This article explains how Chargeback.io charges for alerts, how alert pricing works, when your balance is charged, and what can happen if your balance gets too low.
It doesn’t explain how to top up your balance, how balance thresholds are set, how to refund your remaining balance, or how to request alert credits.
How Billing Works for Chargeback.io
Chargeback.io charges for alerts through a prepaid balance. If you’re creating a new account, you need to fund your balance until it reaches your Minimum threshold before you can receive alerts.
When you receive a chargeback prevention alert, we deduct that alert’s cost from your balance. For example, if you receive an RDR alert, we deduct $15 from your balance.
If your balance reaches your Critical threshold, we automatically charge your saved payment method and top your balance up to your Recommended threshold. This helps prevent interruptions to your alert service.
If you pause or leave Chargeback.io, your remaining balance is refundable.
Further reading:
How Much Chargeback.io Alerts Cost
Chargeback.io alert pricing depends on the alert network that delivered the alert:
If you have a high volume of chargebacks, contact Sales to ask about lower volume-based pricing.
Click the links on each alert network to see what they are and how they work.
Further reading:
Do I Control What Alert I'm Charged for?
You’re charged for the alert network that delivered the alert. Chargeback.io doesn’t choose which network sends the alert.
Here’s how that works:
If a bank participates in Ethoca and not RDR, then Ethoca sends the alert and you’re charged $29.
If that bank participates in RDR instead, then Verifi sends the alert and you’re charged $15 for an RDR alert.
Can I Receive Duplicate Alerts?
You can receive duplicate alerts for the same dispute if you’re enrolled in:
Ethoca and CDRN, or
CDRN and RDR
If our system detects a duplicate alert, we automatically credit most duplicate alerts.
If you want to reduce the risk of duplicate alerts, don’t enroll in CDRN unless you can’t enroll in RDR.
Do I Get Credited for Bad Alerts?
A bad alert is a chargeback alert for a transaction that doesn’t exist or has another error state.
If you provide acceptable evidence, we credit these alert statuses in full:
Lost
Not Found
Duplicate
Already a Chargeback
Failed Transaction
Previously Refunded
Declined, when the alert qualifies under our credit policy
If you need help with an edge-case credit request, contact Support and include:
A screenshot of the issue, and
The alert ID
That gives us the fastest path to review.
Exception: If you use upselling apps on Shopify, 1 purchase can create multiple transactions. If that happens, you can receive more than one alert for the same purchase, and those alerts aren’t refundable.
Further reading:
What Happens if a Top-up Fails?
If your balance drops below your Critical threshold, we try to charge the card on file.
If the first charge fails, we keep retrying for up to 10 consecutive days.
If a charge fails during the first 3 days, we email you each time the charge fails.
If all 10 charge attempts fail, we automatically mark your account as Inactive and deactivate it.
1. What Happens When my Account is Deactivated?
If your account is deactivated, our system unenrolls your billing descriptors and deactivate your alert networks.
If you were in the middle of enrolling in RDR, deactivation interrupts that process. If you reactivate your account later, you’ll need to restart RDR descriptor enrollment.
Here's what deactivated accounts can and can't do:
What You Can Do | What You Can't Do |
Top up your balance | Receive alerts |
View payment history | Manage billing descriptors |
2. Reactivating Your Account
To reactivate your account, top up your balance until it goes above your Critical threshold.
After that, your account reactivates automatically within 1–2 business days.
To reduce the risk of another interruption, top up to your Recommended threshold instead of topping up just above Critical.
If you top up only a little above Critical and then receive an alert, your balance can drop below Critical again right away.
Why Alert Costs Outweigh the Cost of Chargebacks
A single alert can help you avoid:
A chargeback fee, often $10–$20, plus the value of the transaction
More than one chargeback tied to the same order
A higher chargeback ratio with your processor
Added risk of MATCH listing issues
Monitoring program penalties and fines
Paying $15 or $29 for an alert is often cheaper than dealing with chargeback fees, refunded revenue, processor pressure, reserve holds, and long-term account risk.
FAQs
Is there any onboarding fee?
Is there any onboarding fee?
No. There's no onboarding fee.
Is there any monthly fee?
Is there any monthly fee?
No. You don’t pay for alerts through a monthly invoice.
Is each alert option a plan?
Is each alert option a plan?
No. Alerts aren’t part of a plan.
Do I have to charge the RDR and the Ethoca fee for all alerts?
Do I have to charge the RDR and the Ethoca fee for all alerts?
No. You only pay for the alert network that delivered the alert.
💬 Still need help? Contact Chargeback.io support.