Shopify opens disputes for returns via Klarna payments

Payments + Shipping & Fulfilment

Topic summary

Merchants using Klarna through Shopify Payments are experiencing a critical issue where normal customer returns automatically trigger disputes/chargebacks, resulting in €15 fees and payment processing problems.

The Problem:

  • When customers mark items as “returned” in Klarna (standard procedure before physically returning goods), Shopify automatically opens a dispute
  • The system incorrectly treats legitimate returns as fraud claims, stating customers “did not receive money back”
  • This prevents normal refund processing and creates administrative burden

Merchant Impact:

  • Multiple stores report dozens of false disputes daily
  • Some merchants have had Shopify Payments blocked entirely due to high dispute volumes
  • Chargeback fees apply even when merchants win disputes
  • No access to Klarna Merchant Portal when using Shopify Payments integration
  • Cases of actual fraud where customers claim returns without sending items back

Workarounds Identified:

  • Wait 24 hours after issuing refund; inquiry closes automatically in merchant’s favor (per user afbs2023)
  • Ignore disputes and process returns normally; most resolve favorably without fees (per user rosab100m)
  • However, if customers don’t return items within timeframe, merchants still lose and pay fees

Current Status:

  • Multiple merchants have disabled Klarna or reverted to third-party integrations
  • Shopify support reportedly unhelpful, suggesting only to “clarify return terms”
  • Issue remains unresolved; no official fix announced
Summarized with AI on October 26. AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
6

I’m facing the same issue. A customer marked the product as returned in Klarna without actually sending it back and I received a chargeback from Klarna. After several emails with the customer, I’ve now received part of the order but not the rest.

In the meantime, I had responded to the Chargeback that the customer not yet contacted us and returned the order. The current status is as follows:

“We submitted your response to the dispute on November 28, 2024, at 9:44 am. We’ll let you know when the bank makes their decision, which could take up to 75 days.”

I’m unsure of the next steps to take from here. Any guidance would be appreciated.

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