How to rеplace or Cancel a Transaction in Bitcoin?

How to rеplace or Cancel a Transaction in Bitcoin?

Sometimes Bitcoin transactions remain unconfirmed for a long time — especially if the fee was set too low. As long as the transaction hasn’t been included in a block, it can be replaced or canceled. In this article, we explain how rеplace by Fee (RBF) works, what Child Pays for Parent (CPFP) is, and how to speed up a stuck transaction.

What is rеplace by Fee?

rеplace by Fee (RBF) allows you to rеplace an unconfirmed transaction with a new one offering a higher fee. This mechanism was proposed by Satoshi Nakamoto, later refined, and included in Bitcoin Core 0.12 and higher.

For a transaction to be replaceable, a specific value must be set in the nSequence field. By default, many wallets disable this feature by setting the maximum nSequence value. Therefore, it’s important to enable the RBF function manually before sending the transaction.

How to rеplace a Transaction Using RBF?

1. Before sending, make sure the Replaceable or RBF option is enabled in your wallet.
2. If the transaction is stuck, find it in your wallet’s transaction history.
3. Set a new fee — higher than the current transaction’s fee.
4. Send the updated transaction — it will rеplace the old one.

This feature is available in Bitcoin Core, Electrum, Green Address, and other wallets.

How to Speed Up a Transaction Using Child Pays for Parent?

The CPFP (Child Pays for Parent) mechanism speeds up an unconfirmed transaction by creating a new one that depends on the first. Miners consider the combined fee of both transactions and are more likely to inсlude them in a block.

1. Create a new transaction using the change output from the first one as the input.
2. Set a high fee for the new transaction.
3. Miners will process both transactions as a pair with a higher total fee.

CPFP is not supported in all wallets, but you can send all funds to yourself with a high fee if needed.

Important:

Not all miners support CPFP, but most are willing to process such transaction pairs.

Can You Cancel a Transaction in Bitcoin?

If the transaction is already confirmed — it cannot be canceled. But while it’s in Pending status, you can try to rеplace it:

1. Create a new transaction from the same address to another one you control.
2. Set a higher fee than the first transaction.
3. The first transaction with the lower fee will be ignored.

Practical Tips:

• Always enable the RBF option before sending, if available.
• Set up-to-date fees — you can check at mempool.space.
• For urgent payments, set a high fee immediately.
• If a transaction is stuck — use RBF or CPFP to speed it up.

AlwaysMoney.org recommends paying close attention to fee settings and using rеplace by Fee. This will help you avoid delays and maintain control over your transactions.