Payment fees
Chargeback cost calculator.
Enter the price, your product cost, processing rates and dispute fees. See what a lost dispute costs, your expected result per dispute and the dispute rate that wipes out profit.
On an $80.00 sale with $30.00 of product cost, a profitable order earns $47.38 but a lost dispute costs $62.62. At a 20% win rate the expected result per disputed order is -$43.62, and profit reaches zero when about 52.07% of orders are disputed.
Your numbers
Result
Worked example
Price $80.00, product and shipping cost $30.00, processing 2.9% + $0.30 ($2.62). A normal sale earns $80.00 - $30.00 - $2.62 = $47.38. A lost dispute costs $30.00 + $2.62 + $30.00 of dispute fees = $62.62. A won dispute leaves $47.38 - $15.00 = $32.38. At a 20% win rate the expected result per disputed order is 0.2 x $32.38 - 0.8 x $62.62 = -$43.62. The break-even dispute rate is $47.38 / ($47.38 + $43.62) = 52.07%. One lost dispute takes 1.3 normal sales to earn back.
How it works
Break-even dispute rate = profit per sale / (profit per sale - expected result per disputed order). Over every 100 orders you earn the profit on the undisputed ones and take the expected result on the disputed ones; the rate is where those cancel. The Stripe preset uses the Canadian page read on 2026-10-08: a CA$15.00 dispute received fee, and a CA$15.00 countered fee that is returned for won disputes and not for lost ones. The PayPal preset uses its CA$20.00 chargeback fee and assumes no refund of it on a win, which the page does not state.
The calculator assumes the processing fee is not returned and the goods are not recovered on a lost dispute. Card networks and processors can also set dispute-rate thresholds and extra charges; check your own agreement. To see what refunds cost in lost fees, use the refund fee loss calculator.
Estimates only, from numbers you enter. Not legal, tax or financial advice. Rates and rules change: verify them with your provider.
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Sources
- Pricing & Fees - Stripe (Canada) (opened 2026-10-08): dispute received fee CA$15.00 per dispute; dispute countered fee CA$15.00, returned for won disputes and not for lost ones.
- Fees | Merchant and Business | PayPal CA (opened 2026-10-08): chargeback fee of 20.00 CAD for Canadian dollars received.
FAQ
How much does a chargeback really cost?
More than the sale. A lost dispute loses the revenue, the product and shipping you already spent, and the dispute fees. With the example numbers it is $62.62 on an $80.00 sale.
What is a break-even dispute rate?
The share of orders that can be disputed before the product earns nothing, given your profit per sale, loss per lost dispute and win rate. With the example numbers it is 52.07%.
Do I get the dispute fee back if I win?
It depends on the processor. Stripe's Canadian page opened 2026-10-08 says the countered fee comes back for won disputes and the received fee still applies. Check yours, then edit the won-dispute fee field.
Does this include network fines or monitoring programs?
No. Card networks and processors can add thresholds, charges and restrictions for high dispute rates. Check your merchant agreement.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is an estimate based on the numbers you enter.