# Voids, Cancellations and Captured Payments

> Use the payment's actual state to decide whether to cancel an authorisation, void an eligible payment or refund collected money. An order cancellation alone does not complete the financial action.

- Type: Merchant guide
- Level: Intermediate
- Reading time: About 4 minutes
- Audience: Written for store owners, builders, and designers refining high-performance ecommerce stores.
- Last updated: 2026-11-04
- Canonical page: https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/voids-cancellations-and-captured-payments/
- Part of: [Merchant Questions](https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/) on ZenBasket Academy

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## What you need to know

### What's the difference between voiding and refunding a payment?

Voiding generally cancels an eligible payment before collection is completed; refunding returns money after collection. Providers use these labels differently. Choose the operation from the provider's actual payment state, not just from the order's cancellation status.

### When should a payment be voided instead of refunded?

Use a supported void or authorisation cancellation when the payment is still eligible and the order will not proceed. If funds have already been captured, check the provider's refund or reversal path instead. Do not promise immediate disappearance of a bank hold.

### Can an authorized payment be cancelled before capture?

Often yes for supported card authorisation flows, before capture and within the provider's permitted state. Confirm the cancellation result and explain that the customer's bank controls how quickly a pending hold disappears from view.

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## Frequently asked questions

### What happens when an order is cancelled after payment capture?

Stop fulfilment where still possible and process the applicable refund against the captured transaction. If goods have already shipped, manage the delivery or return separately. Cancelling an order label does not retrieve dispatched goods or automatically return money.

### How should cancelled orders and payments stay synchronised?

Use a linked record showing the requested order cancellation and the payment action's result. If the financial action fails or is pending, keep an exception open and notify the responsible team. Inventory release should follow the actual fulfilment situation.

## Related articles

- **Authorization, Capture and Settlement**
- **Ecommerce Refunds and Partial Refunds**
- **Keeping Payment and Order Status in Sync**
- [ZenBasket Build Guide](https://help.getzenbasket.com/zenbasket-builder/)