How to reduce order cancellations
Keep orders flowing and customers happy by preventing avoidable cancellations.
Overview
- Why avoiding cancellations matters
- How cancellations are measured
- What causes orders to be cancelled
- Best practices to avoid cancellations
- Quick wins to avoid cancellations today
- Turn fewer cancellations into more growth
- Need a hand?
When an order gets cancelled, you lose more than just that sale. It can affect your ratings in the Wolt app, customer trust, and future orders.
The good news? Most cancellations are preventable. With a few simple habits, you can keep more orders on track and create a smoother experience for your customers.
Why avoiding cancellations matters
Every completed order builds trust. Every cancelled one can do the opposite.
Keeping cancellations low helps you:
Deliver a more reliable experience
Avoid lost sales
Encourage customers to order again
Even small improvements can have a big impact over time.
How cancellations are measured
Your cancellation rate shows how many orders were cancelled for reasons within your control.
This does not include cases like:
A customer cancelling their order
No courier being available
This means your rate reflects what you can improve through your daily operations.
What causes orders to be cancelled
Most cancellations happen for a few common reasons:
Orders are not confirmed in time
Pre-orders are missed after opening
Items are unavailable but still shown on your assortment
Opening hours are incorrect
Orders are accepted when the venue is too busy to fulfill them
Technical or POS issues (for integrated setups)
The key is to spot these early and build simple routines to avoid them.
Best practices to avoid cancellations
1. Review your cancellations regularly
Start by understanding why your orders were cancelled in your Merchant Portal.
You can see which orders were rejected and the reasons behind them. This helps you quickly spot patterns and focus on what to fix.
Make this part of your routine, so you can catch issues early and prevent them from repeating.
2. Confirm orders as soon as they come in
Orders that aren’t accepted in time are automatically rejected.
Make sure your setup supports quick responses:
Ensure a stable internet connection
Set notifications loud enough to notice
3. Keep your assortment up to date
Customers expect what they see to be available.
Mark items as out of stock immediately
Keep your menu accurate throughout the day
Use POS syncing if available
Review items that often run out and plan ahead
4. Keep your opening hours accurate
If your store appears open when it’s not, orders may be cancelled.
Update your opening hours regularly
Adjust for holidays or special days
Go offline if you’re unable to accept orders
To update your hours:
Log in to the Merchant Portal
Select “Business details” in the left navigation menu
Go to “Special hours” and click “+Add special hours”
5. Manage busy periods carefully
Busy periods are a good sign, but they can lead to cancellations if you’re not prepared.
If your store is open, aim to accept and complete incoming orders, even if it means slightly longer wait times for in-store customers.
To stay in control:
If you expect to be too busy, go offline temporarily by tapping the venue status button and choose to close for 30 minutes, 1 hour, or until your next scheduled opening
If the same busy periods happen every day, adjust your opening hours
It’s better to pause orders in advance than accept and cancel them later.
6. Check pre-orders after opening
Some orders are placed in advance and are easy to miss.
Review scheduled orders when you open
Accept them within the first 30 minutes after opening
Make this part of your daily routine
7. Handle unavailable items effectively
If part of an order is unavailable, you don’t always need to cancel everything.
Offer a suitable substitution (if suitable for your business)
Fulfill the rest of the order when possible
This helps you save the order and keep the customer happy.
8. Keep your systems running smoothly
Technical issues can lead to cancelled orders.
Monitor your POS connection (if integrated)
Check for syncing issues
Keep your device powered and connected
Quick wins to avoid cancellations today
Start with these simple actions:
Confirm orders as soon as they come in
Check for scheduled orders after opening
Mark unavailable items as out of stock in real time
Pause orders if you become too busy
Double-check your opening hours
Keep notifications on and your device charged
Turn fewer cancellations into more growth
Customers notice when orders arrive as expected. Fewer cancellations mean better ratings, more repeat customers, and stronger long-term performance of your business.
Consistency builds trust — and trust drives growth.
Need a hand?
If you have questions or need support, our team is always here to help. Reach out to the Merchant Support team via the Merchant Portal anytime.