Cancellations and refunds
This page covers stopping an order — and every way money comes back to you. The two principles behind all of it:
- You only pay for what is delivered.
- Money returns to the pocket it came from — boost credit refunds as boost credit, wallet cash as wallet cash. Promotional balance never converts into withdrawable cash through a refund.
Cancelling a scheduled order
An order you scheduled for later (charged, but not yet launched — status Scheduled) can always be cancelled, right up to its launch time:
- Open the order and press cancel.
- The order settles immediately and the confirmation reads "Scheduled order cancelled and refunded." The full amount comes back at once — credit as credit, cash as cash.
If the launch time arrives first, the order becomes a normal live order and the rules below apply. A cancel that races the launch simply tells you "That order is no longer scheduled."
Cancelling a live order
A live order (Submitted / Pending / Queued / In progress / Processing) can be cancelled when its service supports cancellation — not all providers allow it. Cancel-capable services carry the capability in the catalogue (the API's services list shows cancel: true).
- Open the order in the Delivery console or on the Orders page and press "Cancel remainder". The button only appears while the order is live and the service supports it.
- The request goes to the provider. You'll see the confirmation: "Cancellation requested. Anything undelivered is refunded automatically as soon as the provider confirms." The request is stamped on the order's timeline; the order keeps its current status meanwhile.
- When the provider confirms, the order settles as Canceled and the undelivered remainder is refunded automatically, pro-rata, split back into the credit/cash pockets you paid from.
Only the undelivered remainder that the provider returns is refunded — units already delivered are kept and are non-refundable. As the store puts it: "standard protocol applies: only the undelivered remainder recovered upstream is refunded."
Why you might be refused:
- "This service doesn't support cancellation." — the provider doesn't allow cancels; the button never appears for these services.
- "This order can no longer be cancelled." — the order already settled (completed, partial, refunded). Note that partial deliveries are refunded automatically anyway (below).
- "The provider couldn't cancel it: …" — the upstream refused right now; try again shortly.
Via the API: the cancel action cancels up to 100 orders at once, with the same eligibility rules. See The Boost API.
Every kind of refund
All refunds are automatic — there is no claim form:
| Situation | What happens |
|---|---|
| No provider accepts your order | Refunded in full, immediately; the order shows as failed. You're never charged for nothing. |
| Order stuck in Submitting | Auto-refunded in full after a short timeout — a charge can never outlive a failed placement. |
| Provider accepts, then reports it failed | The undelivered portion is refunded automatically. Where nothing was delivered, that is the whole charge. |
| Partially delivered | The undelivered portion is refunded pro-rata, automatically, the moment the order settles. |
| Cancelled in flight | The undelivered remainder the provider returns is refunded when the provider confirms. |
| Scheduled order cancelled before launch | Full refund, instantly. |
| Auto-Boost rule cancelled | The unspent budget pool is refunded to your wallet immediately — see Auto-Boost. |
| Order fully refunded after earning a discount rebate | The boost-credit rebate minted for that order is reversed (never taking your credit below zero). |
Where to see a refund
- On the order's timeline — e.g. "refunded $4.11 ($0.72 as boost credit)".
- In your wallet history (the cash part) — wallet refunds also trigger a notification.
- In your boost-credit statement (the credit part) as a "Boost refund" line — see Boost credit and referrals.
The credit/cash split, precisely
An order paid $2 credit + $8 cash and refunded in full returns $2 as credit and $8 as cash. A partial refund splits pro-rata across both pockets. This is deliberate: refunds restore your balances exactly as they were, and promotional credit can never be laundered into withdrawable money by ordering and cancelling.
FAQ
Can I cancel a completed order? No — there's nothing left to stop, and delivered units are non-refundable. If the delivery was defective, use "Report a problem" on the order; if the count later drops, see Refills.
How long does a cancellation refund take? The refund lands as soon as the provider confirms the cancel — usually minutes, occasionally longer. The order stays visibly live until then.
I cancelled but got less back than I expected. The refund covers only the units the provider hadn't delivered at the moment it processed the cancel. Delivery continues until the provider acts, so the delivered share can grow between your click and their confirmation.
Does cancelling cost anything? No fees. You keep (and pay for) delivered units only.
Can I cancel one line of a batch? Yes — batch lines are independent orders; cancel any line on its own without touching the others.
Next: to see how the amount you paid was built in the first place, read Pricing and discounts.