Automatic numbering error

 Hi, Recently one of our users started seeing this error 'Automatic numbering cannot be performed' whenever Place Order button is clicked. Customers CC was authorized but order is not placed. So the user clicked Place order again.This caused the CC to be authorized again and an order is placed. The same user was able to order sometimes without any issues.There were no recent changes also. The problem is, a holds are placed on the customers CC even though this error occured for the first time. Someone has to call our CC processing folks to release this hold.

This is not happening very frequently. What does this error mean? How can we avoid this error and not have an authorization request sent to the payment processor?