Creator Cost Lab / Calculator

Refund and Chargeback Cost Calculator for Creators (Stripe Checkout)

A refund gives the buyer their money back, but not your fees. See what refunds and disputes really cost you each month.

Stripe pricing and dispute docs checked 2026-10-10 · US Stripe account and US card assumed

Price per sale (USD) Platform fee % (0 if none) Refunds per month Chargebacks per month Chargebacks you contest successfully

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Case	Lost per case	Count	Lost per month

How the numbers work

Refund: the buyer gets the full price back. Stripe does not return the original 2.9% + $0.30 processing fee. Many selling platforms also keep their own fee; set the platform fee to 0 if yours returns it.
Chargeback you accept or lose: the sale amount is taken back, plus a $15 dispute fee, and the original fees are still gone.
Chargeback you contest: Stripe adds a $15 counter fee. If you win, you get the sale amount and the counter fee back, but not the first $15.

The cheapest case is almost always a fast refund. If a buyer asks for their money back, refunding before they go to their bank saves at least $15.

Sources: Stripe pricing, How disputes work, Stripe dispute fee update. Merchant-of-record platforms such as Lemon Squeezy and Gumroad handle disputes their own way; check their help pages.