Chargebacks911’s latest research was recently featured in Digital Transactions in an article examining the growing prevalence of friendly fraud and its impact on online merchants. The feature highlights findings from Chargebacks911’s 2026 Chargeback Field Report, drawing attention to the significant share of chargebacks that merchants attribute to first-party fraud.
According to the report, merchants estimate that friendly fraud accounts for 43.8% of their total chargebacks. The problem appears particularly pronounced among larger businesses; 83.4% of enterprise merchants surveyed said they had experienced an increase in friendly fraud over the past three years. The Digital Transactions article also examines the difficulty of distinguishing friendly fraud from legitimate disputes, particularly when intent is unclear.
“Friendly fraud has moved from being a back-office inconvenience to a material business risk,” said Monica Eaton, founder and CEO of Chargebacks911. “It is influencing pricing, customer policies, staffing decisions and the economics of digital commerce. The problem is growing faster than many merchants’ ability to identify, measure and manage it.”
The findings highlight why friendly fraud is becoming a larger concern for merchants and payment professionals. Chargebacks911’s internal data puts the share of chargebacks resulting from friendly fraud even higher, at 86%. At the same time, nearly eight in 10 merchants surveyed report using at least one preventive measure, suggesting that businesses are increasingly treating chargeback management as a strategic part of fraud prevention rather than simply a back-office function.
