Managing cancellations is an important part of using Fiverr. Both clients and freelancers can request to cancel an active order through the Resolution Center when issues arise. This article explains the types of cancellations, how to cancel an order, and how cancellations can affect a freelancer's performance.
Before you begin
- Both clients and freelancers can access the Resolution Center from the right side of the order page.
- The Resolution Center is used for orders that have not yet been completed. If you need to cancel a completed order, contact Customer Support.
- Cancellations should always be treated as a last resort.
Types of cancellations
There are several types of cancellations on Fiverr, depending on who initiates the request and when.
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If an order is marked as very late (24 or more hours past the delivery deadline), a client can request to cancel. If the freelancer has already worked on the order, a cancellation at this stage may result in the freelancer not receiving payment.
Freelancers: Learn more about meeting your deadlines with Avoiding late deliveries.
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Sometimes cancellations are the best way to resolve an ongoing order issue. If a freelancer requests to cancel, the client has 48 hours to respond. If the client does not respond within 48 hours, the order is automatically canceled.
Freelancers: Before contacting Customer Support, always use the order page (to request more time or add an extra) or Cancel an order with the Resolution Center to work things out with your client.
- If issues arise after a freelancer has accepted an order, both clients and freelancers can request a mutual cancellation through the Resolution Center. Once a request is submitted, the other party has up to 48 hours to accept or decline. If there is no response after 48 hours, the order is automatically canceled.
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In some situations, clients can cancel an order without needing approval from the freelancer:
- Before submitting project requirements: If you placed an order and have not yet submitted your project requirements, you can cancel immediately through the Resolution Center. This option is available on the Fiverr website only, not the app.
- Very late delivery: If the freelancer has not delivered and there was no mutual agreement to extend the delivery date, clients can cancel without approval after 24 hours past the expected delivery date.
Note: Freelancers cannot force-cancel orders. The client must approve the freelancer's cancellation request, or the order is automatically canceled after 48 hours.
How to cancel an order
Both clients and freelancers can request a cancellation through the Resolution Center on the order page. To access the Resolution Center:
- Go to your Orders page and select the order you want to resolve (click View).
- Click Resolution Center, located on the right side of the page.
Learn more with Cancel an order with the Resolution Center.
Note: Once you send a cancellation request, the client has 48 hours to accept or decline. If the client does not respond, the order is automatically canceled.
Canceling an order with an open dispute
If you want to cancel an order with an open dispute, you need to withdraw the dispute first on the Orders page. After withdrawing the dispute, you can submit a cancellation request.
You cannot open a new dispute or submit a new request while any of the following actions are in progress:
- Get an order update
- Cancel order
- Extend delivery date (for freelancers)
If you cannot resolve the issue together, contact Customer Support.
Canceling a completed order
If the order is in completed status, you cannot use the Resolution Center to cancel it. Contact Customer Support for help.
After your order is canceled
Once your order is successfully canceled, here are a few options to help you move forward:
- Pick a different freelancer from a personalized recommendations list: Fiverr provides you with a personalized list of freelancer recommendations on your Orders page to help you complete your project and make finding the right freelancer easier.
- Get personalized offers by posting a project brief: Post your project brief and receive tailored offers from relevant freelancers. Review your offers, choose the best fit, and get the results you need. Learn more about personalized offers for clients.
Cancellations & performance for freelancers
When Fiverr evaluates a freelancer's performance, all cancellations are taken into account. Some cancellations are unavoidable and have a lower impact on performance scores.
Order Completion Rate
Order completion refers to the successful conclusion of an order, where a client receives and approves the service they ordered. Your Order Completion Rate (OCR) is part of your overall Success Score, alongside other performance factors. Cancellations can impact your performance, but they are just one factor in your overall Success Score.
For more information, see the Success Score article.
OCR impact by scenario:
- Orders canceled by the client before they submit their project requirements: no impact on the freelancer's OCR.
- Very late orders force-canceled by the client: the freelancer's OCR is affected.
- Orders in which the freelancer submits the cancellation request: the freelancer's OCR is affected.
Note: Keeping a steady Order Completion Rate helps you build strong client relationships and grow your business on Fiverr.
Tips to avoid cancellations for freelancers
While cancellations are sometimes unavoidable, taking a proactive approach before and during an order can help prevent them and improve your Order Completion Rate.
Set yourself up before an order starts
- Be clear about the pricing and scope of your Gig. Only offer services you are qualified to deliver.
- Accurately display your latest and original work on your Gig page.
- Communicate all necessary details in your Gig description, requirements, and extras in advance.
- If a client is unresponsive from the start, initiate a mutual cancellation through the Resolution Center.
Stay on top of your orders
- Communicate with your client throughout the order. If you are unsure about the project, contact your client for clarification.
- Set realistic delivery times. If you often feel the need to cancel because you are too busy, give yourself more time to deliver or ask to extend the delivery date.
- If you need to change the delivery date or add extra services, use the order page to modify the order instead of canceling. You can extend the delivery date or offer more extras directly from the order page.
- If you require more time to deliver, communicate this clearly with your client through the order chat, and then use the Resolution Center if necessary.
Manage your availability
- If you know you will not be able to work on your Gig, pause it. Reactivate it when you are available so clients know you can complete it.
- Use the Availability feature to manage your schedule:
- Set the time and date you will be away.
- Add a short note explaining your availability.
- Activate the feature. It deactivates automatically at the end of your leave period.
- Start with your simplest orders first. For larger projects, start earlier than you normally would.
- If you find yourself pausing your Gig often, consider limiting your order intake to avoid getting overbooked.
Learn more with Setting Availability for freelancers.
Note: Delivering an empty message or sending incomplete work to avoid a late delivery is a violation of Fiverr's Terms of Service and may result in your account being reviewed.
FAQs
- Go to your Orders page, select the order, and click Resolution Center. Click Cancel order, enter a message, select a reason, and click Send Request. The other party has 48 hours to accept or decline. If they do not respond, the order is automatically canceled.
- Yes, in two situations: if the client has not yet submitted their project requirements, or if the order is very late (24 or more hours past the delivery deadline). In both cases, the client can cancel without the freelancer's approval. The option to cancel before submitting requirements is available on the Fiverr website only, not the app.
- No. If a client cancels before submitting their project requirements, the cancellation does not impact the freelancer's Order Completion Rate.
- Yes. Cancellations are factored into the freelancer's Order Completion Rate and overall Success Score. Some unavoidable cancellations have a lower impact. For more details, see the Success Score article.
- If your client is unresponsive, you can initiate a mutual cancellation through the Resolution Center on the order page.
- You can extend the delivery date directly from the order page. If you need to cancel, communicate with your client through the order chat first, and then use the Resolution Center if necessary.
- No. Freelancers cannot force-cancel an order. The client must approve the cancellation request, or the order is automatically canceled after 48 hours.
- You need to withdraw the open dispute first from your Orders page. Once withdrawn, you can submit a cancellation request.
- You cannot cancel a completed order through the Resolution Center. Contact Customer Support for help.
- Delivering an empty message or incomplete work to avoid late delivery is a violation of Fiverr's Terms of Service. This may result in the freelancer's account being reviewed.