Well, friends, today we’re going to talk about one of the most unpleasant parts of selling art online: chargebacks. Imagine this situation. You sell a painting, carefully pack it, put it in a box, ship it, and send the customer the tracking number. Then you spend days checking the tracking updates, wondering whether the painting will arrive safely. Every artist knows that feeling. Eventually the package gets delivered. The customer says nothing. And honestly, a silent customer is usually a happy one. When customers are unhappy, they will let you know. So you move on. You continue painting, working, and living your life. Then one day you receive an email from PayPal, Stripe, or another payment processor: a chargeback has been opened against you.
Example of how chargeback notifications look like
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Many artists/online vendors think a chargeback is simply a refund. It is not. A refund is something you control. A chargeback is controlled by the customer’s bank. The customer doesn’t contact you, doesn’t ask for help, and doesn’t request a refund. Instead, they contact their bank and claim something like:
“I never received the painting.”
“The painting wasn’t what I expected.”
“The quality was poor.”
“I didn’t authorize this purchase.”
And the process begins.
The First Thing Artists Need to Understand
The bank’s customer is not you — it’s the cardholder. So when the customer calls and tells their story, the bank usually starts by listening to them. At that stage, the bank hasn’t heard your side yet. The customer’s version of events becomes the starting point, and the burden shifts to you. You must provide evidence and prove what happened.
Sometimes Winning Is Easy
If the customer claims, “I never received the painting,” and you have tracking information, delivery confirmation, and signature confirmation, your chances are much better. You can show the tracking number, delivery confirmation, and proof that the package arrived. In many cases, that solves the problem. But not always.
Examples of chargebacks we have won
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Let’s say the package was delivered. Great. But what if the customer later claims, “That wasn’t my address”? Now things become much harder. The bank may review where the order was placed, where it was shipped, and whether the shipping address matches the information associated with the payment method. At that point, proving your case can become far more difficult — especially for smaller transactions where nobody wants to spend weeks investigating every detail.
Chargebacks Are Not Free
This is something many customers don’t realize. Every chargeback costs the seller money, even before the case is decided. Many payment processors charge dispute fees — typically $10, $15, $25, or more. And that’s before you even know who wins. Chargebacks also affect your merchant account metrics. Too many disputes can create additional problems with payment processors.
Here are examples of chargeback fees we have been charged before
“Not As Described” Is Where Things Get Dangerous
For artists, this is often the hardest type of chargeback. The customer receives the painting safely, but then says:
“The colors look different.”
“I expected something else.”
“This isn’t what I imagined.”
Now you’re no longer arguing about delivery. You’re arguing about expectations — and expectations are much harder to prove.
This Is Why Documentation Matters
For expensive paintings, we document as much as possible. We photograph the artwork, record videos, document the packaging, and keep communication records. Sometimes this evidence helps. Sometimes it doesn’t. Every bank and every case is different. But without evidence, your chances become much worse.
For example, we have never won a dispute with Jp Morgan or chase bank. They always side with the customer, no matter the much evidence you provide
Build Protection Into Your Pricing
This may sound unpleasant, but it’s reality. If you sell enough artworks or any other product, some losses will happen — not because most customers are dishonest (most are wonderful), but because a small percentage of transactions will eventually become disputes. That’s simply part of doing business online. Its a statistic that cannot be ignored when you calculate your costs.
Personally, I believe artists should account for that reality when calculating prices. Just as businesses account for shipping costs, damaged packages, and advertising expenses, they should also factor in occasional chargebacks as part of the cost of operating online.
The Ugly Truth About E-Commerce
Most customers are honest. Most sellers are honest. But the entire system is built around the small percentage of situations where things go wrong.
As an artist/vendor, your goal is not to eliminate chargebacks completely — that’s impossible. Your goal is to communicate clearly, describe products accurately, document everything, keep records, and protect yourself when problems arise. Because once a chargeback begins, evidence becomes your best friend. And trust me — it’s much easier to prepare before a dispute than to fight one afterward.