Cancelling is sometimes the right answer — the item broke, the stock was wrong, the price was a typo. It is also the thing Metzee measures you on, so the how matters as much as the whether.
When you can
A cancellation is possible while the order is awaiting payment, paid, or confirmed. Once you have marked it shipped, it is not a cancellation any more — it is a return.
So the window is short, and it closes the moment you press ship. Do not mark something shipped to look responsive and then try to cancel it.
Where it lives
Seller → Orders. Open the order, and cancel from there. You need the Cancel and refund permission, which is yours as owner and comes with Manager and Customer care.
The reason, which is the important part
You pick one of:
Buyer requested cancellationItem out of stockItem damaged before shippingPricing errorDuplicate orderOther
Buyer requested cancellation does not count against your store. Every other reason does. The app says so itself, in the store-health tip: Keep stock up to date. If a buyer changes their mind, choose “{reason}” — those don’t count against you.
So pick it when it is true, and only when it is true. A buyer who asked to cancel is not your fault and is not scored as such. An out-of-stock cancellation is your fault and is — picking the buyer's reason to dodge that is the sort of thing that looks clever once and reads as a pattern across ninety days.
What it does to your store health
Seller cancellation rate is one of six measured standards. Metzee's target is under 2.5%, and the screen tells you where you stand against it — over about 5% puts the store at risk. It is measured over a rolling 90 days on orders you cancelled, and it needs a handful of orders before it is measured at all.
The screen also tells you the way back: Your next {k} orders need to be fulfilled without cancelling to get under {target}%. One bad week is recoverable. A habit is not.
If it was already paid
The money has to go back, and the rule is absolute: a cancelled order is refunded in full. No partial. It was never fulfilled, so there is nothing to keep.
The order then shows Mark refunded, with Cancelled after payment — refund {amount} to the buyer, then tap Mark refunded. See how to refund a buyer for what actually moves the money.
A buyer who cancels an unshipped paid order themselves has their money sent back automatically — Metzee is holding it, and a cancelled order has no reason to keep it.
The stock comes back
For a Buy Now listing, cancelling returns the unit to stock. You do not have to re-list it or edit the quantity.
What to do instead, where you can
Most cancellations are avoidable, and the avoidable ones are the ones that score against you:
- Out of stock → the real fix is keeping stock right, which importing does in bulk.
- Pricing error → caught in the preview, if you read it before publishing.
- Damaged before shipping → offer the buyer a replacement or a partial refund first. Many prefer either to nothing.
- Buyer changed their mind → let them cancel, and choose their reason. It costs you the sale and nothing else.
Tell them
A cancellation with a one-line message lands completely differently from a silent one. "The item was damaged in storage — I'm sorry, I've refunded you in full" turns a one-star into a shrug, and sometimes into a returning buyer.
Questions people ask
Can I cancel after shipping?
No. Once it is shipped, the route is a return.
Does cancelling cost me money?
Not directly. It costs you the sale, and it moves your cancellation rate, which is the expensive part over time.
The buyer asked me to cancel. Does it still count?
Not if you choose Buyer requested cancellation. That reason exists precisely so it does not.
Can I cancel one item out of several?
Each order is cancelled on its own. Several wins from one show are separate orders.
What if I cancel by mistake?
It cannot be un-cancelled. The buyer has to buy again, and a cancelled auction win is gone — so read the order before confirming.
More: how to mark an order sent, how refunds work, disputes from the seller side.