What is a chargeback and how can I avoid it?

Chargebacks are refund requests made by buyers through their banks. This happens when the buyer disputes a purchase on their card, either because they don’t recognize the transaction on the statement or have identified an issue with the purchase.

To illustrate, imagine a buyer purchased one of your products, but when they receive their card statement, they don’t recognize the purchase. They can then request a chargeback to recover the amount paid. This process is a security measure created by banks to protect consumers from fraud and unauthorized purchases.

It’s important to understand that the chargeback process occurs directly between the buyer and the bank, and Hotmart has no responsibility in this matter. This means that we cannot interfere in this process, reverse the refund request, provide timelines for receiving funds, or supply documents proving that a chargeback was requested. If your customers have questions about chargebacks, guide them to deal directly with the bank or credit card operator.

How does a chargeback happen in practice?

The chargeback process begins when a buyer disputes a transaction and contacts the bank and/or card operator to resolve the issue. After reviewing the case, and if the reasons for the dispute are deemed valid, the bank proceeds with the chargeback, resulting in the payment being blocked for the customer and the seller being notified of the request.

Whenever a chargeback occurs, the payment is blocked by the card operator and, consequently, by other payment mechanisms that processed the purchase, such as HotPay. For this reason, when a chargeback occurs, the commissions (net revenue) generated from the purchase for all parties (creator, cocreator, and affiliate) are blocked, and your balance is updated.

What is the difference between a chargeback and a refund?

A chargeback happens when the customer, without contacting Hotmart or the creator, requests the cancellation of the transaction directly with the card operator, which is responsible for refunding the money to the buyer.

In the case of a refund, the buyer can request it within the product’s guarantee period, and Hotmart will handle the refund. Typically, the creator will contact the customer to try to resolve the situation amicably or address the objections that led to the refund request. If the refund request is upheld, the refund is processed, and the time to receive the refund may vary depending on the payment method used at the time of purchase.

Why can a chargeback occur?

Chargeback requests can occur for various reasons, such as:

• Non-recognition of the purchase on the card statement: This may include situations where the buyer forgets about a purchase they made or cases where the cardholder lent the card to someone close, and upon checking the statement, they do not recognize the origin of the purchase.
• Theft or loss of the card: Often, disputes arise due to fraud resulting from theft or loss, leading to purchases made on the credit card without the cardholder's consent.
• Dissatisfaction with the purchase: The cardholder makes a purchase and, after gaining access to the product, feels dissatisfied and requests a cancellation.
• Unusual transactions detected by the bank: In some cases, the bank may initiate a chargeback automatically without the buyer's knowledge, especially if it detects a suspicious transaction. This can happen, for example, when buyers who don’t usually make online purchases complete a transaction, and the bank considers the activity out of the ordinary, executing the chargeback as a precaution.

How can chargebacks impact a digital business?

For those working with digital product sales, chargebacks can lead to financial losses and damage the business’s reputation. Moreover, a high volume of chargeback requests can result in the suspension of product sales or, in more severe cases, the deactivation of account features. Therefore, it’s crucial to monitor the health of your sales.

Major credit card brands, such as Visa and Mastercard, penalize companies that receive many chargeback requests. These brands continuously monitor activity, and if a company exceeds acceptable limits, it can be penalized with fines or sanctions. This could even prevent the platform from offering credit card payment options to our customers.

At Hotmart, the maximum allowable chargeback rate is 0.9%, and this percentage is calculated by region, not as a general average.

How is a chargeback calculated?

To monitor the chargeback rate over a given period, the following calculation is used: % chargeback = (number of chargebacks generated by sales* / number of sales made in the period) x 100.

* The chargeback’s occurrence is linked to the date of the original transaction.

These measures are essential to ensure compliance with financial security regulations and protect the platform's integrity.

To help you understand the calculation of chargebacks, here is an example:

Suppose John launched his product on January 1st and made 100 sales in 30 days. By January 31st, John received 3 chargebacks. 

To calculate the chargeback rate for the past 30 days, he should use the following calculation: (3 chargebacks / 100 sales) x 100 = 3%.

If John wants to calculate his chargeback rate on a future date, the calculation will be based on the following formula: (chargebacks generated from sales made in the last 30 days / sales made in the last 30 days) x 100.

It’s important to note that Hotmart may use other criteria to determine the chargeback calculation period for each creator. The 30-day period used in the example above is for illustrative purposes only.

What can happen to products and accounts with high chargeback rates?

To comply with all companies involved in the payment arrangement and the Terms of Use, Hotmart may (but is not limited to) remove certain features from the creator's account and deactivate the sale of products with high chargeback rates.

If this happens, the account with deactivated features will receive an email from Hotmart with detailed information.

What can I do to reduce my chargeback rate?

Check out some tips to avoid and reduce your chargeback rate by clicking on each of the best practices below:

❯ Monitor your rates

Track both chargebacks and refund requests when selling a digital product. The combination of both will indicate whether the product is being well received by buyers.

❯ Reduce the chances of unrecognized purchases

Use the feature that defines the product name that will be displayed on the card statement. This makes it easier for the buyer to remember the product related to the transaction on the statement, avoiding accidental chargebacks.

❯ Understand the context of each region

If your strategy is to sell to different countries and regions, seek local assistance to validate your sales messages. Refining the strategy for each market can help you not only reduce chargeback numbers but also increase your sales.

❯ Focus on the quality of your content

Explain in detail how your product will solve the customer's problem and align expectations. Avoid people buying a product expecting something different from what will be delivered, and promise only what you can truly deliver.

❯ Active onboarding

Ensure that the user can access your product after purchase and has all the necessary information for a good experience. Engage the user from the beginning. Contact them via WhatsApp or email and ask if they could watch the first lesson, for example. A user who doesn't feel welcomed is more likely to request a chargeback.

❯ Offer good support

Keep your support channels visible and easily accessible to the buyer (on the Thank You Page, Sales Page, etc.). The more agile you are in handling technical support issues, the less likely the buyer will resort to a chargeback as an immediate solution.

❯ If you are a creator, maintain a close relationship with your affiliates

Keep your promotional materials always updated and communicate with your affiliates to prevent your product from being sold with a different message than what you believe.

❯ If you are an affiliate, be selective with the products you are selling

Ensure that the product you decided to sell truly delivers what it promises, has quality content, and provides good support to the buyer.

These are some actions you can take to minimize the impact of chargebacks on your digital business. Remember that whenever a chargeback occurs, the payment is blocked with the card issuer and, consequently, with other payment mechanisms that processed the purchase, such as HotPay. For this reason, when a chargeback occurs, the commissions generated in the purchase for all parties are blocked and your balance is updated.

It's extremely important to follow best practices to avoid chargebacks, as they can result in balance blocks, product creation, and account restrictions. For more information on balance blocks, consult this article. We also recommend reviewing the Hotmart’s General Terms of Use for more information on chargebacks and terminations due to improper conduct.