Section 75 vs Chargeback: Two Ways to Get Your Money Back (UK)

When a company takes your money and fails to deliver — goods that never arrive, a trader who disappears, a holiday that collapses — your card provider can often refund you. There are two routes: Section 75 and chargeback. They work very differently, and knowing which to use can be the difference between a refund and a dead end.

Section 75: your credit card's legal shield

Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if you pay for something on a credit card and there is a breach of contract or misrepresentation, the card provider is equally liable with the retailer. That means you can claim from your card company directly.

• Card type: credit cards only (not debit; usually not prepaid).
• Price: the item or service must cost over £100 and no more than £30,000.
• What it covers: goods not delivered, not as described, faulty, or a trader going bust.
• Bonus: you only need to have paid part of the cost on the credit card (even the deposit) for the whole purchase to be covered.

Because it is a legal right, Section 75 has no strict time limit like chargeback does — though you should always claim promptly.

Chargeback: the card scheme safety net

Chargeback is not a law — it is a rule of the card networks (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). Your bank reverses the payment and claws the money back from the retailer's bank. It works on debit and credit cards, with no minimum or maximum amount, which makes it the go-to for purchases under £100 or anything paid on a debit card.

• Card type: debit and credit.
• Amount: any value.
• Time limit: usually 120 days from the transaction (or from when you expected the goods/service), so act quickly.
• What it covers: goods/services not received, not as described, faulty, or duplicate/incorrect charges.

Which one should you use?

• Paid over £100 on a credit card? Use Section 75 — it is a stronger legal right.
• Paid on a debit card, or under £100? Use chargeback.
• Not sure? You can ask your provider to consider both. Section 75 first, chargeback as a fallback.

How to make the claim

1. Try the retailer first. Card providers expect you to have given the company a chance to put it right (a clear complaint letter helps here).
2. Contact your card provider and say explicitly whether you are claiming under "Section 75" or requesting a "chargeback".
3. Send evidence: order confirmation, proof of payment, your correspondence, and why the contract was breached.
4. State the outcome you want — a full or partial refund — and the amount.

If your provider says no

A rejected Section 75 or chargeback claim is not final. You can escalate a Section 75 dispute to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, and they frequently overturn unfair refusals. Keep your paper trail and ask for the provider's "final response" so the clock for escalation starts cleanly.

Used correctly, these two routes turn your card into one of the most powerful consumer tools you have — often faster and easier than chasing the company alone.