Chargebacks 101: Understanding Chargebacks & Their Root Causes

Chargebacks are a big problem for merchants. They're expensive-each chargeback can wind up costing you more than double the disputed amount, once you factor in fees and overhead. They're dangerous, because an excessive chargeback ratio can cause your merchant account to be terminated.

They're also getting worse. In recent years, 50% of merchants have reported an increase in chargebacks. The total cost of chargebacks was estimated to be $118 billion in 2023.

Chargeback problems don't disappear on their own, and merchants can't afford to simply write them off as a cost of doing business. To protect your revenue, your merchant account, and your customer relationships, you need to understand how the chargeback process works and how to determine the root causes of your chargebacks. Only then can you put an effective chargeback management strategy into place.