--- title: "Cancel" description: "Cancel the authorisation on an uncaptured payment." url: "https://docs.adyen.com/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/cancel" source_url: "https://docs.adyen.com/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/cancel.md" canonical: "https://docs.adyen.com/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/cancel" last_modified: "2021-01-21T10:35:00+01:00" language: "en" --- # Cancel Cancel the authorisation on an uncaptured payment. [View source](/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/cancel.md) ##### Cancel in Customer Area You can also cancel payments in your Customer Area. For more information, refer to [Manage payments](/account/manage-payments#cancel-a-payment). For some payment methods, the payment is completed in two steps: 1. [Authorisation](/get-started-with-adyen/adyen-glossary/#authorisation) – The payment details of the shopper are verified, and the funds are reserved. 2. [Capture](/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/capture) –  The reserved funds are transferred from the shopper to your account.  If you have authorised a payment but do not want to capture it, for example because an item is out of stock, you need to make a [/cancel](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Payment/cancel) request to release the funds back to the shopper. If the payment has already been captured, you need to [refund](/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/refund) it instead. If you want to cancel a payment but are not sure whether it has been [captured](/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/capture), use the [`/cancelOrRefund` ](/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/cancel-or-refund)endpoint instead. In your call to the [/cancel](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Payment/cancel) endpoint, you need to specify the `pspReference` of the original payment. If you do not have this reference, for example because of a timeout error, you can use our [technical cancel](#technical-cancel) functionality. ## Cancel a payment Make a POST request to the [/cancel](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Payment/cancel) endpoint, specifying:  * `merchantAccount`: The name of your merchant account that is used to process the payment. * `originalReference`: The `pspReference` of the original payment request. This is included in the response to your payment request, and in the AUTHORISATION webhook. * `reference`: Optionally, you can specify your own reference for this [/cancel](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Payment/cancel) request. ```json { "merchantAccount" : "YOUR_MERCHANT_ACCOUNT", "originalReference" : "8313547924770610", "reference" : "YOUR_MODIFICATION_REFERENCE" } ``` You will receive a `/cancel` response containing:  * `response`: **\[cancel-received]** * `pspReference`: The PSP reference associated with this `/cancel` request. This is different from the PSP reference associated with the original payment request.  ```json { "pspReference" : "8412534564722331", "response" : "[cancel-received]" } ``` ### CANCELLATION webhook You receive the outcome of the cancel request asynchronously, in a [webhook](/development-resources/webhooks) that includes : * `eventCode`: **CANCELLATION**. * `originalReference`: The PSP reference of the authorization. * `pspReference`: The same as the `pspReference` in the [/payments/{paymentPspReference}/cancels](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/Checkout/latest/post/payments/\(paymentPspReference\)/cancels) response. * `success`: Indicates whether the cancel request was successful. Possible values: * **true**: The cancel request was successful. * **false**: The cancel request failed. The webhook event includes a `reason` field with a short description of the problem. Review the reason, fix the issue if possible, and resubmit the cancel request. ### Tab: success: true ```json { "live":"false", "notificationItems":[ { "NotificationRequestItem":{ "amount":{ "currency":"EUR", "value":500 }, "eventCode":"CANCELLATION", "eventDate":"2021-03-05T09:08:05+01:00", "merchantAccountCode":"YOUR_MERCHANT_ACCOUNT", "originalReference":"XB7XNCQ8HXSKGK82", "paymentMethod":"mc", "pspReference":"JDD6LKT8MBLZNN84", "reason":"", "success":"true" } } ] } ``` ### Tab: success: false ```json { "live":"false", "notificationItems":[ { "NotificationRequestItem":{ "amount":{ "currency":"EUR", "value":500 }, "eventCode":"CANCELLATION", "eventDate":"2021-03-05T09:08:05+01:00", "merchantAccountCode":"YOUR_MERCHANT_ACCOUNT", "originalReference":"XB7XNCQ8HXSKGK82", "paymentMethod":"mc", "pspReference":"JDD6LKT8MBLZNN84", "reason":"Transaction not found", "success":"false" } } ] } ``` For more information about the included fields, see the [CANCELLATION](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/Webhooks/latest/post/CANCELLATION) webhook reference. ## Technical cancel The [/technicalCancel](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Payment/technicalCancel) endpoint allows you to cancel a payment by using the `reference` that you specified in the original payment request. Technical cancel is only valid for 24 hours after authorisation. Only use technical cancel if: 1. You do not have the `pspReference` of the original payment available, for example because of a timeout error. 2. You are using *unique* references for payment requests. In your call to the [/technicalCancel](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Payment/technicalCancel) endpoint, specify: * `merchantAccount`: The name of your merchant account that is used to process the payment. * `originalMerchantReference`: Your `reference` from the original payment request. * `reference`: Optionally, you can specify your own reference for this [/technicalCancel](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Payment/technicalCancel) request. ```json { "merchantAccount": "YOUR_MERCHANT_ACCOUNT", "originalMerchantReference": "YOUR_ORIGINAL_REFERENCE", "reference": "YOUR_MODIFICATION_REFERENCE" } ``` You will receive a `/technicalCancel` response containing:  * `pspReference`: The PSP reference associated with this `/technicalCancel` request. Note that this is different from the PSP reference associated with the original payment request.   ```json { "pspReference":"8515208516304269", "response":"[technical-cancel-received]" } ``` ### TECHNICAL CANCEL webhook Once we have processed your cancel request, we send you a [webhook event](/development-resources/webhooks) with: * `eventCode`: **TECHNICAL\_CANCEL** * `pspReference`: Same as the `pspReference` in the `/technicalCancel` response.  * `success`: Indicates whether the cancel request was successful.  ```json { "live":"false", "notificationItems":[ { "NotificationRequestItem":{ "additionalData":{ "paymentMethodVariant":"visa" }, "amount":{ "currency":"EUR", "value":5000 }, "eventCode":"TECHNICAL_CANCEL", "eventDate":"2018-07-18T22:35:14+02:00", "merchantAccountCode":"YOUR_MERCHANT_ACCOUNT", "merchantReference":"YOUR_ORIGINAL_REFERENCE", "originalReference":"8313547924770610", "paymentMethod":"visa", "pspReference":"8515208516304269", "reason":"", "success":"true" } } ] } ``` For more information about the included fields, see the [TECHNICAL\_CANCEL](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/Webhooks/latest/post/TECHNICAL_CANCEL) webhook reference. ## See also * [API Explorer](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/?classes=codeLabel#/Payment/cancel) * [Online payments webhook reference](https://docs.adyen.com/api-explorer/#/Webhooks) * [Capture](/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/capture) * [Cancel or refund](/online-payments/classic-integrations/modify-payments/cancel-or-refund) * [Payments lifecycle](/account/payments-lifecycle) * [Payment methods](/payment-methods)