The most frustrating chargeback is the one on an order that went perfectly. The parcel arrived, the courier has the photo, and the bank has still taken the money.
Friendly fraud in the UK means a chargeback on a genuine purchase: the payment was authorised and the order was fulfilled, but the cardholder, or someone using their card, disputes it anyway. It is rarely a plot against you. Most cases start with confusion, regret or a family member, and the fix is evidence and a recognisable billing name.
Last updated: 6 October 2026. Written by the ChargeFix team.
The 30-second answer (TL;DR)
- Friendly fraud is a dispute on a real, delivered order. It is not stolen-card fraud, even though banks and Shopify may file it under the same fraud heading.
- The cardholder is not always your customer. Shopify says the person disputing can be someone who believes their card was used on your store without permission.
- Many cases come from honest causes: a charge the customer doesn't recognise, a family member's purchase, or a refund that went missing.
- Never accuse the customer in your response. State dated facts and point to exhibits, because reviewers decide on what is in front of them.
- The strongest evidence is direct proof: tracking that shows delivery to the address on the order, carrier proof and the customer's own messages.
- 3D Secure helps with fraud-coded disputes only. It does not stop a customer saying an item was never received or wasn't as described.
- Prevention is cheaper than winning: a billing name customers recognise, fast replies and a visible refund route stop most of these before the bank call.
Friendly fraud causes at a glance
| Cause | What the customer says | Shopify category you may see | What helps most |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doesn't recognise the charge | "I never ordered this" | Fraudulent or unrecognised | Order confirmation, billing name, delivery to a known address |
| Family member or friend used the card | "That wasn't me" | Fraudulent | Delivery proof, order history, address and device match |
| Delivered but says it wasn't | "It never arrived" | Product not received | Tracking, carrier photo or signature |
| Changed their mind | "It wasn't what I wanted" | Product unacceptable | Listing at purchase, your messages, returns policy |
| Refund was promised and not paid | "They never refunded me" | Credit not processed | Refund record and date sent |
| Forgot a subscription | "I cancelled" | Subscription canceled | Terms, cancellation records, usage |
What is friendly fraud in the UK?
Friendly fraud in the UK is a chargeback on a purchase that was genuine. The customer paid, you delivered, and the cardholder then tells their bank the payment was wrong. The word "friendly" refers to the fact that it comes from someone who isn't a criminal in the usual sense, not that it is gentle on your finances.
It is also called first-party fraud, which is the term card schemes and banks tend to use, because the dispute comes from the party who made, or benefited from, the original purchase. Some guides call the behaviour chargeback abuse, and others use first-party fraud. The names overlap, but they don't all mean the same thing, so it helps to be clear about what is going on.
The distinction that matters is between three cases:
- Stolen-card fraud, where a criminal pays with a card that isn't theirs.
- Honest mistakes, where the cardholder doesn't recognise a charge or forgot what they bought.
- Deliberate misuse, where the customer has the goods and tries to keep the money too.
All three can arrive in your Shopify admin looking the same, which is what makes friendly fraud in the UK hard to spot. Only the first is fraud in the plain sense. The other two are what people usually mean by friendly fraud in the UK, or by first-party fraud and chargeback abuse.
Is the person disputing always your customer?
No. Shopify's chargebacks overview says the cardholder disputing a payment can be someone who believes their card was used on your store without permission. That might be a partner who didn't know about the order, or a parent whose child used the card. They aren't lying, and they may have no idea who you are.
That detail should change your tone. A reply that treats every dispute as an accusation against the buyer will misfire on the many cases where the buyer and the cardholder are different people.
Is friendly fraud really fraud, or just chargeback abuse?
Sometimes it is and often it isn't. Banks and card schemes file many of these disputes under their fraud reasons because the cardholder says they didn't authorise the payment. Whether it is fraud in law depends on what the cardholder knew, and you can't tell that from the dispute alone. So treat it as a dispute, not a verdict.
Chargeback abuse is a loaded label, because it assumes intent. First-party fraud is more neutral but still implies the customer knew what they were doing. Many guides quote percentages for how much chargeback volume is friendly fraud. We haven't opened a primary source for any of them, so we don't quote them. What matters for you is your own data: how many of your disputes have a delivered order behind them, and what the customer's messages say.
That is worth tracking, and a simple dispute log does it. A friendly fraud chargeback that you can't explain is one you will see again. We give you one in the templates below.
It also helps to separate what you know from what you suspect. You know the order was placed, paid and delivered. You may suspect the customer is trying to keep the goods and the money. A response should contain the first and leave out the second.
Why do genuine orders turn into disputes?
Most friendly fraud in the UK starts as a genuine order that turns into a dispute for ordinary reasons: the charge looks unfamiliar on a bank statement, the buyer is unhappy and finds the bank easier than your returns page, or the person holding the card isn't the person who bought. A smaller number are deliberate. Prevention differs for each, so it pays to know which you are facing.
| Cause | Why it happens | What stops it |
|---|---|---|
| Unfamiliar billing name | The statement shows a company name that doesn't match your store | A recognisable billing name and an order email that states it |
| A customer forgets | A late delivery or a gift purchased weeks ago | Shipping updates and a clear order history |
| Shared card | A partner, parent or friend used the card | Delivery proof, and quick replies to the cardholder if they contact you |
| Slow refunds | A returned parcel with no refund in sight | Refund within the legal deadline, and a confirmation email |
| Hard-to-find returns route | The bank feels quicker than your policy page | A visible returns link in the order email |
| Buyer's remorse | They want the goods less than they did | A fair returns policy that they can use |
| Deliberate misuse | They have the goods and want the money back | Strong delivery proof and a clean evidence file |
Look at the table again and notice that only the last row needs a defensive response. The first six are about making your own side clearer, and every fix in them is cheap.
For a worked guide to the first row, our unrecognized chargeback post covers billing names and statement confusion in detail.
How can you tell friendly fraud from real fraud?
You can't tell for certain from the dispute alone, but a few signals point one way or the other. A delivered order to the billing address, a repeat customer and messages that show engagement point towards a genuine sale. A first order to a new address, with a mismatched name and no contact, points towards stolen-card fraud.
Shopify's automatic evidence gives you much of what you need to check. It includes the customer's name and email, billing and shipping addresses, the IP address used to place the order, fulfilment and tracking details, order history and any earlier disputes from the same customer.
| Signal | Points towards a genuine sale | Points towards stolen-card fraud |
|---|---|---|
| Delivery address | Matches the billing address or a known past address | A new address with no link to the cardholder |
| Order history | Earlier undisputed orders from the same customer | A first order with no history |
| Messages | The customer wrote to you, thanked you or asked a question | No contact at all |
| Tracking | Delivered to the address on the order | Redirected or collected elsewhere |
| Timing | Ordinary browsing and one clean checkout | Many failed attempts followed by a success |
One caution applies to the whole table. Each signal is a hint, not proof. A genuine customer can send a gift to a new address, and a criminal can use a familiar one. Don't base a policy on a single signal, and don't write "this is fraud" in a response unless you can show it.
How often these signals are decisive in practice isn't covered in the sources reviewed for this guide.
How does a friendly fraud chargeback show up in Shopify?
On Shopify Payments, a friendly fraud chargeback arrives with a dispute reason, which maps to one of Shopify's seven categories. Fraudulent and unrecognised disputes are the obvious ones, but product not received, product unacceptable, subscription canceled and credit not processed can all hide the same pattern.
| Shopify category | The friendly fraud version | Our guide |
|---|---|---|
| Fraudulent | A family member or the cardholder says they didn't authorise it | Shopify fraudulent chargeback |
| Unrecognised | They don't recognise the billing name | Unrecognized chargeback |
| Product not received | The parcel was delivered and they say it wasn't | Product not received and UK carriers |
| Product unacceptable | The item matches the listing and they want out | Product unacceptable chargeback guide |
| Credit not processed | A refund was owed late or not at all | Credit not processed |
| Subscription canceled | They forgot to cancel before the renewal | Subscription canceled chargeback guide |
That is a lot of links, but the point is simple. The reason on the dispute tells you which evidence to lead with. A fraud reason needs proof the order was genuine, a delivery reason needs proof it was delivered, and a refund reason needs the refund record.
Our Shopify chargebacks UK guide lists every category in one place, and how chargebacks work in the UK explains the process behind them.
What evidence beats a friendly fraud dispute?
Direct proof beats everything else: tracking that shows delivery to the address on the order, a carrier photo or signature, and messages where the customer confirms receipt or asks about the product. Shopify says to put direct proof first, then customer acknowledgement, then policy documents, then supporting context.
Shopify also says reviewers handle a high volume and may spend only minutes on each case, so the first thing on the page has to be your strongest. The practical rules are the same ones we use everywhere:
- Use screenshots of tracking and messages, not links.
- Label each item with what it shows and its date.
- Put the strongest item first.
- State dated facts. Don't argue.
Here is how to match your evidence to what the customer claims.
| If the customer says | Lead with | Then add |
|---|---|---|
| "I didn't place this order" | Delivery to the billing address, and any messages from them | Order history, the IP and address records Shopify supplies |
| "It never arrived" | Tracking showing delivered, carrier photo or signature | The delivery address as given at checkout |
| "It wasn't what I ordered" | The listing as it appeared at purchase and the order confirmation | Your messages offering a fix, your returns policy |
| "I returned it" | Tracking showing no return arrived, or the lack of a return record | Your returns instructions and the dates |
| "I cancelled" | Terms, cancellation records and usage after the charge | The renewal notice you sent |
| "I wasn't refunded" | The refund record and date | The confirmation email |
If the customer never contacted you before going to their bank, Shopify suggests including evidence of that, along with your contact details and a note that you would have fixed the issue if given the chance. This works well in friendly fraud cases, because a customer who bypassed you has already skipped the step the card networks expect.
How the weight of each item compares for each card network isn't covered in the sources reviewed. Treat the order above as good practice, not a guarantee.
Should you fight or accept a friendly fraud dispute?
Fight when you have direct proof and the order is worth the effort. Accept when your evidence is thin or the amount is small. The decision is a sum: what a win is worth, what a loss costs and how much time a response takes. Shopify says strong evidence improves your odds but doesn't guarantee a win.
Here is a worked illustration with invented numbers. An order of £180.00 is delivered. The goods cost £72.00 and postage was £4.00. A dispute arrives and costs the £10.00 fee.
| Line | Clean sale or won | Accepted or lost |
|---|---|---|
| Customer pays | £180.00 | £0.00 |
| Goods cost | £72.00 | £72.00 |
| Postage | £4.00 | £4.00 |
| Dispute fee | £0.00 | £10.00 |
| Net result | £104.00 | -£86.00 |
The sums: £180.00 less £76.00 of costs is £104.00. In the loss column you carry the £76.00 of costs and the £10.00 fee, which is -£86.00. The swing is £190.00.
Now put a price on your time. Say a response takes an hour at £25.00. If you fight and win, you net £104.00 less £25.00, which is £79.00. If you fight and lose, you net -£86.00 less £25.00, which is -£111.00.
The break-even is where the expected outcome from fighting equals the -£86.00 you would take by accepting. With p as your chance of winning, £79.00 times p, plus -£111.00 times (1 minus p), equals -£86.00. That simplifies to £190.00 times p equals £25.00, so p is about 13%. On those numbers, you need to win roughly one case in eight for fighting to pay.
We don't know your win rate, and no source we've opened gives a reliable one, so use your own log to estimate it. Our guide on whether it is worth fighting a chargeback takes the maths further, and our true cost of a chargeback calculator lets you use your own margins.
What does a friendly fraud dispute do to your chargeback rate?
Shopify says the rate is chargebacks divided by eligible transactions in the month, and that winning a dispute doesn't remove it. Here is an illustration. Say you take 600 eligible transactions and receive 4 chargebacks, 3 of them on genuine delivered orders. The rate is 4 divided by 600, which is 0.67%.
If better prevention stopped those 3 disputes, the rate would be 1 divided by 600, which is 0.17%. Preventing friendly fraud moves your rate far more than winning the same cases afterwards. Our chargeback rate calculator and thresholds guide shows where the lines are.
What do customers say before a friendly fraud dispute?
Most customers write to you or to their bank with a short message first. If you can read it correctly, you can often settle the matter before it becomes a chargeback. The table below pairs common messages with what they usually mean and what to send back.
| What the customer writes | What it often means | Your reply |
|---|---|---|
| "I don't recognise this charge" | The billing name or date is unfamiliar | Order number, date, items, billing name and the delivery record |
| "Where is my order?" | They can't find the parcel | Tracking, delivery date and photo, and a prompt to check with neighbours |
| "I want my money back" | They've changed their mind | Your returns steps and the 14 day rule, if it applies |
| "I've told my bank" | A dispute may already be opening | Reply anyway with the facts, and watch your admin |
| Silence, then a dispute | They went straight to the bank | Evidence that no contact was received |
The reply you send should be short, dated and factual, and the second template below gives you one. A calm answer within a day resolves many cases, because the customer's complaint was never really about you. It was about not understanding what happened.
Shopify and MoneyHelper both say customers are expected to contact the merchant first. A customer who skips that step has made your job easier, but only if you can show it. Keep every message in one thread and screenshot it.
A worked example: three disputes, three decisions
Three invented orders show why one rule doesn't fit every friendly fraud chargeback. Each carries the £10.00 UK fee when lost. Your time is priced at £25.00 an hour, and each response takes an hour.
| Order A | Order B | Order C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What the customer paid | £64.00 | £250.00 | £39.00 |
| Goods cost | £24.00 | £110.00 | £16.00 |
| Postage | £3.50 | £4.50 | £3.00 |
| Profit on a clean sale | £36.50 | £135.50 | £20.00 |
| Result if lost | -£37.50 | -£124.50 | -£29.00 |
| Swing between win and loss | £74.00 | £260.00 | £49.00 |
| Win chance needed to justify an hour | 34% | 10% | 51% |
The sums: Order A costs £27.50, so a clean sale earns £64.00 less £27.50, which is £36.50, and a lost dispute is -£27.50 less the £10.00 fee, which is -£37.50. Order B costs £114.50, so £250.00 less £114.50 is £135.50 and the lost result is -£124.50. Order C costs £19.00, so £39.00 less £19.00 is £20.00 and the lost result is -£29.00. The swings are £74.00, £260.00 and £49.00, and the break-even win chance is £25.00 divided by each swing.
On those numbers, Order B is almost always worth a full response, Order A is worth it if your evidence is strong, and Order C is only worth it if you are very likely to win. That is the sort of reasoning friendly fraud in the UK demands: pick your fights by the maths, not by irritation.
None of these figures comes from a published win rate, because no source we've opened gives a reliable one. Use your own dispute log to estimate yours.
A day-by-day plan for responding
Treat the due date as a project deadline. This plan uses a 14 day window starting Monday 12 October 2026, as an illustration. Your own due date appears in your Shopify admin.
| Day | Date | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Monday 12 October | Open the dispute. Note the reason, amount, order number and due date. |
| 1 | Tuesday 13 October | Screenshot the order, payment and tracking. Check for any refund already sent. |
| 2 | Wednesday 14 October | Collect all messages with the customer. Check whether they contacted you at all. |
| 3 | Thursday 15 October | Check history: previous orders, previous disputes, delivery address matches. |
| 4 | Friday 16 October | Decide whether to fight or accept, using the break-even maths above. |
| 7 | Monday 19 October | Draft your cover note from the template below. |
| 9 | Wednesday 21 October | Label every exhibit. Put the strongest first. |
| 10 | Thursday 22 October | Read it as a stranger would. Remove anything that argues. |
| 11 | Friday 23 October | Submit, with three days of margin before Monday 26 October. |
If you add nothing, Shopify submits a response on the due date from what is already on file. That response is thinner than yours would be, and it won't include messages or carrier proof you hold outside Shopify.
The time of day and time zone of the deadline aren't covered in the sources reviewed, so don't plan to file in the final hours.
How can you prevent friendly fraud before it starts?
You can't stop a customer disputing a payment, but you can remove most of the reasons for a friendly fraud chargeback. Preventing friendly fraud in the UK is mostly about clarity at four moments: checkout, fulfilment, delivery and after the sale. Each moment has one or two cheap fixes.
At checkout
- Show a billing name that matches your store name, and say what it will look like on a statement.
- State delivery times and returns terms before payment.
- Take 3D Secure when the issuing bank asks for it. UK and EU Shopify Payments has it built in.
A ten-minute billing name test
The cheapest check against friendly fraud in the UK is to see your store the way a customer's bank statement does. Place a small order on your own card, then look at how the charge appears in your banking app and what the order email says.
Ask three questions. Does the statement name match the name on your store? Would a customer who ordered three weeks ago recognise it? Does the order email tell the customer what to look for? If any answer is no, change the wording you control, and tell customers what to expect.
How Shopify sets the name on a statement, and where that setting lives, isn't covered in the sources reviewed, and menu wording changes, so follow what your admin shows. Repeat the test after any rebrand, because a new store name is a common trigger for a wave of "I don't recognise this" disputes. For friendly fraud in the UK, this one habit removes more risk per minute than anything else on the list.
At fulfilment
- Send a dispatch email with the tracking number and carrier.
- Pack an invoice or slip with your store name and contact details.
At delivery
- Use tracked delivery on every parcel, and signature or photo proof on higher-value orders.
- Keep the proof of delivery with the order.
After the sale
- Reply to every message within a day, and keep the whole conversation in one place.
- Pay refunds inside the legal deadline and email a confirmation. Our guide to Consumer Contracts Regulations refunds covers the dates.
- Put a returns link in the order email.
Does 3D Secure stop friendly fraud?
Partly. A successful 3D Secure check can shift liability for fraud-coded chargebacks, but it doesn't cover other dispute types such as product not received or product unacceptable. It also doesn't stop a family member using a card that the issuing bank has approved. Our 3D Secure and chargebacks guide covers the limits.
What about repeat disputers?
Keep a record. Shopify includes a customer's earlier disputes in its automatic evidence, so a pattern of disputes from the same person appears in your file. A customer with one genuine undisputed order and one dispute is a different case from one with five disputes.
What you may do with that information is a question the sources reviewed don't answer. Whether and how you can block a customer, share their details with other merchants or keep their data for longer is a matter of data protection law and your own terms. Take advice before you build a blocklist.
A safer step is internal: log every dispute by customer, reason and outcome, so you can see patterns without sharing anything.
What's different for UK merchants?
UK rules shape how friendly fraud works here, both what customers can do and what you should keep. This section is general information, not legal advice.
How long does a UK customer have to dispute?
MoneyHelper says customers generally have 120 days to claim a chargeback on a debit or credit card, counted from the purchase date, or from the date of an event if the purchase was for something later. So the window for a friendly fraud dispute in the UK can stay open for around four months.
Does Section 75 matter?
For credit card purchases over £100 and up to £30,000, a customer may also have a Section 75 claim, which has no time limit according to MoneyHelper. That is a legal route, separate from the chargeback scheme. Our Section 75 vs chargeback guide explains how the two differ for a seller.
What does SCA mean for fraud claims?
The FCA says Strong Customer Authentication rules have applied under the Payment Services Regulations 2017 since 14 September 2019. In practice, 3D Secure is the checkout step that delivers it. SCA reduces stolen-card fraud, but it doesn't remove disputes about what was delivered.
What proof of delivery do UK carriers give?
Royal Mail captures a photo on delivery for Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 where no signature is needed. Evri offers a Digital Signature add-on with photographic proof, at 60p when we checked, though prices change. We haven't verified what proof DPD gives, so check with the carrier before you rely on it.
What is the UK dispute fee?
Shopify lists the UK fee at £10, returned if you win. Shopify says the disputed amount and the fee are taken when the chargeback opens.
Do UK bank holidays change the deadline?
How weekends and bank holidays affect a Shopify due date isn't covered in the sources reviewed. Treat the date in your admin as hard and file early.
Copy-and-paste templates
Replace the square brackets with facts from your records. Leave out any line you can't support.
Cover note for a fraud or unrecognised dispute
Response to dispute on order #[order number]
Dispute reason shown: [reason], amount £[amount], opened [date]
Summary
On [order date], an order was placed on our store for [items], total
£[total], paid by card ending [last four digits] and shipped to
[address on the order]. The order was dispatched on [date] by [carrier],
tracking number [number], and delivered on [date] to that address.
Evidence enclosed, strongest first
1. [Tracking page screenshot showing delivered on date]
2. [Carrier proof of delivery, photo or signature]
3. [Customer message of date confirming / asking about the order]
4. [Order confirmation email sent on date, showing billing name]
5. [Previous undisputed orders from the same customer, dates and totals]
6. [Address and IP records from the order]
Customer contact
[We received no contact from the customer before this dispute was
opened. / We replied to the customer on date, copy enclosed.]
We ask that this dispute be decided in the merchant's favour.
The note states dated facts and points to exhibits. It doesn't use the word "fraud" about the customer, because the reviewer is deciding and unsupported accusations weaken a file.
Message to a customer who says they don't recognise a charge
Hello [customer name],
Thank you for getting in touch. The charge on your statement may appear
as "[billing name]". It relates to order #[order number], placed on
[date] for [items], total £[amount], and delivered on [date].
I have attached the order confirmation and the delivery record. If you
still don't recognise the order, please reply and I will look into it
today. If someone else used your card, I can help you check.
[Your name]
[Store name]
Evidence checklist
- Order page with date, items, total and payment details
- Billing name and how it appears on a statement
- Tracking page showing delivered, date and address
- Carrier proof of delivery, if available
- Every customer message, with dates visible
- Earlier undisputed orders from the same customer
- Any earlier disputes from the same customer
- Refund records for the order
- Each item labelled, strongest first
- Submitted before the due date, with a margin
Dispute log
Keep one row per dispute. After ten rows, patterns show that no single case reveals.
Order # | Opened | Due | Reason | Amount | Customer messages? | Delivered? | Fought? | Result | Likely cause | Fix
Common mistakes
- Accusing the customer. Say what happened and when, and let exhibits carry the point.
- Treating every dispute as deliberate. Many are confusion or a family member's purchase.
- Treating every case of friendly fraud in the UK the same way. Match the response to the reason on the dispute, and lead with delivery or fraud evidence, not policy. Match the evidence to the reason.
- Sending unlabelled screenshots. A reviewer with minutes can't tell what each one proves.
- Trusting one signal. A new address doesn't prove fraud, and a familiar one doesn't prove innocence.
- Relying on 3D Secure alone. It speaks to fraud-coded disputes, and a merchant can still lose with it in place.
- Ignoring prevention. Winning one case does nothing for the rate, and prevention does.
- Not logging outcomes. Without a log you fight the same pattern again and again.
FAQ
What is friendly fraud in the UK?
Friendly fraud is a chargeback on a genuine purchase, where the cardholder tells their bank a payment was wrong even though the order was authorised and fulfilled. The dispute can come from honest confusion, a family member's purchase or deliberate misuse, and you usually can't tell which from the dispute alone.
Is friendly fraud illegal in the UK, or just chargeback abuse?
It depends on what the cardholder knew and did, which is why first-party fraud is hard to prove from the dispute. A customer who honestly doesn't recognise a charge isn't committing an offence, while deliberately claiming for goods they received might be. We can't give legal advice, and the sources reviewed don't settle it. For a serious case, speak to a solicitor.
How do I prove a customer received their order?
Use tracking that shows delivery to the address on the order, plus a carrier photo or signature where you have one. Add any message in which the customer confirms receipt. Screenshots work better than links, and each item should be labelled with what it shows and its date.
What is the difference between friendly fraud and real fraud?
Real fraud involves a criminal using a card that isn't theirs. Friendly fraud involves a genuine purchase that the cardholder later disputes. Disputes of both kinds can carry the same reason in Shopify, so look at delivery, order history and customer messages to work out which you have.
Can I stop a friendly fraud chargeback in the UK?
You can't stop a customer disputing a payment, but you can reduce how often it happens. A billing name that customers recognise, tracked delivery, quick replies and a visible refund route remove many of the causes. Cutting the number of disputes helps your chargeback rate more than winning cases.
Does 3D Secure protect me from friendly fraud?
Only in part. Shopify says a successful 3D Secure check can shift liability for fraud-coded chargebacks, but it doesn't cover disputes such as product not received. A shared card that the bank approved also passes. Treat 3D Secure as one layer alongside delivery proof and clear communication.
How long do customers have to dispute a card payment in the UK?
MoneyHelper says customers generally have 120 days to start a chargeback, counted from the purchase date. For purchases of something in the future, such as tickets, it runs from the date of the event. Section 75 claims on credit cards have no time limit.
Should I accept or fight a friendly fraud chargeback?
Fight when you hold direct proof and the order justifies the time. Accept when evidence is thin or the amount is small. The decision is arithmetic: the value of a win, the cost of a loss, and your time. Shopify says strong evidence improves your odds without guaranteeing a win.
Will winning a dispute improve my chargeback rate?
No. Shopify says winning doesn't remove a dispute from your chargeback rate, which counts the disputes filed in the month. The money and fee come back if you win, but the mark stays. That is why preventing disputes does more for your rate than contesting them.
Do refunds count as friendly fraud?
No. A refund you issue yourself is not a dispute, so it doesn't file a chargeback or add to your rate. A refund that is late or missing, though, is a common reason customers go to their bank, so pay promptly and send a confirmation email.
Try ChargeFix free on Shopify Payments disputes
When a friendly fraud chargeback reaches your Shopify Payments admin, ChargeFix gathers the order, shipping and delivery evidence and drafts a rebuttal from verified facts only, so you review it and decide what is filed. There is a free plan, and the paid plans are flat monthly fees with no cut of what you win, though ChargeFix works only with Shopify Payments disputes today. Install ChargeFix free.
01Chargebacks
02Chargeback guides
03Fraud and authentication
04Chargeback guides
05Chargeback guides
06Chargeback guides