How to Cancel Apple Pay Payment on iPhone or iPad (iOS 15 Update)

Two ways to stop an Apple Pay payment before the recipient accepts it.

By Leanne Hays Updated 03/30/2022

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Apple Pay makes it easy for iPhone users to send money and receive it! But how do you cancel a cash app payment you've made with Apple Pay? Let's cover how to cancel an Apple Pay payment you made by mistake, or so that you don't have pending payments hanging out in your transaction history.

Why You'll Love This Tip

Learn how to cancel an Apple Pay transaction you accidentally sent to the wrong recipient.
Fix a payment in Apple Pay if you sent the wrong amount.
Cancel a payment that's been hanging around for too long, and use an alternative method to pay the recipient.

How to Cancel Apple Pay Transaction & Get a Refund on iPhone or iPad

Requesting and receiving money on your iPhone has been a possibility for a long time. Apps like Facebook, Venmo, Paypal, and even Snapchat have all helped iPhone owners with these transactions, but the easiest (and arguably the most secure) method to send money on iPhone is Apple Pay. However, sometimes human errors happen and you need to cancel an Apple Pay payment. We'll show you how, but keep in mind that you can only cancel an Apple Pay payment if the recipient has not yet accepted it. If they've accepted the money, you'll need to work with them to fix the situation. For more great Apple device tutorials, check out our free Tip of the Day! Here's how to cancel an Apple Pay payment:

Open the Messages app.
Open the thread in the Messages app and tap on the Apple Pay payment.
Tap on Cancel Payment.
When you go back into the Messages thread, you'll notice that the payment now says Canceled.
If you've deleted the message or can't find it, tap the Settings app.
Tap Wallet & Apple Pay.
Tap on the card you used to make the Apple Pay payment.
Tap the Transactions tab above Notifications
Tap the payment you want to cancel in the Latest Transactions list.
Tap on Cancel Payment.

When you go back into the Messages thread, you'll notice that the payment says Canceled. Once you cancel a payment, your card will be refunded within one to three business days. If the person has already accepted the payment, you won't be able to cancel it. If you need to dispute the Apple Pay charge, contact Apple. If you're interested, you can also learn how to cancel your Spotify subscription.

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Author Details

Leanne Hays

Leanne Hays is a Feature Writer at iPhone Life, and has written hundreds of in-depth how-to and troubleshooting articles. She's a former Associate Editor for iPhone Life magazine, and has written for the Iowa Source, as well as web content for education marketing. Leanne has an associate's degree in education, with a focus on curriculum development, as well as a bachelor's degree in science. She has over nine years of experience with SEO, social media management, and web development and writing. Despite years of web work, Leanne is by no means an early adapter; she's only owned a smartphone for five years, which makes her highly sympathetic to the learning curve of new iPhone owners. She enjoys making reader's lives easier and putting her education experience to work by walking them through the most practical ways to use Apple devices, step-by-step.

In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.

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