You get one submission, usually with 7 to 21 days to prepare it, and the evidence has to match the reason code on the dispute. Shopify collects some evidence automatically and sends it on the due date, so anything you add should fill the gaps in the worksheet below. In the US the chargeback fee is $15, and it is returned if you win (Shopify Help Center, checked 29 Sept 2026). The realistic goal is to win the ones that are winnable and to lower the number you receive.
The deadline, fee and review time
| Item | What Shopify states | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Time to build a response | Usually 7 to 21 days; no evidence accepted after the deadline | Responding to chargebacks |
| Submissions | Evidence goes in once during the window | same |
| Fee | Varies by country: $15 US, $15 Canada, $25 Australia, most EU countries 15 EUR; returned if you win | same |
| Bank review after you submit | Up to 75 days; inquiries usually 65 to 75 days | same |
| Format tip | Use screenshots of tracking pages and messages, not links to external systems | same |
| Money | On a chargeback the amount is deducted from your next available payout | Chargebacks overview |
Evidence worksheet by reason
Shopify names eight reasons (source). The evidence Shopify says to provide is in the middle column. The last column is our reading of what prevents that reason, not a Shopify statement.
| Reason | Evidence Shopify lists | What prevents it |
|---|---|---|
| Fraudulent (cardholder did not authorise) | Fulfilment date and time, billing information, customer IP address and country, shipping and tracking information | Review high-risk orders before fulfilling; do not ship to an address that differs sharply from billing without checking |
| Unrecognized (customer does not recognise the descriptor) | Same as fraudulent | A statement descriptor that matches your store name; an order confirmation that names it |
| Duplicate | Why there were two charges, receipts showing different products, messages with the customer | Clear order numbers; do not let a failed payment retry create a second charge |
| Subscription canceled | Cancellation policy, notices sent, when and where the customer saw the policy, access logs for digital goods | Reminder emails before renewal; easy cancellation |
| Product not received | Fulfilment date and time, billing information, shipping and tracking, access logs for digital goods | Tracking that the buyer can see; honest delivery ranges on the product page |
| Product unacceptable (defective, damaged, not as described) | Fulfilment date and time, billing information, shipping and tracking, your product descriptions and photos | Descriptions and photos that match what the supplier ships; check samples |
| Credit not processed | Refund and return policies, when and where the customer saw them, refund emails, why the customer was not entitled to a refund | Answer return requests fast; refund what you promised |
| General | Order details, fulfilment date, billing information, IP and country, customer messages, shipping confirmations, proof of refunds or replacements | Everything above |
Where dropshippers lose. Two reasons cost dropshippers most: product not received (long supplier transit, tracking that stops updating) and product unacceptable (supplier photos that do not match the item). Both are answered with evidence you create before the dispute: a delivery range on the product page, a returns page, and tracking screenshots saved when the order ships. See how to handle returns and refunds.
Build the packet
- Open the dispute in the Shopify admin the day it arrives and read the reason. Note the due date.
- Copy the evidence items for that reason from the worksheet and collect each one.
- Screenshot the tracking page (showing delivered status and date) and the customer messages; save them as images with plain captions.
- Add a one-paragraph timeline: order date, fulfilment date, delivery date, contact with the customer.
- Submit before the deadline. There is no second submission.
Keep the rate low: what the networks watch
Shopify tracks your chargeback rate across all disputes opened, not only the ones you lose, and says a high rate can affect account health, including a reserve on payouts or enrolment in a network dispute resolution programme (Shopify Help Center). Shopify’s monitoring-programme page lists the card-network thresholds:
| Programme | Threshold Shopify lists |
|---|---|
| Visa VAMP, non-compliant | 5 disputes or a 0.5 percent ratio |
| Visa VAMP, excessive | 2.2 percent (EMEA) or 1.5 percent ratio, or 150 (EMEA) / 1,500 disputes |
| Mastercard ECP, excessive chargeback merchant | 100 to 299 disputes at 1.5 to 2.99 percent |
| Mastercard ECP, high | 300 or more disputes at 3 percent or more |
| MATCH (terminated merchant file) reason code, excessive chargebacks | More than 1 percent monthly rate and $5,000 or more, when the relationship ends |
Source: Shopify Help Center, fraud and dispute monitoring programs, checked 29 Sept 2026. Programme rules change; read the source before relying on a number.
If your payouts have been cut or held already, read our guide to payout holds and reserves.
About win rates
Chargeback-service vendors advertise high win rates. Those figures are the vendors’ own and come from companies that sell dispute representment, so we do not repeat them. The banks decide on the evidence; the reasons above tell you what they will look for.
Common questions
How long do I have to respond to a Shopify chargeback?
Usually 7 to 21 days, with no exceptions after the deadline, per Shopify’s help page.
Do I get the chargeback fee back?
If you win, Shopify states the fee is returned. If you lose, you lose the disputed amount and the fee.
Should I fight every chargeback?
Fight those where you hold evidence that answers the reason: delivered with tracking for “not received”, an accurate description for “not as described”. A dispute with no matching evidence costs only your time, but consider the effort against the order value.
Where does this fit in the wider fraud picture?
Prevention starts before fulfilment. See checkout optimisation and customer service for handling problems before a customer calls the bank.
Method: researched from Shopify Help Center pages, checked 29 Sept 2026; prevention column is our reading, not Shopify’s.
To stop disputes before they start, see the fraud order decision flow.