For a U.S. online order for physical merchandise, the seller's shipping representation is the starting point. Under the FTC's Mail Order Rule, a seller generally must have a reasonable basis for a stated shipping time and ship within it. When no shipping time was stated, the Rule generally gives the seller 30 days after receiving the order to ship. If the seller cannot meet that deadline, the Rule generally calls for a delay notice with a definite revised date and the choice to accept the delay or cancel for a prompt refund.

There is no blanket FTC 24- or 48-hour email deadline. A discount coupon also doesn't replace cancellation or refund information. The rules discussed here concern U.S. orders for physical merchandise; state laws, marketplace policies, payment methods, and the seller's own terms may provide additional protections.

What rule controls a delayed online order

The FTC's Business Guide to the Mail, Internet, or Telephone Order Merchandise Rule explains when a seller must ship merchandise ordered online, by mail, or by telephone.

In general:

• A stated shipping time controls. The seller should have a reasonable basis for that representation and must ship within the stated period.
• No shipping time means a 30-day default. The period generally runs from the seller's receipt of the order.
• A delay requires notice. The seller generally must explain the delay, provide a definite revised shipping date, and tell you about your right to cancel for a prompt refund.
• Consent depends on the delay. The FTC's prompt-delivery guidance says that, in some circumstances, a seller may treat silence as consent to a definite delay of up to 30 days. Longer or indefinite delays generally require express consent. If you don't consent when consent is required, the seller must promptly refund the money you paid.
• The seller may cancel an order it can't fill in a timely way. It must notify you and promptly refund your payment.

The 30-day period is a default for shipping when no shipping representation was made. It isn't an automatic extra 30 days added to every promised date.

Shipping delay versus delivery delay

Read the exact wording in your order confirmation, product listing, and shipping terms. Shipping and delivery are different events:

A carrier delay may explain why a package is late, but it doesn't by itself show whether the seller met its shipping promise or what cancellation and refund options apply. Ask the seller to confirm when it dispatched the order, which date it promised, and what remedy is available.

What a useful shipping delay notice should include

A useful notice gives you enough information to decide whether waiting makes sense. Look for:

1. The order number and affected item.
2. The original shipping or delivery promise.
3. A specific explanation, such as a carrier disruption or inventory problem.
4. A definite revised shipping or delivery date, rather than "soon."
5. A tracking link if the package has already been dispatched.
6. Clear instructions for accepting the delay or canceling the order.
7. The date by which you must respond, if one applies.
8. How and when a refund will be issued if you cancel.

The FTC Rule focuses on delay notice, consent, cancellation, and refunds. It doesn't require a particular apology, email design, discount percentage, or compensation offer. A coupon is goodwill, not a substitute for the required information.

An order-status page can back up direct notification. Still, check your email and account messages, and don't assume that seeing a new date on a status page means you accepted an open-ended delay.

What to do when your order is late

1. Save the original promise

Before a product page changes, save or screenshot:

• Your order confirmation and receipt.
• The product page's shipping or delivery statement.
• Any promised expedited or guaranteed service.
• The seller's backorder, preorder, and cancellation terms.
• The date and amount charged.

Record the date you placed the order and the date the promised shipment or delivery was supposed to occur. Those details are more useful than simply saying that the package is "late."

2. Check the carrier's official tracking page

Use the tracking number on the carrier's own website, not just the seller's summary. Check the last scan, any exception message, address problem, or return-to-sender notice.

For UPS shipments, UPS says its tracking page provides the most up-to-date shipment status. A missing scan or exception doesn't automatically mean the package is lost. Give the seller the latest tracking information when you contact it.

3. Contact the seller in writing

Email, an account message, or a marketplace message creates a record. If you call, follow up by email with what was said.

Ask for four specific answers:

• Has the order shipped?
• What is the revised shipment or delivery date?
• Is that date estimated or guaranteed?
• How do you cancel and receive a refund if you don't want to wait?

4. Make your choice explicit

Waiting may make sense if the seller gives you a specific date and you still want the item. If the date is indefinite, the seller stops responding, or you no longer need the item, request cancellation in clear language.

If the notice says silence will count as consent, don't stay silent when you disagree with the delay. Follow the notice's response method and deadline, if it provides them. You can state plainly that you don't consent to the delay and want the order canceled.

Read the notice before accepting store credit. If you want money returned to the original payment method, say that directly. A promotional code, replacement item, or store credit isn't the same as a refund. If the order has already shipped, ask the seller for the current tracking status and the process for returning or refusing delivery.

5. Set a follow-up date

If you accept a revised date, save the notice and calendar a follow-up for that date. When that date passes, include the earlier message in your next contact and state whether you now want to cancel.

Email templates for a delayed online order

These short templates are for customers contacting a seller. Replace the bracketed details and attach your order confirmation when useful.

Template 1: Request a status update

Subject: Order [order number] - request for a revised shipping date

Hello [seller or support team],

I placed order [order number] for [item] on [order date]. My confirmation said the order would [ship by or arrive by] [original date]. The current tracking status is [status], last updated [date].

Please confirm:

• Whether the order has shipped;
• The revised shipping or delivery date;
• Whether that date is estimated or guaranteed; and
• My options to cancel and receive a refund if the order cannot meet that date.

Please reply in writing. Thank you,

[Name]

Template 2: Reject the delay and request cancellation

Subject: Cancel order [order number] because of shipping delay

Hello [seller or support team],

I don't agree to the proposed delay for order [order number], placed on [order date]. Please cancel the order and confirm when the [amount] I paid will be refunded to my original payment method.

If the order has already shipped, please provide the current tracking status and explain the next step for returning or refusing delivery. Please confirm the cancellation and refund in writing.

Thank you,

[Name]

Use the second template only if cancellation is what you want. If the seller's delay notice gives a specific response method or deadline, follow those instructions as well.

If the seller won't refund your credit-card payment

A credit-card billing dispute is separate from the FTC shipping rule. It may help when merchandise wasn't delivered, the seller agreed to cancel but didn't refund you, or the charge otherwise meets the billing-error requirements.

The FTC's credit-card dispute guidance says to send a written dispute so the card issuer receives it within 60 days after the first statement containing the error was sent. Send it to the billing-dispute address listed for disputes, which may differ from the address used for payments.

Include:

• Your name and account number;
• The transaction date and amount;
• The order number;
• The promised shipment or delivery date;
• Tracking information;
• Your cancellation or refund request;
• The seller's response, or evidence that it didn't respond; and
• Copies of relevant documents.

Keep a copy of the dispute letter and its attachments. The FTC's guidance on undelivered orders explains that credit-card billing errors generally must be disputed in writing within that 60-day period. Some issuers may extend the period when a shipment is delayed, but don't rely on an extension. Contact the issuer as soon as the seller fails to resolve the issue.

For a properly submitted eligible dispute, FTC guidance says you don't have to pay the disputed amount and related finance charges while the issuer investigates. Continue paying amounts that aren't disputed. The issuer generally must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days unless the problem has already been resolved, and must resolve it within two billing cycles, no more than 90 days after receiving the dispute.

A dispute isn't an automatic refund. The issuer reviews the evidence, so describe the situation accurately and include the seller's promises and responses.

Debit cards, prepaid cards, buy-now-pay-later services, payment apps, and bank transfers can follow different procedures. Contact the provider promptly and ask about its non-delivery or canceled-order process. Don't assume the credit-card 60-day process applies to another payment method.

When to involve the carrier or marketplace

The merchant should remain your main contact when you want to cancel an order or obtain a refund. The carrier can investigate movement, address problems, damage, or a missing package, but a tracking update alone doesn't cancel a purchase.

For example, UPS says customers can file a claim when a package is damaged, has gone days without a scan, or is marked delivered but can't be found. Follow the carrier's process for a transport problem and keep the seller informed.

If you bought through a marketplace, open its official order dispute or buyer-protection process before the platform's deadline. Upload the confirmation, delay notice, tracking history, and written request to the seller. Marketplace rules are separate from the FTC Rule and may impose shorter deadlines.

If the seller refuses to honor a covered cancellation or ignores a valid refund request, escalate in this order:

1. Send one final written request with the relevant dates and the remedy you want.
2. Use the marketplace's dispute process, if applicable.
3. Contact your credit-card issuer or other payment provider before its deadline.
4. Check your state consumer-protection office for any additional complaint or enforcement route.

Common questions

Does the FTC require a seller to email me within 24 or 48 hours?

No universal 24- or 48-hour email deadline appears in the FTC Mail Order Rule. The key issues are the seller's shipping representation, the 30-day default when no shipping time was given, the required delay notice, and whether your consent is needed. The Rule doesn't require the notice to use one particular communication format.

Is the 30-day rule a guarantee that delivery will take no longer than 30 days?

No. It is generally the default time to ship when the seller made no shipping representation. Shipping may occur before delivery, and the order confirmation may contain a different promise.

Does a seller have to give me a discount for a delay?

Not under the FTC Rule's notice and refund requirements. A discount may be offered as customer service, but it doesn't replace a clear revised date or your cancellation and refund options.

Is a carrier exception enough to prove that my order is lost?

No. An exception can reflect weather, an address problem, a missing scan, damage, or another temporary issue. Check the carrier's detailed tracking and ask the seller what it will do if the package doesn't move.

Save the order confirmation and the seller's shipping promise before they change. Then send a written request for a specific revised date and state plainly whether you'll wait or want to cancel. If you paid by credit card, note the date the first statement containing the charge was sent so you don't miss the written-dispute window.