Чарджбэк-рейт
Chargeback Ratio
The share of chargebacks (disputed and reversed payments) out of total transactions or their value over a reporting period. A key risk metric for acquirers and PSPs.
What is Чарджбэк-рейт (Chargeback Ratio)?
The chargeback ratio shows what share of a merchant's payments were disputed by the cardholder and returned through the chargeback mechanism. It is one of the main indicators of a merchant's risk level: banks and payment systems look at it first when deciding whether to keep a project on acquiring, raise the reserve, or disable card acceptance.
## How it is calculated
Usually it is the ratio of the number of chargebacks in a month to the number of successful transactions in the same month, expressed as a percentage. A value-based calculation also exists, where the total amount of chargebacks is divided by total turnover. That is why figures reported by different participants may not match. Before comparing, check which formula is used and over which period the metric is calculated.
## Where it is used
In fintech and payments, the metric is tracked by acquirers, PSPs and payment systems that run their own monitoring programs for higher-risk merchants. It is especially important in gambling, betting, nutra and dating, where disputes over charges, subscriptions and trial offers are more common. Thresholds are set by card schemes and banks and they change over time, so current values should be verified in the acquirer agreement and in the card scheme rules.
## What it affects
A high chargeback ratio leads to fines, a higher rolling reserve, payout delays, inclusion in monitoring programs and, in the worst case, closure of the merchant account. An increase in the metric is often noticed first in the descriptor, in offer transparency and in traffic quality, rather than in conversion itself.
## Common mistakes
A common mistake is counting only formal chargebacks and ignoring refund requests that were closed before a dispute was filed. A second mistake is averaging the metric over a quarter, which hides spikes in individual months that trigger sanctions. A third is failing to separate friendly fraud from genuine complaints, which makes anti-fraud measures ineffective.
FAQ
How does the chargeback ratio differ from the refund rate?
A chargeback is initiated by the cardholder through the issuing bank, while a refund is made voluntarily by the merchant. Refunds can reduce future chargebacks, but they are usually not included in the chargeback ratio calculation.
Can you lower the chargeback ratio without changing traffic?
Yes, a clear descriptor, an explicit subscription cancellation button, confirmation emails and fast support replies often help. These measures do not require changing traffic sources.
What should you do if the metric suddenly rises?
First, analyze the causes by day and by channel, and check recent changes to offers and billing. Then contact the acquirer and prepare an action plan before receiving a formal notice.