The fee is the line item you see. The order amount, the lost merchandise and the hour you spend assembling evidence are the ones you don't. Add it all up — per dispute, and per year.
| Lost order revenue (disputes you lose) | −$630 |
| Chargeback fees | −$189 |
| Your time ($50/hr) | −$675 |
| Total per year | −$1,494 |
The fee schedule looks simple until you read the refund policy. The same dispute can cost you $0 or $30 depending on who processed the payment and whether you win.
| Processor (US) | Fee per dispute | Refunded if you win? |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments | $15 | Yes — fee returned when the issuer rules for you |
| Stripe | $15 received + $15 countered | Partially — the $15 received fee never comes back; the $15 countered fee does |
| PayPal | $20 | No — chargeback fees are not returned |
The Stripe change worth knowing: Stripe now splits its dispute fee in two. Simply receiving a dispute costs $15, non-refundable, even if the customer withdraws it. Contesting it costs another $15, returned only if you win. Fighting a dispute on Stripe and losing means $30 in fees on top of the lost sale.
The hidden multiplier: the fee is usually the smallest part. You also lose the order amount (the bank claws it back the moment the dispute opens), the merchandise if you shipped it, and 30–90 minutes of evidence assembly per dispute. At a $50 average order and a 30% win rate, one dispute costs about $100 all-in — that's what the calculator above shows.
The threshold that matters: card networks put merchants into monitoring programs around 0.9%–1% dispute rate (Visa's threshold), which can mean higher processing rates or account termination. If the calculator shows you approaching that zone, prevention is worth more than any single dispute.
A refund is voluntary — the customer asks, you return the money. A chargeback is forced — the customer goes to their bank, the money is pulled from your account immediately, and you pay a fee on top. A refund costs you the sale; a chargeback costs you the sale, the fee, and the hours fighting it. When in doubt, refund fast.
Depends on the processor. Shopify Payments refunds the $15 fee when the issuer rules in your favor (US stores). Stripe never returns its $15 received fee but does return the $15 countered fee if you win. PayPal's $20 fee is generally not refunded.
Most stores see 0.5%–1% of orders disputed. Card network monitoring programs kick in around 0.9%–1%, so staying under 0.65% is a healthy target. Digital goods, subscriptions and high-ticket items trend higher.
Highest leverage first: use a billing descriptor customers recognize; make refunds easy (a refund is always cheaper than a dispute); ship with tracking and keep delivery proof; answer support within 24 hours; and never ship orders flagged high-risk — cancel and refund proactively.
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