Names and aliases
transaction cancellation rate, confirmed outcome cancellation share
Formula
cancelled_confirmed_outcomes / confirmed_outcomes × 100%
Metric card
| Unit | % |
|---|---|
| Data source | Confirmation, cancellation, cancellation-initiator and reason, and completion events. |
| Frequency | By confirmation cohort after the fulfilment window closes. |
| Segments | micro-market, category, initiator, reason, stage, cohort |
Interpretation errors
- Combining buyer, seller, platform, and technical cancellations.
- Using created orders instead of confirmed outcomes without disclosure.
- Treating a recreated transaction as independent without deduplication rules.
Example
Illustrative example: 12 cancellations among 240 confirmed interactions produce 5%. The values do not describe a real platform.
Use
Build a reason tree and show initiator, stage, and rematch possibility. Keep technical failure, voluntary cancellation, and quality or availability cancellation separate.
Anti-example
The total cancellation rate can remain flat while seller cancellations fall and technical failures rise by a similar amount.
Limitations
- Cancellation mechanisms depend on the platform model.
- A low rate does not guarantee match relevance or satisfaction.
Related metrics
failed-transaction-rate, fill-rate, transaction-completion-rate, refund-rate
Context sources
These works provide two-sided-market context; the formula above remains an author-defined working definition.
- Jean-Charles Rochet, Jean Tirole. Platform Competition in Two-Sided Markets (2003).
- Mark Armstrong. Competition in Two-Sided Markets (2006).