What is refund rate?
Refund rate measures the share of orders or revenue refunded over a defined period.
Direct answer
Refund rate can be calculated by refunded orders divided by total orders, or refunded revenue divided by gross revenue. Use one definition consistently.
Why this matters
Refunds directly reduce contribution margin and can reveal product, expectation, sizing, shipping, or support problems.
What to check
Use this term as an operating checkpoint, not just a glossary definition.
- Track refund reasons by product and channel.
- Separate cancellation, return, chargeback, and warranty cases.
- Feed refund assumptions back into pricing and ad thresholds.
Common mistake
Ignoring refunds makes ROAS, AOV, LTV, and profit reports look cleaner than reality.
FAQ
Should refund rate be calculated by order count or revenue?
Track both when possible. Order refund rate shows frequency, while revenue refund rate shows financial damage.
How can content reduce refund rate?
Clear sizing, compatibility, material, shipping, care, and expectation-setting content reduces mismatch after purchase.
Can a high-refund product still be worth scaling?
Only if contribution margin after refunds remains strong and the refund reasons are manageable.