Stripe Chargeback FeesHow Much Will Stripe Charge You for Receiving a Dispute?

How Much are Stripe Chargeback Fees? Why Do You Have to Pay Them?

Most merchants focus on the lost revenue that results from a chargeback. That’s human nature: you’ve just lost money that, you thought, was securely in your account, in addition to merchandise that is no longer in your inventory.

That’s painful enough on its own. But, just as if to twist the knife a little, most payment processors — including Stripe — will also slap you with a chargeback fee, too.

If you’ve ever experienced a chargeback, you probably know that you’ll face a fee… but you might not understand why. So, in this chapter, I want to take a closer look at Stripe chargeback fees, how they compare to other payment processors, and how much disputes are really costing your business… no matter what platform you’re using.

What is the Stripe Chargeback Fee?

The Stripe chargeback fee is a fixed administrative fee you’re charged whenever a dispute is initiated by a cardholder through their issuing bank. When a customer files a chargeback, Stripe immediately withdraws both the original transaction amount, plus the chargeback fee, from your account balance.

This is a standard industry practice: nearly all merchant service providers charge fees to cover the administrative costs associated with processing disputes, such as communicating with banks, collecting and handling evidence on behalf of sellers, and processing disputes for merchants. 

Chargeback fees are not tied to the amount being disputed by the cardholder. Every Stripe chargeback you receive carries a $15 flat fee, even if the transaction being disputed was valued at less than $15. At least, that’s the fee for US merchants; I’ll delve into other regions in a minute.

Stripe will waive the chargeback fee if the dispute is withdrawn or resolved prior to a formal chargeback filing, which is nice. But the $15 price tag generally applies, even if you challenge the claim.

Chargeback fees aren’t really meant to be a penalty, but let’s face it: disputes are an expensive pain in the neck for everyone involved. The fees are just a way for the processor to recoup some of their costs.

Do Stripe Chargeback Fees Vary by Currency?

Not surprisingly, Stripe’s chargeback fee amount will indeed vary by region, product vertical, and other factors. It’s based on the country in which the Stripe account is based, not the currency of the disputed transaction itself. 

This means the fees are denominated in your store’s default payout currency. It doesn’t matter if the buyer disputing the charge is located in a different country, or if you process multi-currency transactions. The fee will generally be assessed in your account’s settlement currency.

Now, if you believe the dispute is invalid, you can contest it through representment. Stripe charges an additional $15 fee for every chargeback you re-present (unless you’re based in Mexico or Japan), which they call a “dispute countered fee.” This fee is refunded if you win the dispute, though, so you really only have to pay it if you lose the dispute.

Here’s a breakdown of Stripe dispute fees by country:

Currency	Dispute received fee (No change)	Dispute countered fee
USD	15	15
AUD	25	25
BGN	40	40
BRL	55	55
CAD	15	15
CHF	20	20
CZK	550	550
DKK	200	200
EUR	20	20
GBP	20	20
HKD	85	85
HUF	7,000	7,000
INR	1,000	1,000
JPY	1,500	N/A (no fee applies)
MXN	150	N/A (no fee applies)
MYR	90	90
NOK	200	200
NZD	25	25
PHP	500	500
PLN	90	90
RON	100	100
SEK	200	200
SGD	15	15
THB	500	N/A (no fee applies)
AED	60	60

One small silver lining: while Stripe typically tacks on a currency conversion surcharge for sales, this extra charge isn’t applied to chargeback fees. However, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates may cause you to gain or lose money compared to the value of the original transaction when the purchase itself is reversed.

When & How the Fee is Charged

When Stripe receives notification of the dispute from the card network, it immediately debits your Stripe balance for both the disputed amount and the chargeback fee. No waiting period or grace window; in fact you might not even get a heads-up.

The funds are removed upfront while the dispute is under review, and they stay that way until the claim is resolved. Also, there’s no cap on how many Stripe chargeback fees you can rack up. Five chargebacks a month? That’s $75 in monthly fees. For high-volume merchants dealing with hundreds of disputes, those fees can get out of hand fast.

Now, you can choose to contest the chargeback by submitting evidence through the Stripe dashboard. If you do this, then Stripe will often refund the chargeback fee (more on this in a second). Or, you can accept the chargeback, meaning the money is gone for good.

Will The Fee Get Refunded?

I knew you were going to ask that. And the answer is: possibly. It can depend on your region and Stripe’s current policies.

In many standard U.S. accounts, Stripe refunds the chargeback fee if you successfully win the dispute. If the issuing bank rules in your favor and returns the transaction amount, Stripe commonly returns the dispute fee.

Note, however, that that’s neither automatic nor universal across all countries or account types. In some regions, the administrative handling costs are considered non-recoverable; the fee is retained regardless of outcome. Make sure you confirm specific pricing terms within your Stripe agreement so you don’t get surprised later. 

You also need to understand that the fee is just the visible cost. There are multiple other losses you’ll face with each chargeback, such as lost revenue, lost inventory, and time spent contesting invalid claims.

Next Chapter

Stripe Chargeback Protection

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