---
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)
