Stripe dispute deadlines and the dispute fee
Two different things get called the dispute fee, and they're not the same. One applies no matter what you do. The other only applies if you fight, and only sticks if you lose. Knowing the difference changes how you think about whether a case is worth countering.
Quick facts
- Dispute received fee
- 15 USD or local equivalent, every dispute, never refunded
- Dispute countered fee
- An additional 15 USD, only if you respond with evidence, refunded if you win
- Response window
- Typically 7 to 21 days
- Full process
- Typically 2 to 3 months
How much time you actually have
Customers can typically initiate a dispute within 120 days of the original payment, longer for some local payment methods, and later still for event or travel purchases, where the window starts from the event date rather than the payment date. Once a dispute is created, you typically have 7 to 21 days to respond, varying by card network. The exact deadline for any specific dispute is shown in your Dashboard.
What happens if you miss it
The dispute is decided against you automatically. There's no extension and no appeal inside Stripe's process.
The two fees, separated
Dispute received fee: 15 USD or local equivalent, charged the moment any dispute is filed, whether you respond or not. Never refunded.
Dispute countered fee: an additional 15 USD, charged only if you respond with evidence. Refunded if you win. Kept if you lose, for 30 USD total on a loss.
This fee doesn't apply if you're based in Mexico or Japan. Businesses in the Single Euro Payments Area incur no fee at all on card disputes processed via Cartes Bancaires. Partial wins still carry both fees in full, even though only part of the disputed amount is recovered.
What changes if Smart Disputes handles it
Stripe's own Smart Disputes tool waives the countered fee entirely, and instead charges a 30 percent success fee on whatever it recovers, only if it wins. Lose, and only the standard received fee applies, no countered fee, no success fee.
Building a process that doesn't miss deadlines
The most expensive dispute isn't the one you lose after fighting, it's the one you lose by default because nobody responded in time. A clear owner, a shared calendar, or an automated handler removes that risk entirely.
How Recovra handles deadlines and fees
Recovra tracks every deadline from the moment a dispute is created and works to submit evidence well inside the window, not at the last minute. We only recommend fighting cases the evidence actually supports, since the countered fee applies whether or not you win.
Request your free dispute auditFrequently asked questions
Is the dispute fee ever fully avoidable?
Only by preventing the dispute itself. Once one is filed, the received fee applies regardless of outcome.
Why would losing cost more than not fighting at all?
Because countering adds a second fee that's only refunded on a win. Accepting a dispute you're unlikely to win avoids that second fee entirely.
Does the fee structure differ by country?
Yes. Mexico and Japan don't carry the countered fee, and SEPA businesses on Cartes Bancaires pay no card dispute fee at all.
Want a straight answer on whether a current dispute is worth the countered fee?
Request your free dispute audit