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Marketplace Refund Reserve Calculator

Calculate a marketplace refund reserve in USD from sales, refund rate, refund lag, buffer and exception assumptions.

Estimate how much cash to hold back for expected refunds, delayed payouts and a safety buffer.

Reserve scenario

Monthly gross sales ($) Expected refund rate (%) Average refund amount (%)Use 100% for full refunds, less for partial refunds. Refund lag to cover (days)

Advanced reserve policy

Safety buffer (%) Dispute or exception reserve ($) Processing cost per refund ($) Orders per month

Suggested refund reserve

$0.00

Reserve bucket

For beginners: how to read this reserve

Refund exposureSales are weighted by refund rate and average refund size.

Lag daysA longer lag means more unsettled refunds can pile up before the next payout.

BufferThe buffer is extra cash on top of expected refunds, not a replacement for them.

Use this reserve calculator to decide how much cash to hold back before payouts settle. Enter monthly gross sales, expected refund rate, average refund amount and the lag period you want to cover. Optional fields add a safety buffer, exception reserve and refund processing cost.

What the result means

The first number is the suggested reserve for expected refunds plus policy buffers. The bucket view separates normal refund exposure from fees, buffer and exception money.

What is not included

The calculation does not include legal advice, tax reserves, bank holds, chargeback investigations or any official marketplace policy.