What a chargeback and a refund cost you on each network

See what you keep per sale at your price and commission, then set that amount against the costs below.

ClickBank chargeback fee

ClickBank's chargeback fee depends on the seller account's dispute rate. Its article on managing refunds and chargebacks sets the fee at $22 when that rate is under 1.0%, at $29 plus ClickBank's margin when the rate is between 1.0% and 1.49%, and at $49 plus ClickBank's margin when the rate is above 1.5%.

An account at 2% or higher has to act within 48 hours.

The default refund period is 60 days, and a seller can set a product anywhere from 30 to 364 days, according to ClickBank's note on commission after a refund. The return policy says ClickBank will, at its discretion, allow a return or replacement within 60 days of the purchase.

A returned initial sale carries a fee of its own. The accounting policy charges $1.00 when the product price plus shipping is $10 or more, and $0.50 when that total is under $10. ClickBank skips that fee when the buyer returns the order on the same day it was charged. A seller whose refund rate stays above 20% may also have ClickBank retain its transaction processing margin.

Who gives back the affiliate commission depends on how you pay affiliates. On revenue share, the commission that was paid is revoked, so the seller and the affiliate are both debited. On CPA, the affiliate keeps the entire flat commission and the seller covers the return costs. When a customer opens a ticket, the seller has 24 hours to try to save the sale by supporting the customer directly.

Approval and the rest of the seller contract are in the ClickBank review. A supplement offer weighed against BuyGoods is in BuyGoods vs ClickBank.

Digistore24 refund policy for vendors

Digistore24's pricing page puts fraud and chargeback handling inside the transaction fee. That fee also covers payment processing for credit cards, PayPal, Klarna, SEPA, wire transfers and 100 more methods, automatic affiliate commission payouts, global tax and VAT calculation and remittance, full platform access, and customer billing support.

On the $100 sale in that page's example, $0.58 of the fee goes to fraud prevention and to refund and chargeback management.

For Digistore24 Inc. in the US, the costs article lists a regular margin of 7.9% plus $1 per sale. Digistore24 also keeps 10% of earnings as a security deposit. The payout timeline shows when that held share is released.

Onboarding, tax handling and the deposit are in the Digistore24 review. ClickBank vs Digistore24 puts the two fee structures in one place.

JVZoo refund period

On your own Stripe or PayPal, the JVZoo FAQ says revenue deposits into your account after the 30-day refund period. The first payout on that path waits until the balance reaches $100.

The terms say refund policies are determined by each vendor, and the order page is where a buyer reads that wording.

JVZoo Processing Services is the path where JVZoo processes the payment. The FAQ says JVZoo then handles chargebacks, refunds, fraud prevention and payment logistics, for an 8.5% fee. The FAQ and the terms describe that handling and never name a dollar amount for one dispute. On a processor you connect yourself, the card dispute lands on that Stripe or PayPal account.

Digistore24 vs JVZoo and ClickBank vs JVZoo put this hold next to the other payout calendars. Approval and JVZooPay are in the JVZoo review.

BuyGoods refund policy

BuyGoods gives buyers two deadlines.

The refund page says all products purchased on BuyGoods come with a no-questions-asked 30-day money-back guarantee. The terms say BuyGoods will allow the return or replacement of any product purchased via the site within 60 days from the date of purchase. Both numbers matter when you are counting how long a paid order can still be sent back, and the two pages disagree.

Neither page says what a seller is charged for a card dispute, or how BuyGoods collects that money from the vendor. Public seller terms beyond the windows are in the BuyGoods review. BuyGoods vs Digistore24 is the head-to-head for those two checkouts.

What CopeCart debits after a chargeback

CopeCart's help article on refunds and chargebacks says the fee depends on the payment service provider. After a chargeback is resolved, CopeCart takes the amount back in two parts, the same way it pays vendors: 80% on day 14 and the remaining 20% on day 40, with the fee split the same way.

In that article the example fee is €30.

If you need the contract language beside that debit, the CopeCart review has the EU reseller terms. Digistore24 vs CopeCart is the pairing for an offer sold to European buyers.

Where the cost model should start

My pick for a spreadsheet is ClickBank, because the schedule above gives a dollar amount for each dispute rate. Digistore24 includes handling in the sale fee, and the example on its pricing page shows how much of that fee pays for the work. JVZoo follows whichever side takes the payment. BuyGoods leaves you with the two deadlines above. CopeCart follows the payment provider and takes the money back on the same timetable as a payout.

Once you know which costs apply to your offer, open the fee calculator with your price and commission. Put that same price into the refund and chargeback calculator for the debit on one return or one dispute.

Sources

• Managing refunds and chargebacks
• ClickBank return and subscription cancellation policy
• Commission if a ClickBank sale is refunded
• ClickBank accounting policy
• Digistore24 pricing
• Costs on Digistore24 Inc. (US)
• JVZoo FAQ
• JVZoo terms
• BuyGoods refund page
• BuyGoods terms
• Refunds and chargebacks at CopeCart

Related

• Affiliate network fee calculator: what a vendor keeps per sale
• Affiliate network chargeback fee calculator
• How to keep your chargeback rate under the network's limit
• Who handles tax, refunds and chargebacks
• When does a vendor get paid? Payouts by network
• How we research
• Compare affiliate networks