Digital Product Refund Rate & Payment Reserve Calculator
Calculate how much to hold in reserve for refunds, chargebacks, and payment processor holds. Estimate your true net revenue from digital products after all risk deductions.
Digital Product Refund & Reserve Formula
Calculates expected refund liability, rolling reserve held by processor, and true net revenue after all risk-adjusted deductions.
Rolling reserves are typically released after 90–180 days. Payment processors hold 5–20% of daily sales as a rolling reserve if your account is flagged as high-risk.
How to Use the Refund Rate Reserves Calculator
Enter your monthly gross revenue
Input total sales revenue before any refunds, fees, or reserves.
Set your refund rate
Use your historical refund rate, or use the industry benchmark of 3–8% for digital products and online courses.
Enter chargeback rate and fee
Chargeback rates above 1% trigger processor risk flags. The typical chargeback fee is $15–$25 per dispute.
Configure rolling reserve percentage
Enter the percentage your payment processor holds (typically 5–10% for new accounts, up to 20% for high-risk).
View true net revenue
See your actual revenue after all risk deductions and when your rolling reserve is released.
Real-World Scenario Example
"A creator earns $10,000/month from an online course with a 5% refund rate, 0.8% chargeback rate, $20 chargeback fee, and 10% rolling reserve."
Inputs
Result
Net revenue = $8,334 after $500 refunds, $166 chargebacks, and $1,000 reserve hold.
Important Disclaimer
These estimates are for educational purposes. Actual refund rates, chargeback rates, and reserve percentages vary by processor, account history, and product type. Always review your specific processor agreement.
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