Being able to place orders online is a quick and convenient way to shop, but by replacing in-person interactions with digital technology, we’ve opened up a whole new host of retail issues when orders go awry.
Walmart has a reputation for making transactions quick and easy, and for going out of its way to accommodate the customer. But what happens if you see “cancellation pending” on your online order? Here’s what you need to know.
Key Takeaways
Walmart Cancellation Pending In 2022
Walmart’s “cancellation pending” occurs after the customer or the Walmart store cancels the order. In most cases, the “cancellation pending” notification is due to Walmart not having the product in stock or a product listing error. Unfortunately, there is no way to undo this and refunds take 1 week after the order has been canceled.
Let’s investigate further what the cancellation pending status means, how you can resolve it, why Walmart sometimes cancels orders, and when you can expect to get your money back. Keep reading!
What Does Walmart Cancellation Pending Mean?
When you see your order marked as “cancellation pending” that means one of three things:
- You purposely canceled the order because you no longer wanted the items
- you accidentally canceled the order
- Walmart has canceled the order on its end.
Whatever the case, cancellation pending indicates that the request is in the process of being approved, and unfortunately, it’s just a matter of time until the cancellation is complete.
Why Was Your Walmart Order Cancelled?
Walmart lists a variety of reasons for why they cancel an order on their end. These include:
- Limits on available quantities – If you ordered too much of an item, and it somehow got past Walmart upon purchase, they can go back and cancel the order.
- An item is out of stock – We’ve all been there: You excitedly order something, especially after seeing that there are only one or two in stock, only to find out that the website isn’t up-to-date and the item has sold out.
If it was the only thing you purchased and it’s sold out, Walmart will cancel the order.
- Price or other listing errors – Again, websites aren’t foolproof, they’re the product of human handling. Walmart might find that a price has been mis-listed or the item isn’t what the product description says.
To avoid a loss or overcharge, or to ensure that the customer doesn’t feel they have been deceived, Walmart may cancel the order altogether.
How Do You Resolve A Walmart Cancellation Pending?
How you resolve a Walmart cancellation pending situation depends on what resolution you would like to see.
If you purposely canceled the order because you no longer want the items, you simply wait until the cancellation has been processed.
If you accidentally canceled the order or Walmart canceled the order on their end, you will, unfortunately, have to accept the cancellation. They cannot be undone once initiated.
If Walmart canceled because of a price or product description mishap, you could perhaps wait to see if the listing gets updated and repurchase later (see below for how the refunds work).
If they are out of an item for pick-up, you could try searching for it at a different location and purchasing from there.
If you accidentally canceled because you clicked on the button without meaning to, your only option is to add all the items to your cart again (this can be done easily from your order history) and make the repurchase.
When Will Walmart Refund You After A Cancellation?
Per Walmart’s FAQ page, Walmart shoppers can expect to see the money back in their account, or the pending charges hold removed, within a week of the cancellation.
It seems unfair that retailers can take our money instantly, at the click of a mouse, yet when it comes time for them to give it back, it can take days.
For some online orders, like pick-ups (where you have arranged to go get your order from the store of your choice), the money is withdrawn pretty automatically.
How long it takes to get back to you can depend on your bank – some work slower than others.
For online orders where you are having an item delivered, you actually aren’t charged until the item ships.
So until that point, your funds are considered “pending charges” – you might see the total amount marked as such in your bank account, or you might see a small dollar amount.
In this case, the money hasn’t actually been withdrawn, but it is still being set aside or ear-marked for the purchase.
When an order is canceled, Walmart will “remove the temporary hold on your account right away.”
However, It can take the same amount of time as a refund for your bank to process Walmart’s “return” of the money and remove the pending hold.
Now that you know about Walmart’s cancellation pending, you can also read our related posts on Walmart pre-order policy, how to cancel a Walmart order, and what happens if you don’t pick up Walmart orders.
Conclusion
While Walmart’s cancellation pending is like a “waiting room” until finalized cancellation, and it cannot be undone once initiated either by the store or by you, you still have options for receiving the items you wanted.