Why Does Walmart Keep Canceling My Order

Nothing is more frustrating than spending the time to place an online order for a store like Walmart.com and then receiving an email that the order was canceled a few hours later. The typical cancelation email Walmart sends usually does not offer a lot of explanation on why the order needs to be canceled. Still, there is usually a rational reason this happens. 

Walmart always wants to fulfill any online order, but circumstances are often outside their control that prevents the orders from going through. 

The most common reason an online order is canceled from Walmart is that the item you ordered is no longer in stock.

Although items being out of stock is the most common cause of canceled orders, sometimes more can be at play. Read on to learn about all the different factors that go into an order being canceled and what you can do as a customer to prevent this from happening. 

Additional Reasons Walmart May Be Cancelling Your Order

An order can be canceled for pretty much any reason. However, retailers don’t enjoy putting their customers through those inconveniences. Let’s go into all the reasons below. Something like this may happen so you can better understand the issue.

Items Out Of Stock Or Sold Out 

With all e-commerce retailers, there can be a certain amount of lag time in the inventory system, so an item might still show up as being available online when it is sold out. 

Sometimes it takes a little time for their backend systems to update, so your order might have gone through in the period prior to an item being marked as sold out. There can be glitches with technology, so it might seem like you can still order the item online, but you will keep getting the cancelation email once the order is processed. 

Your Item Is No Longer Sold By The Retailer

Another reason your order might be canceled is because the retailer no longer sells the product. Occasionally there will be items listed online that should not be. When the retailer processes the order, they will realize they do not have that inventory available to ship to you. 

This happens more often when a retailer sells products developed by a third party, as this requires more communication and coordination to keep the inventory up to date. 

Declined Payment

Walmart might also keep canceling your online order if your payment method is being declined. When you enter your credit card information at checkout, Walmart’s system may not immediately know if a card was declined or if information in the payment section doesn’t match.

This can happen because your credit card was declined and cannot be used for future transactions, or sometimes there may be a typo preventing your card from going through. It can sometimes take a few hours for the backend systems to validate this information, so your payment might initially look like it went through when it did not. 

If you receive a cancelation email from Walmart that doesn’t expressly state why the order was canceled, start by double-checking that all of your billing information is accurate. 

If that information looks good, it is safe to assume that the order could not be processed due to inventory issues on Walmart’s side. If you suspect a bigger glitch or problem with their online ordering system, consider doing an online chat or calling your local store to see if they can be of further assistance. 

Your Address Can’t Be Verified

Walmart.com may also cancel an order if the shipping address you entered cannot be verified. If the address you submitted does not match an address one of their shipping carriers can deliver to, they are likely to mark the order as undeliverable.

Walmart does this so that they do not waste time and money trying to deliver packages to homes that do not exist. 

Your Order Was Flagged As Fraud 

If an online transaction is marked as suspicious by either your bank or the retailer, the order will likely be canceled before it is processed.

In some cases, this may be a good thing if fraudulent activity occurs. If that is not the case, you may need to contact Walmart to confirm your identity and card information before the order can be processed again. 

Item Cannot Be Sold in Your Area

Depending on local state laws, there may be certain items that are not allowed to be delivered from an online order. Your order may have initially gone through before it was flagged that the item being ordered cannot be sold in your city or state. If this is the case, you may have to visit the store to purchase your item in person.

What To Do If Your Order Keeps Getting Cancelled

Call the Support Team

Walmart should have a phone number listed in the cancelation email they send you that you can call to speak to a representative about your issue. Often speaking to someone on the phone is the most direct way to get to the bottom of the issue. 

Email the Help Line 

Walmart should also provide an email address that you can contact to rectify any problems with your order. If you explain your issue and provide your order number, they will respond with additional information for you. 

Conduct an Online Chat 

Many online retailers now offer an online chat feature, which will immediately put you in a chat conversation with a Walmart staff support member. They will ask questions about your order to help resolve your order cancellation issues. 

Visit a Store 

Consider visiting your nearest store to talk to someone in person about the issues you are experiencing with your online orders getting canceled. There is also a chance the item you are ordering online may be in stock at the store, so you may be able to leave with the product you were looking to order. 

Other Things To Consider 

How long does it take to get a refund on a canceled order?

In some instances, if your order is canceled immediately after you check out online, likely, your purchase had not hit your credit card or bank account yet, so the transaction will not go through at all. If the transaction does hit your account, it typically takes around two business days for a refund to appear on your bank statement. 

How quickly will I know if my order was canceled? 

Walmart will send you an email informing you that your order was canceled or could not be processed in the next couple of days after placing your order. Usually, you will receive the email within a few hours of placing the order, but occasionally it may take a few days. They will always let you know your order was canceled before the item has shipped.