Quick answer: Open Instacart Orders, select your active order, choose Help > Cancel order and confirm. Instacart says cancellation is generally free before a shopper accepts the order; after acceptance a fee up to $15 may apply.
Timing is central to order cancellation. A retailer may be able to stop an order before processing, but a packed, customized or dispatched item may instead require a return.
Step-by-step cancellation instructions
- Open the Instacart app and tap the Account icon, then Orders.
- Select the grocery order you need to cancel.
- Tap Help, then Cancel order.
- Choose a reason and tap Save to submit.
- On a computer, use Your Orders > View order detail > Help > Cancel order, then confirm.
Before an order ships or enters production
The shopping stage matters. The updated Instacart help instructions distinguish orders that have not been accepted by a shopper from those already accepted or being shopped. Some custom-made or prepared items have special deadlines and might not be canceled within 24–48 hours of fulfillment depending on the retailer. For a retailer-specific example, see Mizuno order cancellation guide, which covers requesting cancellation before fulfillment begins.
Fees, refunds and effective dates
Instacart’s current help page says canceling after a shopper accepts your order can produce a $15 fee. Its broader terms note that some already purchased items may be nonrefundable. Before confirming, check the actual fee presented and whether an authorization hold differs from the final settled charge.
If cancellation fails or the option is missing
When shopping has started and the cancel control is missing, use Get help or contact customer experience from the order. If you merely want a later delivery time, Instacart may offer rescheduling before shopping starts, rather than cancellation.
Check the order status after requesting cancellation
An unshipped order and an order already prepared or dispatched may have different outcomes. Recheck the retailer’s order status for an actual canceled state; if the package has shipped, use the seller’s return procedure rather than assuming your earlier request reversed fulfillment. If an order has already shipped, see the Philips shipped-order guide, which explains using the return procedure after processing.