How to Cancel or Refund an Ad Set
4 min read • Last updated 21 July 2025
Learn how to cancel or end an ad set in Zitcha, and when refunds apply. This guide covers the available actions based on ad set status, what each action does behind the scenes, and how to track changes in the UI.
Network users can now stop an ad set in one click—either Cancel (pre-live) or End (live/paused/failed).
- Cancel stops delivery, releases inventory, and can refund unspent budget.
- End stops delivery but never refunds.
Advertiser users have no access to these action
Permissions & Roles
| Action | Org Type | Required Permission Set |
|---|---|---|
| Cancel Ad Set | Network | Plan Manager |
| Refund Ad Set | Network | Refunds Manager & Plan Update |
| End Ad Set | Network | Plan Manager |
| Advertiser Access | Advertiser | Not available |
If a user already has one of these roles assigned, access has been granted automatically — no action needed. If the option is missing in the UI, please check your permission set.
When Each Action Appears
| Current Status | Button Shown | Result | Refund Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pending Approval, Clashed, Reserved, Scheduled | Cancel Ad Set | Status-> cancelled | Checkbox in modal |
| Live, Paused, Failed | End Ad Set | Status-> ended | Not available |
Refunds are only processed for ad sets that are never live.
Workflow
- Locate the ad set
Plans › Ad Sets→ filter by status if required. - Choose the action
Pre-live statuses show Cancel Ad Set.
Live/paused/failed show End Ad Set. - (Optional) Refund
If cancelling, a Refund unspent budget checkbox appears in the Refund Ad Set modal.- Skipped it? Use Actions › Refund Ad Set any time while the ad set is in
cancelledand refundable > 0.
- Skipped it? Use Actions › Refund Ad Set any time while the ad set is in
- Confirm
Review the summary, then click Confirm. The platform:- stops broker delivery
- releases inventory
- adjusts the wallet (if refunded)
- updates status to
cancelledorended.
- Verify
The table row updates immediately.
Use the Status filter to audit cancelled/ended ad sets.
Edge Cases & Warnings
- Irreversible – cancelled/ended ad sets cannot be restarted; clone if needed.
- One-at-a-time – bulk cancel/end isn’t supported.
- Manual credits – to compensate an already-live ad set, issue a manual credit note.
- Wallet notes – credit/debit notes can’t be deleted once created.
Pro Tips / Best Practice
- Delete vs. Cancel: If an ad set is still Draft, simply Delete instead of cancelling—it’s faster and keeps histories tidy.
- Partial credits for ended sets: Need to compensate an advertiser for a live ad set you ended? Issue a manual credit note through your finance workflow.
- Bulk actions: Not supported yet. For multiple ad sets, repeat the steps per item
- Permissions quick-check: Missing the refund option? You probably lack Refunds Manager; ask your admin.
- Undo isn’t possible: Once cancelled or ended, the ad set is in a terminal state. Clone it if you need to relaunch.
Related Resources
📄 Scribe Walkthrough – step-by-step screens: “Zitcha User Guide – Cancel or End Ad Set”
🎥 Video Demo – “How to Cancel or End Ad Sets in Zitcha (With or Without Refunds)”
🔗 API reference: TBC
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