Here’s a situation you may have found yourself in. You place an order on Uber Eats, then realize you made a mistake and need to cancel it. Perhaps you didn’t order the right items. Or maybe you entered the wrong delivery address. Or maybe the order is taking too long to arrive. Whatever the reason, you’re asking yourself how to cancel an Uber Eats order.
In this post, I’ll walk you through how to cancel an Uber Eats order. We’ll look at canceling an order from two perspectives. The first is if you’re a customer looking to cancel an order that you placed. If this is you, you probably care most about whether you’ll be able to get a refund.
The second is if you’re an Uber Eats delivery driver and you want to cancel an order that you’ve already accepted. This is not a problem so long as you haven’t picked up the order already and you cancel the order relatively quickly.
Here’s some more detail on how to cancel an Uber Eats order as both a customer and a delivery driver.
How To Cancel An Uber Eats Order As A Customer
Canceling an Uber Eats order when you’re a customer isn’t difficult. To cancel your order, you’ll need to go to your order in the Uber Eats app, then click on the help screen. From there, you’ll find an option to cancel your order.
The only thing you’ll need to think about when canceling an order is whether you’ll get a refund. When it comes to getting a refund on Uber Eats, speed is the name of the game. If you cancel your order immediately after you place it, you’ll likely automatically get a full refund. Indeed, after you place an order, Uber Eats gives you 10 seconds to cancel the order before it’s finalized and goes to the restaurant. Pay attention that you placed the correct order because this is your last chance to cancel without penalty.
Once the order is confirmed, it gets sent to the restaurant. At this point, your chances of being able to cancel your order and get a refund drop dramatically. If you contact Uber immediately. you might have a chance of getting a refund. But if you wait even 20 or 30 seconds, you’ll find yourself getting a message saying you won’t get a refund if you cancel. I’ve found that if you message customer service and explain to them what’s going on, they’ll usually be able to cancel the order and give you a refund. It’s not a guarantee, but it’s your only hope if you’ve waited too long.
The good thing is you don’t have to guess to see if you’ll get a refund. Before you cancel an order, Uber Eats will give you a popup telling you whether or not you’ll receive a refund and asking you to confirm you want to cancel the order.
In short, always double-check your order carefully during the 10-second grace period after you’ve placed your order. If you cancel after this point, you’ll have a harder time getting a refund.
Getting Partial Refunds On Uber Eats
A common situation you might find yourself in is when part of your order is missing. A lot of the time, the restaurant might have forgotten to pack an item or the driver forgot to grab an item from the restaurant.
The good thing here is that Uber Eats will automatically refund you for any missing items in your order. If you find that your order is missing some items, simply go to your order screen, click on the order that has an issue, then click the “get help” button.
From there, you’ll see various options you can select. Choose “wrong or missing items.” You can then provide information on what items are missing from your order. Uber Eats will usually automatically refund the missing items if you request the refund immediately.
Canceling Delayed Uber Eats Orders
Another common situation is when an order is delayed. Uber Eats gives you two delivery times when you place an order – the expected delivery time and the latest delivery time. In some circumstances, the order might not make it by the latest delivery time.
If that happens, you’ll be able to go into the Uber Eats app and mark that you have an issue with your order being delayed. Uber Eats will then give you the option to cancel the order and receive a full refund.
Before you cancel the order, Uber Eats will also give you the option to receive some Uber Eats credits in exchange for keeping the order. The value will typically be 20% of the order total.
I generally opt to keep the order and take the Uber cash. That way, I can use it for future orders. To me, if I already ordered the food, I’ll just wait for it, but I understand not everyone thinks the same way I do. The important thing to remember her is that if your order is running late and won’t make it to you by the latest delivery time, message Uber Eats, say you’d like to cancel your order, then agree to keep the order for the 20% compensation.
How To Cancel An Uber Eats Order As A Driver
If you’re an Uber Eats driver, you might be wondering whether you can cancel an order that you’ve already accepted. The short answer is, yes, you can cancel an Uber Eats order after you’ve accepted it. Indeed, it can be a smart move to cancel orders. The most common reason to cancel an Uber Eats order that you’ve accepted is if you get to the restaurant and discover it has an unreasonably long wait. Another reason you might cancel an order is if the order is going in a direction that you don’t want to go or you accidentally accepted the order.
To cancel an Uber Eats order as a delivery driver, here’s what you do:
First, go to the order, then click the three dots next to the restaurant name.
In the order status screen, click “report issue.”
This will bring up several issues you can report. All of these will cancel the order and it doesn’t matter which reason you pick. I usually pick “excessive wait time” or “I don’t want to do delivery.”
You’ll then go to a screen that allows you to cancel the order.
One concern a lot of Uber Eats drivers have is whether canceling orders that you’ve accepted can lead to you getting deactivated. The good news is that it doesn’t. Unlike DoorDash, Uber Eats does not track your completion rate, and canceling orders that you’ve accepted doesn’t impact your delivery status.
There are two caveats though. The most important thing is to make sure you only cancel orders before you pick them up. If you’ve already picked up the order, then you should make sure you deliver it. If you cancel an order that you’ve already picked up, Uber Eats will tell you to keep the order or dispose of it, which means the customer gets their order canceled and no one else can deliver it.
You can see why this can be a problem. When you cancel an order that you haven’t picked up yet, Uber Eats sends the order to another driver, who will then (hopefully) deliver it to the customer. By contrast, if you cancel an order that you’ve already picked up, you keep the food and no one can deliver it. If you do this too many times, you’re bound to face negative consequences.
The second caveat if you’re going to cancel an Uber Eats order is to do it soon after you accept the order. Again, this comes down to making sure that other drivers can deliver the order on time. The faster you cancel the order, the faster someone else can pick it up.
So, long story short. Yes, you can cancel an Uber Eats order that you’ve already accepted. Just do it before you’ve picked up the order and try to do it as soon as you can so that someone else can deliver the order.
Final Thoughts
Canceling an Uber Eats order is a straightforward process. Whether you are a customer or a delivery driver, your best bet is to cancel the order as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more problems you’ll likely have.
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Check out these other ebikes and scooters I've reviewed:
- Urban Arrow Ebike – Last year, I made one of the largest purchases I’ve ever made – I bought a $9,000 electric cargo bike from Urban Arrow. In my Urban Arrow review, I will discuss what it is and why I decided to buy this bike, as well as discuss how impactful a bike like this can be on your journey to financial independence.
- Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Ebike – The Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is a fat-tire ebike that I’ve had the pleasure of riding for a while now. It has amazing power, great looks, and awesome range. If you’re looking for a great fat-tire ebike that offers a lot for the price, the Troxus Explorer Step-Thru is definitely one for you to consider. Check out my Troxus Explorer Step-Thru Review.
- Hovsco HovBeta Ebike – The HovBeta is a folding ebike with great specs and a lot of interesting features, and importantly, it’s sold at a good price point. I’ve had a blast commuting with it and using it to do deliveries with DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. Check out my Hovsco HovBeta Ebike Review.
- Vanpowers Manidae Ebike – The Vanpowers Manidae is a fat tire ebike that I’ve been riding as my primary winter commuting bike and have also been using it to do food delivery with apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. After clocking in a decent number of miles with this ebike, I wanted to write a post sharing what my experience with the Vanpowers Manidae ebike has been like. Check out my Vanpowers Manidae Review.
- Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding EBike Review – A Great Value Folding Ebike – The Sohamo S3 Step-Thru Folding Ebike is an entry-level folding ebike that offers a lot of value for the price point. I’ve been riding the Sohamo S3 for a while now, putting the bike through its paces, and I have to say, this bike has exceeded all of my expectations. Check out my Sohamo Review.
- KBO Flip Ebike – The KBO Flip is an excellent bike. I’ve had a great time riding it and think it’s a versatile bike that can be used for a lot of purposes and can fit a variety of lifestyles. It’s worked out great for me as a general commuter bike and as a food delivery bike. Check out my KBO Flip Review.
- Hiboy P7 Commuter Ebike – The Hiboy P7 is an excellent electric commuter bike that’s offered at an affordable price point. The range and speed of this bike are both very good, so you won’t have any trouble getting anywhere you need to go with it. As a food delivery vehicle, this is also good – with how much range it offers, you’ll be able to work all day on a single charge. Check out my Hiboy P7 Commuter Electric Bike Review.
- Himiway Escape Ebike – The Himiway Escape is an interesting bike for anyone looking for a moped-style ebike. If you’re a gig economy worker, the Himiway Escape is particularly interesting and it’s possible to think of it as an investment, especially if you can opt to do deliveries with the Himiway versus using a car. It’s not cheap, but you can definitely make your money back when you compare the mileage you’ll put on your car versus using an ebike. Check out my Himiway Escape Bike Review.
- Espin Sport Ebike – The Espin Sport is a good ebike for someone who is looking for an ebike that feels and rides more like a regular bike. There are many ebikes that are really only bikes in name. In reality, they’re basically electric mopeds. The Espin Sport, by contrast, is a bike you could probably ride without the battery and you’d feel like you’re just riding a regular bike. Check out my Espin Sport Review.
- Varla Eagle One Scooter – The Varla Eagle One is an excellent scooter that can make sense for a lot of people. It can work as a primary mode of transportation. You can use it to work on gig economy apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub. And it can also be a recreational vehicle if you’d prefer to use it for that. Check out my Varla Eagle One Review.
- Varla Falcon Scooter – The Varla Falcon is an excellent scooter that offers a good amount of power at a lower price point compared to more powerful scooters. It’s not exactly an entry-level scooter, nor is it a high-powered scooter. I think it fits somewhere in-between those two categories – an intermediate scooter if I had to give it a category. Check out my Varla Falcon Review.
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- Hiboy S2R Scooter – The Hiboy S2R is one of the more interesting electric scooters I’ve been able to test out. It’s not a high-powered scooter, but for an everyday transport option, it’s very useful, especially given some of the unique features that it has. Indeed, for the price, the Hiboy S2R might be the best value scooter I’ve used. Check out my Hiboy S2R Review.
- Fucare H3 Scooter – The Fucare H3 is a fun scooter and I’ve enjoyed testing it out. For a daily commuter or quick trips or errands, the Fucare H3 is probably the scooter I’ll use. It’s portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s just easier to take on the road when I need it. Check out my Fucare H3 Scooter Review.
More Recommended Investing App Bonuses
For additional investing app bonuses, be sure to check out the ones below:
- M1 Finance ($100) – This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account. Check out my M1 Finance Referral Bonus – Step-By-Step Guide.
- SoFi Invest ($25) – SoFi Invest is an easy brokerage account bonus that you can earn with just a few minutes of work. Use my SoFi Invest referral link, fund your SoFi Invest brokerage account with just $10 and you’ll get $25 of free stock. I also have a step-by-step guide for the SoFi Invest referral bonus.
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- Robinhood (1 free stock) – Robinhood gives you a free stock valued between $2.50-$225 if you open an account using my referral link.
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If you’re looking for more easy bank bonuses, check out the below options. These bonuses are all easy to earn and have no fees or minimum balance requirements to worry about.
- Upgrade ($200) – Upgrade is a free checking account that’s currently offering a $200 referral bonus if you open an account and complete a direct deposit. These bonus terms are easy to meet, so it’s well worth doing this bonus as soon as you can. Here’s a post I wrote with more details: Upgrade $200 Referral Bonus – Step By Step Directions.
- Ally Bank ($100) – Of all the banks out there, Ally is, without a doubt, my favorite. At the moment, Ally is offering $100 to customers who open an eligible Ally account and meet the requirements. Here are the step-by-step directions to earn your Ally Bank referral bonus.
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- Chime ($100) - Chime is a free bank account that offers a referral bonus if you use a referral link and complete a direct deposit of $200 or more. In practice, any ACH transfer into this account triggers the bonus. This bonus is easy to earn and posts instantly, so you’ll know if you met the requirements as soon as you move money into the account. I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to earn your Chime referral bonus that I recommend you check out.
- US Bank Business ($800) – This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, since there are no direct deposit requirements. In addition, you can open the Silver Business Checking account, which comes with no monthly fees. Check out how to earn this big bonus here.
- Fifth Third Bank ($200) – This offer is limited to customers in the following states: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia, and South Carolina. If you don’t live in one of those states, you won’t be able to open an account online but you can still open an account in-branch if you happen to be visiting a city that has a branch. This is a fairly easy bank bonus to earn, especially since there are plenty of data points showing what will trigger the direct deposit requirement. In addition, you can open the Fifth Third Momentum Checking bank account, which comes with no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements. Read my guide on this bonus here.
- GO2Bank ($50) - GO2Bank is an easy bank bonus that I recommend people take advantage of if they have an easy way of meeting the direct deposit requirement. I like that it’s easy to open the account and that the bonus pays out quickly. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your GO2Bank $50 referral bonus.
- Current ($50) – Current is a free fintech bank that’s offering new users a $50 referral bonus after signing up for an account using a referral link. Current is an easy bonus to earn and also gives you access to three savings accounts that pay you 4% interest on up to $2,000. That means you can put away up to $6,000 earning 4% interest. That’s very good and makes Current an account I recommend to everyone. Check out my step-by-step guide on how to earn your Current Bank bonus.
- Novo Bank ($40) - Novo bank is a free business checking account that’s currently offering a $40 bonus if you open a Novo business checking account using a referral link. In addition to being a good bank bonus, Novo is also a good business checking account. It has no monthly fees or minimum balance requirements and operates a good app and website. Indeed, it’s the business checking account I currently use for this blog. Check out my post on how to easily open a Novo account.
- Varo ($25) – Varo is a free fintech banking app similar to Chime or Current. It’s currently offering a $25 bonus to new users that open a new Varo account with a referral link. The bonus for this bank is very easy to meet, all you need to do is spend $20 within 30 days of opening your Varo account. Check out my step-by-step guide to learn how to earn this bonus.
Kevin is an attorney and the blogger behind Financial Panther, a blog about personal finance, travel hacking, and side hustling using the gig economy. He paid off $87,000 worth of student loans in just 2.5 years by choosing not to live like a big shot lawyer.
Kevin is passionate about earning money using the gig economy and you can see all the ways he makes extra income every month in his side hustle reports.
Kevin is also big on using the latest fintech apps to improve his finances. Some of Kevin's favorite fintech apps include:
- SoFi Money. A really good checking account with absolutely no fees. You'll get a $25 referral bonus if you open a SoFi Money account with a referral link, and an additional $300 if you complete a direct deposit.
- 5% Savings Accounts. I'm currently getting 5.24% interest on my savings through a company called Raisin. Opening a Raisin account takes minutes to complete, it's free, and all of your funds are FDIC-insured. I explain how it works, why I'm now using it to store my emergency fund and any other cash savings I have, and why I recommend everyone check it out in this review.
- US Bank Business. US Bank is currently offering new business customers a $800 signup bonus after opening a new account and meeting certain requirements.
- M1 Finance. This is a great robo-advisor that has no fees and allows you to create a customized portfolio based on your risk tolerance. You also get $100 for opening an account.
- Empower. One of best free apps you can use to monitor your portfolio and track your net worth. This is one of the apps I use to track my financial accounts.
Feel free to send Kevin a message here.
Thanks for sharing this helpful guide on how to cancel an Uber Eats order! I recently placed an order that I no longer need and was stressing about how to cancel it. Your step-by-step instructions were easy to follow and saved me a lot of time. Great job!