RDR (Rapid Dispute Resolution) is a Visa network program, owned by Verifi, that automatically refunds eligible disputes before they become formal chargebacks. See "What is RDR?" for a full explanation of how RDR works.
What changed in Shopify's chargeback rate on January 28, 2026?
On January 28, 2026, Shopify updated how it displays chargeback rates in the Shopify dashboard. Starting on that date, Shopify's displayed chargeback rate includes disputes that were resolved through Visa's RDR (Rapid Dispute Resolution) program, in addition to standard chargebacks. Because RDR cases are now folded into this number, merchants using Shopify may see their chargeback rate metric appear higher than it did before January 28, 2026, even when nothing about their underlying dispute activity has changed.
Shopify made this change to give merchants a more complete picture of total dispute activity before RDR intervenes. According to Shopify's official changelog announcement, Shopify has also added the ability to filter and analyze chargebacks by type (RDR versus standard chargebacks) in Shopify reports.
Does Shopify actually count RDR cases as chargebacks?
⚠️Shopify's own announcement states there is no change to how Shopify evaluates risk. In practice, merchants have reported that this is not accurate: Shopify support has told several merchants directly that RDR cases are in fact counted toward their chargeback rate, and because that inflates the rate, it does put their store at risk of account review, reserves, or other standing actions.
Yes. Shopify counts RDR cases toward your Shopify chargeback rate, even though an RDR case is not a real chargeback. RDR resolves a dispute by automatically refunding the customer before it ever becomes a formal chargeback, but Shopify's own chargeback rate calculation includes these RDR cases anyway, which is why the rate you see in your Shopify dashboard can go up even when none of your disputes actually escalated into chargebacks.
This means the chargeback rate Shopify displays, and uses for its own account-standing evaluations, is not the same as your true chargeback ratio on the Visa network. The two can diverge, and it's important to know which one applies where.
How does this affect my account standing and risk on the Visa network versus on Shopify?
The table below shows how RDR cases are treated differently depending on which party is evaluating your account:
Evaluator | Does it count RDR as a chargeback? | What this means for you |
Visa network monitoring (VDMP/VFMP) | No. RDR-resolved disputes do not count toward Visa's Dispute Monitoring Program (VDMP) or Visa Fraud Monitoring Program (VFMP) thresholds. | Your actual Visa chargeback ratio is unaffected by RDR cases. This is the ratio the card networks themselves are concerned with, and in serious cases a high true chargeback ratio can put your ability to process payments at risk, but that risk comes from actual chargebacks, not from RDR, Ethoca, or CDRN cases resolved before they escalate. |
Shopify's own chargeback rate | Yes, as of January 28, 2026. Shopify includes RDR cases in the chargeback rate shown in your dashboard and used for its own account-standing evaluations. | A higher volume of RDR cases can push your Shopify-displayed rate up and closer to Shopify's own thresholds. Shopify uses this rate to decide whether additional risk measures are necessary, such as payment holds or enrolling you in NDRP (Shopify's own pre-dispute resolution program, similar to RDR), even though none of those RDR cases are real chargebacks. |
Other payment processors (non-Shopify) | Varies by processor, this article covers Shopify's treatment specifically. | If you rely on a chargeback rate from a different processor for reserve or standing decisions, confirm directly with that processor how it treats RDR. |
In short, these are two separate measurements: your Shopify chargeback ratio (which RDR affects) and your true network chargeback ratio (which RDR, Ethoca, and CDRN all help protect by resolving disputes before they become chargebacks).
Note: If you're concerned about how your RDR volume is affecting your Shopify-displayed rate, use the filter below to check your rate with RDR cases excluded.
How do I see my Shopify chargeback rate without RDR cases?
In Shopify
To view a chargeback rate that excludes RDR cases and aligns with traditional card-network monitoring metrics, follow these steps:
Go to Analytics
Select Reports
Search for the "Chargeback rate" report
Click Filters
Search the filter "Is Rapid Dispute Resolution"
Set it to "No"
The report will now display your chargeback rate with RDR cases excluded.
In Disputifier
You can also see both rates side by side in your Disputifier portal.
In your Disputifier dashboard, click the Home tab in the left sidebar
Select Overview
3. Under Dispute rate: the graphic shows two lines:
Green for your dispute rate without RDR
Blue for your dispute rate with RDR included
This lets you compare your true dispute activity against the inflated rate Shopify now displays, in one place.
How can I lower my displayed Shopify chargeback rate?
If you want to reduce the number that displays in Shopify, and avoid RDR cases counting against you there in the first place, add Ethoca alerts and CDRN (Cardholder Dispute Resolution Network) to your chargeback prevention stack.
Ethoca alerts and CDRN alerts work differently from RDR: they intercept a dispute before it enters the formal chargeback process, so a dispute resolved through Ethoca or CDRN leaves no trace in Shopify's chargeback metrics and never appears in your displayed chargeback rate. RDR, by contrast, resolves the dispute after it has already been submitted through Visa Resolve Online (VROL), which is why Shopify's reporting still counts it, even though the case never became a real chargeback.
If you are thinking on opting out of RDR, consider the coverage trade-off first. RDR covers roughly 90% of Visa transactions, while Ethoca and CDRN together cover roughly 50%. Relying on Ethoca/CDRN alone means a meaningful share of genuine Visa disputes can slip through without being caught, and those uncaught disputes become real chargebacks, which affect your chargeback ratio not only on Shopify, but at the Visa network level as well.
The table below compares how each program affects your displayed Shopify chargeback rate:
Program | Appears in Shopify's displayed chargeback rate? | Card networks covered |
RDR | Yes, Shopify counts RDR cases as chargebacks in this rate as of January 28, 2026 | Visa only |
CDRN | No | Visa and some other networks |
Ethoca | No | Mastercard and some other networks |
CDRN coverage is particularly effective for Visa disputes, since it provides a layer of protection specifically for Visa card transactions, alongside RDR.
Beyond Ethoca, CDRN, and RDR, Disputifier also offers two additional layers of protection worth enrolling in:
Order Insight and Compelling Evidence share verified order and delivery details directly with the customer's bank, which can help resolve disputes before they escalate and strengthens your case if a dispute does proceed. For more information, see What is Order Insight and Compelling Evidence?.
Fraud Prevention detects potentially fraudulent orders before they ship, with real-time notifications. You can turn on auto-refund so flagged fraud orders never become chargebacks, or leave it off so you're notified and can verify the order yourself before fulfilling it. For more information, see All about Disputifier fraud prevention.
If you'd like to enroll in Order Insight, Compelling Evidence, or Fraud Prevention, contact the Disputifier support team.
Note: Like a standard refund, RDR, Ethoca, and CDRN refunds are all deducted from your payment processor account balance. Ethoca and CDRN alerts are resolved as regular refunds through the API or manually in your processor. RDR refunds specifically are also final: even if the customer later withdraws the dispute, an RDR refund cannot be reversed. Payment processors, including Shopify, may also charge a processing fee for RDR events.
If you're not currently using Ethoca or CDRN alerts, contact the Disputifier support team to add these to your Disputifier subscription.
Key takeaways
Your displayed Shopify chargeback rate may look higher since January 28, 2026, and Shopify does count RDR cases toward that rate, even though RDR cases are not real chargebacks.
Your actual Visa chargeback ratio (used for Visa's VDMP/VFMP monitoring) is unaffected by RDR cases, only Shopify's own displayed rate and account-standing evaluations include them.
Because Shopify uses this rate for its own account reviews, a high volume of RDR activity can bring your Shopify-displayed rate closer to Shopify's own thresholds.
Your post-RDR dispute rate, available in your Disputifier dashboard, or in Shopify using the "Is Rapid Dispute Resolution" filter, reflects your dispute activity outside of RDR.
Adding Ethoca and CDRN alerts to your prevention stack can lower your displayed Shopify chargeback rate, since these alerts leave no trace in Shopify's dispute metrics at all.
Questions about this change?
If you have questions about how this update affects your account, or you'd like to add Ethoca or CDRN alerts to your Disputifier subscription, please reach out to the Disputifier team through the live chat in the Disputifier app.
Official Shopify announcement: changelog.shopify.com/posts/updates-to-chargeback-rates