Can You Cancel Unconfirmed Bitcoin Transactions? Yes, Here’s How (2024)

Every confirmed bitcoin transaction is irreversible. But is it possible to cancel unconfirmed bitcoin transactions?

Why Bitcoin Transactions Remain Unconfirmed

An unconfirmed bitcoin transaction occurs when a given transaction fails to receive a confirmation on the blockchain within 24 hours.

All bitcoin transactions must be confirmed by miners. They need a minimum of three confirmations to be considered fully confirmed.

There are two main reasons your bitcoin transaction may end up remaining unconfirmed.

  1. If the transaction is very recent, you may need to wait a little longer before receiving confirmation. Currently, even at its very quickest, it takes at least 10 minutes to confirm a BTC transaction.
  2. The fee for the transaction was not entirely included or was too low. One simple rule applies when it comes to bitcoin transactions: the smaller the amount, the lower its chances of a successful confirmation.

If you choose too minimal a transaction fee, it may not get confirmed by miners. If, after 24 hours, your transaction remains unconfirmed, here’s what you need to do.

Reversing Your Unconfirmed Bitcoin Transactions

Make absolutely sure that your transaction is unconfirmed before taking action. To start with, that means waiting for at least 24 hours. If there’s definitely no confirmation yet, use a block explorer like Blockchain.com to confirm that your TX is indeed unconfirmed.

As a public blockchain, it’s very easy to track your bitcoin transaction. Simply enter your transaction ID and track it through the block explorer.

Can You Cancel Unconfirmed Bitcoin Transactions? Yes, Here’s How (1)

Remember that transactions need a minimum of three confirmations before they are fully confirmed. If you see that your transaction has one or two confirmations, you will have no choice but to wait until it is validated by a third miner. The process has already begun.

If there are zero confirmations, you can go ahead and cancel the transaction. There are two ways of going about this:

  1. Use the Replace by Fee (RBF Protocol)
  2. Use the higher fee Double-Spend transaction

The RBF Protocol allows you to broadcast your bitcoin transaction to the network a second time with a higher fee to ensure that it gets picked up by miners. This will cancel your previous transaction and essentially create a new one.

However, note that not many wallets support the RBF Protocol, so be sure to check that your chosen BTC wallet does. To use the RBF Protocol simply select the option when you set the transaction as you’re sending out your bitcoin.

If RBF isn’t an option due to the wallet you use, you’ll need to go down the double spending route. This entails creating a new transaction the exact amount of the unconfirmed original. So, you basically just send the transaction again but select a higher fee this time.

Ensuring Your Transactions Are Confirmed

If you want to avoid this problem and ensure that your bitcoin transactions are confirmed each time, use the suggested TX fee setting found in most wallets. If you change it, you may choose a lower miner fee by accident that leads to an unconfirmed transaction.

Most wallets select the miner fee automatically to help you avoid waiting hours and hours for confirmation of your transaction and making sure it doesn’t get stuck in the Bitcoin block.

Have you tried replace-by-fee? Share your experiences below!

Images via Shutterstock

Can You Cancel Unconfirmed Bitcoin Transactions? Yes, Here’s How (2024)

FAQs

Can You Cancel Unconfirmed Bitcoin Transactions? Yes, Here’s How? ›

Yes, unconfirmed BTC transactions can be canceled if the blockchain does not approve a Bitcoin transaction within 24 hours. It is considered unconfirmed until at least three miners do not confirm every transaction via the mining process. If you don't get a confirmation within this time, you can cancel your transaction.

Can you cancel an unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction? ›

Due to the nature of digital currency protocols, transactions cannot be cancelled or altered once they are initiated. This is what allows merchants to accept digital currency without the risk of chargebacks.

Can a pending Bitcoin transaction be Cancelled? ›

Coin deposits cannot be canceled or reversed. You are able to cancel a BTC withdrawal request to an external address under Account Funding/Withdraw BTC ONLY IF the withdrawal is still IN-PROGRESS and the transaction has not been broadcasted to the blockchain.

Can you reverse unconfirmed transaction? ›

No, a Bitcoin transaction cannot be reversed or spent if it is unconfirmed. Once a Bitcoin transaction is broadcast to the network and recorded on the blockchain, it becomes irreversible. However, until the transaction is confirmed by a miner and added to a block on the blockchain, it is considered unconfirmed.

How do I reverse an unconfirmed transaction on blockchain? ›

If there are zero confirmations, you can go ahead and cancel the transaction. There are two ways of going about this: Use the Replace by Fee (RBF Protocol) Use the higher fee Double-Spend transaction.

What happens to unconfirmed transactions? ›

An unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction denotes that a miner is yet to confirm whatever payments you made. Your transaction will take time and will be confirmed once a miner picks it up and validates it.

How long does a unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction stay? ›

This can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour, depending on the Bitcoin network. However, some Bitcoin transactions can take longer to be confirmed by miners. If you believe your transaction is taking longer than usual to be confirmed it could be due to mempool congestion and fees.

Is it easy to cancel a pending transaction? ›

Unfortunately, it's not very easy to do—your card issuer has no ability to cancel or otherwise alter the transaction until it's been finalized. Skip contacting your card issuer and go straight to the merchant instead.

How can I stop a pending transaction going through? ›

You can stop a pending debit card transaction by contacting the merchant and canceling the purchase. Or you can try contacting your bank if you don't recognize the transaction, you suspect fraud is involved, or the merchant is unresponsive.

How do I cancel a pending crypto transfer? ›

If your transaction is pending for a seemingly infinite amount of time, it is possible to replace it with a new transaction. The easiest way to do this is by sending a 0 ETH transaction to your own address with the same nonce and a higher gas price. This will cancel out your first transaction.

How do I cancel an unconfirmed transaction on Coinbase? ›

Go to Coinbase.com using a web browser on your desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Log in to your account and select the asset of your pending transaction. Locate and select the pending transaction to display the Cancel payment option. Select Cancel payment.

Can a transaction be undone? ›

Yes, in some cases. Banks can initiate chargebacks, forcing reversals on settled transactions. They can also reverse payments if authorization errors appear in the transaction.

How do I speed up an unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction? ›

If you have sent a transaction that is taking a long time to confirm, you can speed it up by using our increase fee feature. This resends your unconfirmed transaction with a higher fee. Bitcoin miners prioritize transactions with higher fees when selecting transactions to include in a block.

Will unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction be returned? ›

No, a Bitcoin transaction cannot be reversed or spent if it is unconfirmed. Once a Bitcoin transaction is broadcast to the network and recorded on the blockchain, it becomes irreversible. However, until the transaction is confirmed by a miner and added to a block on the blockchain, it is considered unconfirmed.

How do I track an unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction? ›

Bitcoin's blockchain can be accessed at https://blockchain.info/. Here, you'll be able to enter your Bitcoin TxID, or your exchange or wallet address, to track your transactions.

Why is my Bitcoin transaction pending for so long? ›

If a Bitcoin transaction is pending on the blockchain, these are possible reasons: The transaction could be still in the process. The transaction failed. You sent the transaction to an incorrect address.

What happens if Bitcoin transaction stays unconfirmed? ›

Bitcoin users across the network may notice their transactions sit as unconfirmed or pending for a longer period of time, and we understand this can cause users to be concerned about the status of their funds. In most cases, your transactions will eventually confirm. It may just take longer than usual to do so.

What happens to unconfirmed transactions on Coinbase? ›

Spending unconfirmed coins

If you're trying to spend coins that are still Pending in your account, your transaction won't generate until the coins confirm.

Will turning my card off cancel pending transactions? ›

No. Any pending transactions that have already received authorization will be processed and paid.

How long does it take for a pending transaction to be Cancelled? ›

How long do pending transactions take to clear? Most pending charges disappear in around 5 days or less, though some institutions ask cardholders to allow up to 7 days to process charges.

How long does it take for transactions to stop pending? ›

Usually, a pending charge will show on your account until the transaction is processed and the funds are transferred to the merchant. This could typically take up to three days but may stretch longer depending on the merchant and the type of transaction.

Can I dispute a pending transaction? ›

Because pending charges are temporary and may change, only posted transactions can be disputed. If you have any immediate concerns about a pending charge, we recommend contacting the merchant directly.

Why would a pending transaction go away? ›

Once the bank sends the merchant the money owed, the transaction will no longer show a pending description online or via mobile banking, and the transaction will be considered complete or posted.

Why would a pending transaction disappear? ›

Sometimes the pending transaction may disappear from your transaction history and the amount returned to your available balance. This means the transaction has expired or cancelled and wasn't processed by the merchant.

How do I revoke a crypto transaction? ›

How to revoke smart contract access to your crypto funds
  1. Step 1: Use revoke access tools. Several websites let you view and revoke smart contracts connected to your address. ...
  2. Step 2: Connect your wallet. ...
  3. Step 3: Select a smart contract you wish to revoke. ...
  4. Step 4: Revoke access to your funds. ...
  5. Frequently asked questions.

How do I cancel a pending payment on wallet? ›

Tap Wallet & Apple Pay. Tap on the card you used to make the Apple Pay payment. Tap the payment you want to cancel in the Latest Transactions list. Tap on Cancel Payment.

How do I cancel a pending Bitcoin transaction on cash App? ›

You can only cancel orders that have not been executed.
...
To cancel a pending order:
  1. Tap the Activity tab on your Cash App home screen.
  2. Press CANCEL on the pending stock purchase.
  3. Press Yes to confirm.

How do I cancel a pending transaction on Coinbase wallet? ›

Select the pending transaction. Select X. Confirm the cancellation.

Which transaction needs to be undone? ›

Transactions that are yet to be committed needs to be undone.

How do you fight a transaction? ›

The 4 steps to disputing a credit card charge
  1. Review the details of the charge. You can review transaction details on your account such as the merchant's name, phone number and your past activity with the merchant. ...
  2. You may contact the merchant. ...
  3. Gather your evidence. ...
  4. Contact your credit card issuer.

Which of the following will undo the transactions? ›

Explanation: Flashback will undo all the statements and Abort will terminate the operation.

How long can Bitcoin be stuck in Mempool? ›

The transaction can sit in the mempool indefinitely until it is persisted via mining, or you submit a new transaction that drops the current one in the mempool.

How do I cancel a pending Bitcoin transaction on trust wallet? ›

It is not possible to cancel a pending Bitcoin transaction. Either the miners will confirm it soon or it gets dropped from the mempool (it will be returned to your wallet automatically if that happens).

How do I recover my lost Bitcoin before the scammer gets away with it? ›

Contact Your Bank, Exchange, and Wallet Provider

Some service providers may act fast to prevent further attacks and even recover part of the stolen funds. They may also provide valuable information to assist the police and investigators in tracking the individuals or entities behind the theft.

Where are unconfirmed transactions stored? ›

A mempool or a memory pool is a mechanism for storing information on unconfirmed transactions. These transactions have been verified but have not yet been included in the blockchain.

Can you trace Bitcoin transactions yes or no? ›

Yes. Bitcoin is traceable. While bitcoin can be minted, moved around, and stored without the oversight of any central authority like the government, each bitcoin transaction is recorded on a permanent publicly available ledger known as the blockchain.

How do I cancel an unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction on cash App? ›

Cancelling a Payment
  1. Tap the Activity tab on their Cash App home screen.
  2. Select the payment in question.
  3. Tap . . .
  4. Select Refund.
  5. Press OK.

What happens if my Bitcoin never confirmed? ›

Either, the transaction is confirmed and the money has changed hands, or it's unconfirmed and the money still belongs to the sender's wallet. Thus, if a transaction is never confirmed, the money is still the sender's.

Are Bitcoin transactions refundable? ›

Bitcoin payments are irreversible

A Bitcoin transaction cannot be reversed, it can only be refunded by the person receiving the funds. This means you should take care to do business with people and organizations you know and trust, or who have an established reputation.

Can you cancel a pending Bitcoin transaction on Coinbase? ›

Log in to your account and select the asset of your pending transaction. Locate and select the pending transaction to display the Cancel payment option. Select Cancel payment.

How do I cancel a pending transaction? ›

You can stop a pending debit card transaction by contacting the merchant and canceling the purchase. Or you can try contacting your bank if you don't recognize the transaction, you suspect fraud is involved, or the merchant is unresponsive.

What causes unconfirmed Bitcoin transaction? ›

Every bitcoin transaction that's sent flows into what's called the mempool (short for memory pool) before it can be confirmed by miners. When there's a dramatic spike in transaction activity, the mempool can become congested because so many transactions are waiting to be included in the next block.

What is the longest a Bitcoin transaction can take? ›

What's the longest time that a BTC transaction can take? The minimum time for a Bitcoin transaction is 2 minutes, according to the recorded timestamps, and the maximum is 6:02 hours. Official data notes that the confirmation time with a 99.98% probability is somewhere between 7 minutes and 3:44 hours.

Can you recover Bitcoin if scammed? ›

Working with a Recovery Firm. A crypto recovery firm can help retrieve lost or stolen crypto funds. They use their technical expertise and resources to track down and recover lost crypto assets.

Do all Bitcoin transactions get confirmed? ›

A Bitcoin transaction, or any cryptocurrency transaction must be confirmed on a blockchain to verify that the transaction is legitimate. A confirmed transaction means that the transaction has been included in a block, and therefore included in the blockchain.

Can I dispute a transaction with Bitcoin? ›

Can You Chargeback Cryptocurrency? Transactions using cryptocurrencies like bitcoin aren't subject to chargebacks. In cryptocurrency transfers, the funds are placed in escrow until the transaction is confirmed by both parties. Once the transaction is complete, there is no way to reverse it.

How long does it take for Bitcoin to refund? ›

Once a refund request has been submitted, please allow 1-2 business days for the refund to be processed.

Can I cancel a Bitcoin transaction on cash App? ›

Navigate to the Bitcoin investing screen. Scroll down to see your active Auto Invest purchase. Tap on the purchase. Press the “Cancel” button.

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