Shopify Payments charges $15 per chargeback (US), refunded only if you win. The fee posts the moment the dispute is filed, alongside the reversal of the disputed amount. On a $100 order with $30 in goods cost and 30 minutes of response work, the true cost of a lost dispute is ~$170 — 1.7x the transaction. Winning gets you the amount and the fee back, which is why representment has direct ROI.
When the fee applies
The $15 posts when the chargeback is filed — not when it's decided. It applies to every Shopify Payments dispute regardless of outcome, then gets credited back if you win.
Two exceptions: disputes covered by Shopify Protect (eligible Shop Pay orders) don't cost you the fee, and inquiry-stage requests (rare on Shopify Payments) don't trigger it until they escalate.
Fee vs other processors
| Processor | Fee | Refunded on win? |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify Payments | $15 | Yes |
| Stripe | $15 | Yes |
| PayPal | $20 | No |
| Braintree | $15 | Yes |
PayPal is the outlier — its $20 fee is kept even when you win, which changes the fight-or-refund math for low-value orders. Run your own numbers in the chargeback cost calculator.
The true cost math
For a $100 order at 30% goods cost:
- Disputed amount: $100
- Fee: $15
- Goods (already shipped): $30
- Ops time (~30 min): ~$25
Total loss if you concede: ~$170. Win instead and you recover $115 of it. This asymmetry is why fighting winnable disputes has 3–5x ROI even after a success fee — Aurai takes 25% of wins only, so the merchant keeps ~$86 of every recovered $115. If you'd rather not do this math per dispute, Aurai on the Shopify App Store automates the whole decision.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Shopify chargeback fee?
$15 per dispute for US merchants, charged when the dispute is filed and refunded if you win.
Does Shopify Protect cover the fee?
Yes — on eligible Shop Pay orders, Shopify Protect covers both the disputed amount and the fee.
Post reflects public documentation, industry surveys, and Aurai's own book of disputes as of the publish date. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Stripe, PayPal, and Shopify are trademarks of their respective owners; Aurai is independent and not endorsed by any of them. Network rules change — always verify current official rules before acting on any specific tactic.