> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.uplifter.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What's the difference between cancelling and refunding?

> Cancelling returns no money; refunding sends money back — which one you can do depends on the invoice's status.

<Note>
  **Must know**

  * **Cancel** returns no money; **Refund** returns money to the customer.
  * Open a **Draft**, **Unpaid**, or **Overdue** invoice and you'll see **Cancel invoice**; paid invoices show **Issue refund**. In the invoices list, a **Draft** shows **Delete** instead — that removes the draft for good.
  * Refunds apply to any invoice where money has moved — **Paid**, **Partially paid**, or already **Partially refunded**; once fully refunded the invoice shows **Refunded**.
  * Refunding a paid line defaults to **Cancel & refund** (ends the linked registration); switch to **Refund only** to return the money and keep it active.
</Note>

Both actions end a charge — the difference is whether money changes hands.

**Cancelling** voids a charge that hasn't been paid, or removes a line without sending money back. No funds move. On a draft or unpaid invoice, **Cancel invoice** voids the whole thing — or you can tick individual lines and cancel just those. On a paid invoice, you cancel a line by entering **\$0.00** for it in the refund dialog.

**Refunding** returns money the customer already paid. It's only possible once money has moved on the invoice (**Paid**, **Partially paid**, or already **Partially refunded**), and it always works line by line — you choose which items to refund and how much for each.

Which button you see depends on the invoice's status:

* **Draft / Unpaid / Overdue** (nothing paid yet) → open the invoice and you'll see **Cancel invoice**, which voids it; no money moves. In the invoices list, a **Draft** offers **Delete** instead — that permanently removes the draft rather than voiding it.
* **Paid / Partially paid** → **Issue refund**. Opens the line-item refund dialog, where you can either return money or cancel a line for \$0.00.

In the refund dialog, the default **Cancel & refund** (and cancelling specific lines on an unpaid invoice) also cancels the enrollment, registration, or order those lines paid for; **Refund only** returns the money and leaves those records active. The customer gets an email whenever money is refunded to their payment method; a refund recorded as handled in cash outside the platform doesn't send one. When a cancellation ends an athlete's whole enrollment, the family is also emailed a **Program Cancellation** notice — a locked system default you can view under your notification settings but not edit or turn off. (A family already getting the refund email for that same cancellation won't also get a separate notice.) A \$0.00 cancel of a store-product line is silent. The whole-invoice **Cancel invoice** button works differently — it just voids the invoice and clears the charge from the family's balance, touching no enrollment and sending no notification.

**Related:** [How do I refund a paid invoice?](/club/refunds-cancellations/how-do-i-refund-a-paid-invoice) · [Cancel a line item without refunding](/club/refunds-cancellations/how-do-i-cancel-a-line-item-without-refunding) · [How do I cancel an unpaid invoice?](/club/refunds-cancellations/how-do-i-cancel-an-unpaid-invoice) · [Which purchases can I refund?](/club/refunds-cancellations/which-purchases-can-i-refund)