How to Cancel Apple Pay Payment on iPhone or iPad

* This article is from our Tip of the Day newsletter. . *

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 payment you accidentally sent to the wrong recipient or for 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 Payment on iPhone or iPad

System Requirements

This tip works on iPhones running iOS 16 and later, and iPads running iPadOS 16 or later.

Apple Pay is arguably the easiest and the most secure method to send money on iPhone. 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:

iPhone Life
Discover your iPhone's hidden features
Get a daily tip (with screenshots and clear instructions) so you can master your iPhone in just one minute a day.
  1. Open the thread in the Messages app and tap on the Apple Pay payment.

    screenshot of imessage with apple pay payment circled in red
  2. Tap Cancel Payment.

    apple payment info screen with cancel payment button circled in red
  3. If you've deleted the message or can't find it, open the Settings app, and tap Wallet & Apple Pay.

    iphone settings with wallet & apple pay circled in red
  4. Tap Apple Cash.

    wallet and apple pay settings with apple cash option circled in red
  5. Tap the Transactions tab if it isn't already selected.

    apple cash screen with transaction tab circled in red
  6. Tap the payment you want to cancel in the Latest Transactions list.

    apple cash transaction list with payment circled in red
  7. Tap Cancel Payment.

    apple payment info screen with cancel payment button circled in red
  8. When you go back into the Messages thread, you'll notice that the payment now says Canceled.

    imessage screen with apple pay box that now says "canceled" circled in red.

Note: If the recipient has already accepted the payment, you will not be able to cancel it. This includes if the recipient has auto-accept payments turned on, in which case, the payment will go through immediately. If you need to dispute the Apple Pay charge, you will need to contact Apple

Once you cancel an Apple Pay payment, your card will be refunded within one to three business days. Remember, Apple Pay works without internet so you can't rely on a bad signal to stop a payment. If you're interested, you can also learn how to cancel your Spotify subscription.

Master your iPhone in one minute a day: Sign up here to get our FREE Tip of the Day delivered right to your inbox.

Topics

Author Details

Leanne Hays's picture

Author Details

Leanne Hays

Leanne Hays has over a dozen years of experience writing for online publications. As a Feature Writer for iPhone Life, she has authored hundreds of how-to, Apple news, and gear review articles, as well as a comprehensive Photos App guide. Leanne holds degrees in education and science and loves troubleshooting and repair. This combination makes her a perfect fit as manager of our Ask an Expert service, which helps iPhone Life Insiders with Apple hardware and software issues.
In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.