How To Cancel an Order on Etsy: Everything You Need To Know

Knowing how to cancel an order on Etsy is essential.

If you’re unfamiliar with the process, you’ve come to the right place.

My guide will walk you through the process of canceling an order on Etsy—for both Etsy sellers and buyers.

I’ll also provide information on what to do if something goes wrong and you need to cancel an order.

Can You Cancel an Etsy Order?

Two parties are involved in every Etsy transaction: 1) the seller and 2) the buyer.

However, sellers are the only ones who can cancel an order on Etsy.

Buyers are limited to requesting order cancellations, meaning a buyer needs to contact the seller if they want to cancel an order. A buyer must inform the seller to cancel the order and wait for a response.

As soon as the seller receives new Etsy messages, they can respond to a cancellation request.

What Is the Etsy Order Cancellation Policy?

A seller can cancel a transaction if:

• The customer didn’t pay.

The seller may flag a buyer for a canceled payment, chargeback, or if they never received payment.

• The seller and buyer agree to cancel the order before shipping.

The seller must refund the buyer in full.

• The seller can’t provide the requested product.

The seller must refund the payment if they refuse to provide the item.

• The customer didn’t receive the item.

The seller can cancel the transaction and issue a refund for the item. You must fully refund if the buyer used Etsy payments as their payment method. Shipping refunds are optional.

The following policies apply to all cancellations:

• The order meets at least one of the abovementioned requirements.
• The customer has yet to receive the item. You cannot cancel an order going through the shipping process.
• Sellers must refund buyers in full, except in the above circumstances.
• The cancellation must follow all Etsy rules, including their anti-discrimination policy.

How To Cancel An Etsy Order as a Seller

Canceling an order on Etsy is a simple procedure. Here’s how to go about it.

1 – Log in to your Etsy account.

2 – Go to your Shop Manager.

3 – Click Orders & Shipping.

4 – Visit the Cancel an Order page to cancel an order.

5 – If you’re using a desktop, find the three-dot icon on the order you want to cancel. Choose Cancel.

6 – For mobile devices, visit the Order Detail page. Tap the button to access More actions. Tap Cancel.

7 – Pick a reason for canceling to complete the cancellation process. You’ll see the total refund that the customer will get.

8 – Type any message you want in the text box. You aren’t required to send a message, so leaving it blank is also an option.

9 – Select the Cancel order option to complete the process.

How To Request Order Cancellation as an Etsy Buyer

There are buyers with Etsy accounts and those without Etsy accounts.

Requesting an Order Cancellation on Etsy as a Buyer With an Account

Before Shipping

Here’s how to process cancellation requests before shipping

1. Log in to your Etsy account.
2. Go to the Your Account by clicking the link on the top right corner of the page.
3. Select the Purchases and Reviews option from the dropdown menu.
4. Find the order you want to cancel.
5. Items pending shipment will have a status of Not shipped to the right of the order. Click the Request Cancellation link below the shipping status.
6. You’ll receive an automatic message. You can edit the message and add more details if you want. Explain the cancellation reason or anything else you want to tell the seller.
7. Click Submit and wait for the seller’s response.

After Shipping

Here’s how to request an order cancellation after shipping.

1 – Log in to your Etsy account.

2 – Click Sign in at the top-right corner of the page.

3 – Click the You icon beside the Cart icon at the top-right corner of the page.

4 – Select the Purchases and Reviews option from the dropdown menu.

5 – Find the order you want to cancel and click Contact the Shop. An empty message draft will appear.

6 – Send the seller a message informing them you want to cancel the order. Enter your message and press Send.

The seller will receive your cancellation request, and they’ll decide how to proceed.

How To Cancel an Order as a Buyer Without an Account

Customers who order without an Etsy account can request order cancellations as long as they follow the company’s cancellation guidelines.

Customers without accounts must contact Etsy’s transaction service to request order cancellations.

Here’s how to cancel an order without an Etsy account.

1 – Open the Etsy order confirmation email. It’s the email with the sender line that begins with Etsy Transactions.

2 – Reply to the email stating that you want to cancel your order. Add the seller as a recipient in your email.

What if the Seller Refuses To Cancel the Order? Opening a Case on Etsy

You can file a case if the seller refuses to remove your order from their system or assist you with your request.

Here’s how to do it.

1. Go to the Your Account section on Etsy.
2. Log in and select You.
3. Go to Purchases and Reviews.
4. Select Help with order next to the item you want to contest. Etsy App users only need to tap on the order to access the Help with order button.
5. Click or tap the Still need help? option
6. Select Yes, I want to open a case.
7. Choose Next after selecting the reason.
8. Fill out the necessary information, then click Submit.

To open a case after placing an order without an account, you must create an account, link it to the order you want to cancel, and open a case.

How To Escalate a Case on Etsy

The seller has three days to reply to your request once you open a case. You can escalate the situation and request that Etsy mediate if the seller is unresponsive or won’t cancel the order.

Here’s how.

1. Log in to your Etsy account.
2. Select the Purchases and Reviews option from the dropdown menu.
3. Select the View case option next to the order you want to view.
4. Decide which case you want to escalate.
5. Select Escalate.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do Cancellations as a Seller Hurt Your Ability To Sell on Etsy?

Yes, an open Etsy case affects the seller.

Etsy penalizes sellers with open cases on Etsy even if they prevail in the case and don’t have to issue refunds.

According to Etsy, an Etsy shop’s search visibility may suffer if there are cases against it in the last four months.

Can I Cancel an Etsy Order Before It Ships?

Yes, you can. A seller may call off a transaction if the buyer fails to make payment.

The seller may flag a buyer for a canceled payment, a chargeback, or if they never received the payment.

The buyer and seller need to agree to cancel the order before shipping, after which the seller needs to issue the full refund amount to the buyer.

When Can I Cancel an Order on Etsy?

The best time to cancel an order is before it ships. The buyer and seller can still agree to cancel the transaction if the latter has already shipped the item, but the buyer needs to pay for return shipping.

If the item is a digital download, you can cancel the transaction at any time within the time frame the seller has specified.

Can an Etsy Seller Refuse To Cancel an Order?

Etsy sellers are allowed to set their own cancellation policies, but they must adhere to Etsy’s guidelines. If a seller refuses to cancel an order, the buyer can open a case with Etsy.

Etsy will intervene and try to mediate the situation. The platform can suspend or permanently close the Etsy shop of a seller who still refuses to cancel the order despite Etsy’s ruling.

The Bottom Line

Hopefully, my guide made understanding the Etsy cancellation process easier.

It will be easy to cancel an order on Etsy if you follow the steps I outlined in this guide. It will also help if you read Etsy’s guidelines before canceling an order.

If you decide to proceed with an order, you should know how to track an order on Etsy.