When charging a token, cardReference is ran through "json_decode" and if not a json string get standard php error.

[njdubois]

TL;DR:
Charge token,
'cardReference' => json_decode($token),

Got error from omnipay/auth.net code (php didn't throw exception):
"json_decode() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given"

It would be nice if the returned error was a little more appropriate for the cause of the error.
"Card Reference must be this, this or this. You submitted this."

The details:

I am writing code to charge a token through authorize.net. I am storing a previously generated card reference in my database as a json string.

This looks something like this:
{"customerProfileId":"#######","customerPaymentProfileId":"#######"}

When it came time to actually charge it, I decoded it:

    $purchaseDetails = [
        'amount' => $amount,
        'currency' => 'USD',
        'cardReference' => json_decode($token),
    ];

Than actually sending the charge:

    try {
        $responseFromGateway = $gateway->purchase($purchaseDetails)->send();
    } catch (Exception $e) {
        return $this->handleErrorReturn($e->getMessage(),$submitData);
    }

Ignore submit data, it is a master array I build, handleErrorReturn is just a method I can format errors in a more use friendly output, and log advanced details.

The problem is that I would land in the catch, and the message would be:
"json_decode() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given"

It isn't php blowing up, it's code inside omnipay or the auth.net plug in and because I was just recently decoding something it took me a second to realize my code was ok, that I didn't need to decode the token.

It would be nice if the returned error was a little more appropriate for the cause of the error.

"Card Reference must be this, this or this. You submitted this."