Invoicing & Payments · updated 2026-08-08

How to cancel an order and refund the customer in Dumpster Controls

Declining an order walks you through a two-step confirmation and, for orders paid by card online, automatically refunds the customer minus a cancellation fee. The action is permanent.

Before you start

• The order you want to cancel.
• A written reason of at least 10 characters (it is emailed to the customer).

1. Open "Decline Order"

   From the order's actions, choose "Decline Order". The dialog warns: "This action is irreversible". Once canceled, the order is removed from Dispatch and appears in Rental History as canceled.

2. Review the refund scenario

   For a card-paid order, a breakdown shows the "Original charge", the cancellation fee retained, and what the "Customer receives". A cash order shows "Cash Payment" (handle the refund directly with the customer), an unpaid order shows "No Payment Made", and if the payment was already refunded on Stripe the dialog says so and no new refund is issued. When a refund window applies, a "Refund window" countdown shows the time left.

3. Write the reason

   On the "Final Confirmation" step, fill "Reason for cancellation" (minimum 10 characters). The customer will receive this message by email.

4. Acknowledge and confirm

   For card refunds, also check the acknowledgment that a cancellation fee will be deducted from the customer's refund. Check "Yes, I confirm. Cancel this order now." and click "Confirm Cancellation".

What happens next

• For card payments, Stripe refunds the customer automatically; the amount returned is the gross paid minus the non-recoverable processing fees.
• The public invoice page is automatically blocked after a decline and the customer is notified by email and SMS.
• Declined orders and their refund breakdowns appear on the Your Money page under "If an order is declined".

Troubleshooting

The order was paid in cash. Does the app refund it?

No. The dialog tells you to handle any cash refund directly with the customer.

Related guides

• How to refund an extra charge in Dumpster Controls
• How to request a refund through support in Dumpster Controls
• How to track your money and payouts in Dumpster Controls

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