Every payment a business accepts has a cost, and some of them come back as chargebacks.
These guides break down processing fees for cards, debit and ACH, compare processor pricing models such as flat rate and interchange-plus, and explain the chargeback process from the merchant's side: what the fees are, why disputes happen and how to reduce them.
11 articles
A Visa chargeback is what Visa's rules call a dispute. Here is how the categories, stages and time limits work from the merchant's side, with a dated example.
10 min read
A Stripe chargeback, which Stripe calls a dispute, debits the payment and a dispute fee from your balance. Here is each stage, deadline and cost from the merchant's side.
10 min read
Square payment processing fees are a percentage plus a fixed amount that depends on how the card is taken. Here are the published US rates and the math on three sale sizes.
10 min read
PayPal processing fees for a US business are a percentage plus a fixed fee that depends on how the customer pays. Here are the published rates and the math on three sales.
10 min read
Debit card processing fees are lower than credit card fees only when your pricing passes the saving through. Here is what a debit sale costs and what decides it.
11 min read
Chargeback fraud, also called friendly fraud, is when a cardholder disputes a legitimate charge. Here is how merchants spot it, respond with evidence and reduce it.
9 min read
A chargeback fee is the charge your acquirer or processor adds when a customer disputes a card payment, on top of the reversed sale. Here is what one dispute really costs.
9 min read
Chargeback prevention means fixing the reason behind each dispute: fraud, an unclear descriptor, a forgotten renewal, a delivery problem or a slow refund.
9 min read
Interchange plus plus pricing (IC++) bills card payments in three visible parts: interchange, scheme fees and the acquirer's markup. Here is how to read it and who it suits.
10 min read
ACH processing fees are what a US business pays to send or collect a bank-to-bank payment. They are usually flat or capped, which is why ACH wins on large invoices.
10 min read
Payment processing fees are split between the card-issuing bank, the card network and your processor. Here is what each part is, with a $100 sale worked through.
11 min read
