# Refunds vs Chargebacks A **refund** is a choice you make. You send money back because the customer asked, your policy requires it, or you want to keep them happy. A **chargeback** is different. It’s a forced reversal started by the customer’s bank (the issuer) after the customer disputes a card charge. The bank pulls the funds back through the card network, and your acquiring bank and processor pass that debit to you. Most of the time, you also get hit with a **chargeback fee** that may not be returned even if you win. Here’s a simple way to think about it: a refund is a store return, a chargeback is a bank stepping in as referee, and the bank can take the ball back. | Topic | Refund | Chargeback | | --------------- | -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | | Who starts it | Merchant (or customer request) | Cardholder’s bank (issuer) | | Money movement | Voluntary credit back to customer | Forced debit from merchant via network | | Fees | Usually none (beyond processing rules) | Often includes non-refundable dispute fees | | Outcome control | You control timing and messaging | Controlled by issuer rules and timelines | --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.chargebase.co/chargebacks-knowledge-base/refunds-vs-chargebacks.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.