, 'rb'),
-          options: options
-        )
+        response = begin
+          client.http(
+            :post,
+            "https://firebaseappdistribution.googleapis.com/upload/v1/#{app_name}/releases:upload",
+            body: File.open(binary_path, 'rb'),
+            options: options
+          )
+        rescue Google::Apis::Error => err
+          case err.status_code.to_i
+          when 403
+            UI.crash!(ErrorMessage::PERMISSION_DENIED_ERROR)
+          else
+            UI.crash!("#{ErrorMessage.upload_binary_error(binary_type)} (#{err}, status_code: #{err.status_code})")
+          end
+        end
 
         Google::Apis::FirebaseappdistributionV1::GoogleLongrunningOperation.from_json(response)
       end
diff --git a/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/helper/firebase_app_distribution_error_message.rb b/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/helper/firebase_app_distribution_error_message.rb
index bd4766e..f2e7dfe 100644
--- a/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/helper/firebase_app_distribution_error_message.rb
+++ b/lib/fastlane/plugin/firebase_app_distribution/helper/firebase_app_distribution_error_message.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ module ErrorMessage
   SERVICE_CREDENTIALS_NOT_FOUND = "Service credentials file does not exist. Please check the service credentials path and try again."
   PARSE_SERVICE_CREDENTIALS_ERROR = "Failed to extract service account information from the service credentials file."
   PARSE_FIREBASE_TOOLS_JSON_ERROR = "Encountered error parsing json file. Ensure the firebase-tools.json file is formatted correctly."
+  PERMISSION_DENIED_ERROR = "The authenticated user does not have the required permissions on the Firebase project"
+  UPLOAD_BINARY_ERROR = "App Distribution halted because it had a problem uploading the app binary."
   UPLOAD_RELEASE_NOTES_ERROR = "App Distribution halted because it had a problem uploading release notes."
   UPLOAD_TESTERS_ERROR = "App Distribution halted because it had a problem adding testers/groups."
   GET_RELEASE_TIMEOUT = "App Distribution failed to fetch release information."
diff --git a/spec/firebase_app_distribution_action_spec.rb b/spec/firebase_app_distribution_action_spec.rb
index 1beb5f8..2013e58 100644
--- a/spec/firebase_app_distribution_action_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/firebase_app_distribution_action_spec.rb
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ def stub_get_aab_info(integration_state = 'INTEGRATED')
         end
       end
 
-      describe 'with a successful upload' do
+      describe 'with a binary file available' do
         let(:fake_binary_contents) { "Hello World" }
         let(:fake_binary) { double("Binary") }
 
@@ -319,6 +319,26 @@ def stub_get_aab_info(integration_state = 'INTEGRATED')
             .and_return(fake_binary_contents)
         end
 
+        it 'raises permission denied error if upload returns a 403', :focus do
+          allow_any_instance_of(V1Api::FirebaseAppDistributionService)
+            .to receive(:http)
+            .and_raise(Google::Apis::Error.new('error', status_code: '403'))
+
+          expect do
+            action.run(params)
+          end.to raise_error(ErrorMessage::PERMISSION_DENIED_ERROR)
+        end
+
+        it 'raises error with status code if upload returns an unexpected error', :focus do
+          allow_any_instance_of(V1Api::FirebaseAppDistributionService)
+            .to receive(:http)
+            .and_raise(Google::Apis::Error.new({}, status_code: '404'))
+
+          expect do
+            action.run(params)
+          end.to raise_error(/404/)
+        end
+
         it 'crashes if it exceeds polling threshold' do
           stub_const('Fastlane::Actions::FirebaseAppDistributionAction::UPLOAD_MAX_POLLING_RETRIES', 0)
           allow_any_instance_of(V1Api::FirebaseAppDistributionService)