How the calculator works
Every number is yours to change; the starting values are an example, not an industry average.
- Disputes per month = orders × dispute rate.
- Dispute fees = disputes × fee, minus the fee on disputes you win if your processor returns it. In the US, Shopify Payments and Stripe both charge $15 per dispute; Stripe can add a further fee when you counter a dispute, and refunds that one if you win (see sources).
- Money taken back = disputes you lose × average order value. The goods are usually gone too, so the real loss is often higher.
- Staff time = disputes × minutes per dispute × hourly cost.
- Prevention savings counts only the fees and staff time of the disputes you avoid. It leaves out the order value, because a prevented dispute usually means a declined order or an early refund, which is not revenue you keep either.
What it leaves out
Fraud costs that never become a dispute (for example declined good customers), higher processing rates or reserves imposed after a monitoring program, and the cost of goods. If your dispute ratio is close to a card-network threshold, those can matter more than the fees.
Bringing the number down
- Screen orders before they ship and hold the risky ones (see order screening).
- Refund early when an early fraud warning arrives, before it becomes a dispute (early fraud warnings).
- Make your billing descriptor recognisable and your cancellation and return policies easy to find.
- Answer the disputes you can win with reason-code evidence (chargeback management), and accept the ones you can't quickly.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a chargeback cost a merchant?
More than the fee. A lost chargeback costs the fee (in the US, $15 on Shopify Payments and Stripe), the order value returned to the cardholder, the goods and shipping already spent, and the time to respond. Use the calculator with your own numbers to see the monthly total.
Do I get the chargeback fee back if I win?
It depends on the processor and region. Shopify says the fee is returned if you win in some regions; Stripe keeps its $15 dispute fee but returns its separate counter fee when you win. Tick the box in the calculator if your processor returns it.
What dispute ratio is too high?
Card networks put merchants into monitoring programs above set thresholds. Visa VAMP Excessive merchant (US, Canada, Europe, Asia Pacific): 1.5% with at least 1,500 fraud reports and disputes a month; Mastercard Excessive Chargeback Merchant (ECM): 1.5% with at least 100 chargebacks a month; Mastercard High Excessive Chargeback Merchant (HECM): 3% with at least 300 chargebacks a month. Your acquirer may act earlier.
Is this calculator accurate for my store?
It is as accurate as the numbers you enter. It does not know your processor's exact fees, reserves or rates, and it simplifies how fees are refunded. Use it to size the problem, then check your processor's dispute report.
Cut the number with screening and better answers.
Install on Shopify, or create a workspace for WooCommerce, another platform or your processors, and get your first verdicts in minutes. 7-day free trial, no percentage of what you win.
Sources
- Shopify Help Center: Chargeback process (checked October 5, 2026)
- Stripe Support: June 2025 pricing updates for disputes (checked October 5, 2026)
- Visa: Visa Acquirer Monitoring Program fact sheet (2025) (checked October 5, 2026)
- Stripe Docs: Dispute and fraud card monitoring programs (checked October 5, 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Card network monitoring programs (checked October 5, 2026)
Last reviewed by Verdikx Research.