Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 will usually protect you if you paid any part of a purchase between £100 and £30,000 on a credit card and the supplier breached the contract or misrepresented the goods or services. Your card provider becomes jointly responsible for the fault, even if you only paid a deposit by card. The practical next step is simple: contact your card issuer, ask for the amount to be placed in dispute, and start gathering your evidence now.
TL;DR:
- A payment through the supplier’s agent usually preserves the required three party link, but an unrelated marketplace or payment gateway can defeat a claim.
- First ask the supplier to fix the problem; then contact your issuer, ask it to place the amount in dispute, and attach dated evidence.
- Choose chargeback for a fast reversal when the facts are straightforward; Section 75 can cover wider losses, and both routes may run together without duplicate recovery.
- Keep dated records; complaints generally must be raised within six years of the problem or three years from when you reasonably became aware of it.
- From July 15, 2026, Section 75 style protection extends to regulated Buy Now, Pay Later purchases, not every installment payment arrangement.
Table of Contents
- What Section 75 covers and the legal basis
- Do you meet the eligibility tests? the DCS relationship and common traps
- How to make a Section 75 claim with your card provider
- Chargeback vs Section 75: which to try first and why
- Evidence, timescales and what to expect during a claim
- How Section 75 decisions look in practice (ombudsman examples and lessons)
- PolicyCheck perspective: how our guides help you prepare a stronger claim
- Author perspective: why Section 75 still matters
- PolicyCheck resources and a downloadable checklist
- FAQ
- Sources
What Section 75 covers and the legal basis
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your credit card provider “jointly and severally liable” alongside the supplier for a breach of contract or misrepresentation. In plain terms, that means you can pursue the card issuer for the fault instead of, or as well as, chasing a supplier who has gone silent, gone bust or refuses to help.
The protection applies to purchases with a cash price falling within a range set by law. Crucially, the full price can be reclaimed even if you only paid a small deposit by card, as long as the total cash price of the item or service qualifies for protection.
- The claim sits against your card provider, not the retailer, so insolvency or disappearance of the supplier does not block your right.
- Paying as little as the deposit by card can bring the whole transaction into scope, provided the overall price qualifies.
- The right exists regardless of what the supplier’s own terms say.
From 15 July 2026, regulated Buy Now Pay Later agreements come within these protections, extending Section 75-style cover to BNPL purchases where the product is regulated. If you use BNPL for a qualifying purchase after that date, the same joint liability principle should apply.
Do you meet the eligibility tests? the DCS relationship and common traps
Section 75 only works where a “debtor-creditor-supplier” (DCS) relationship exists: a direct, pre-existing arrangement links your card provider, you as the borrower and the supplier. Where that chain breaks, so does the claim, however genuine the complaint.
- Paid the supplier directly on your card: this is the clean case, and the DCS link is intact.
- Paid an agent acting for the supplier: cover usually survives, because the agent is treated as standing in the supplier’s shoes.
- Paid a marketplace or booking platform acting only as a payment collector: cover can fail here, since the platform may not be the “supplier” or even an agent of one.
- Paid through a separate third-party payment gateway with no link to your card agreement: this is the most common way claims fail.
Check your receipt, invoice and the merchant name shown on your statement before assuming cover applies. A merchant ID that belongs to a payment processor rather than the business you dealt with is a warning sign, and so is small print describing the platform as acting “as agent for the buyer” rather than the seller.
Pro Tip: Save a screenshot of the checkout page and confirmation email the day you buy; merchant names and terms sometimes change or disappear by the time you need to claim.
How to make a Section 75 claim with your card provider
A Section 75 claim follows a fairly predictable path, and following it in order gives you the strongest position.
- Contact the supplier first and give them a reasonable chance to put things right; keep a written record of every exchange.
- Write to your card provider once the supplier has refused, failed to respond, or gone insolvent, explaining the breach or misrepresentation clearly.
- Ask explicitly for the disputed amount to be “placed in dispute”, which can pause interest and repayments while the issuer investigates.
- Attach your evidence: the receipt, contract or booking confirmation, screenshots of adverts or product descriptions, and all correspondence with the supplier.
- Request a final response letter if your issuer declines the claim, since you will need this to escalate the complaint further.
Most issuers aim to respond within a matter of weeks, though complex cases involving insolvency or disputed facts can take longer.
Chargeback vs Section 75: which to try first and why
Chargeback and Section 75 solve similar problems through different routes, and knowing the difference saves time. Chargeback is a card scheme rule, not a law, and it is limited to reversing the transaction amount through your bank. UK Finance guidance explains that chargeback works well for a quick reversal when a service was not provided or goods never arrived.
Section 75 is a statutory right rather than a scheme rule, and it can extend further than the transaction amount, sometimes covering consequential losses alongside the purchase price itself.
- Try resolving things with the supplier first in every case.
- Use chargeback when you want a fast reversal and the facts are straightforward.
- Use Section 75 when you want statutory backing, when the supplier has become insolvent, or when losses go beyond the price paid.
- Where both routes are available, you can run them in parallel, though your bank will check you are not claiming twice for the same loss.
Evidence, timescales and what to expect during a claim
Strong evidence makes the difference between a quick refund and a drawn-out dispute. Keep your contract or booking confirmation, the original receipt, screenshots of the advert or product listing, and copies of every message you sent the supplier.
- Save dated screenshots of pricing, descriptions or promises made before you bought.
- Keep the original payment confirmation showing the card used and amount paid.
- Record every call and email with the supplier, including dates and names.
Complaints that reach the Financial Ombudsman Service are judged on what is “fair and reasonable”, a standard that looks at the full picture rather than a strict legal test alone.
Complaints generally need to be raised within six years of the problem, or three years from when you reasonably became aware of it.
How Section 75 decisions look in practice (ombudsman examples and lessons)
Ombudsman decisions show recurring patterns worth learning from. Upheld cases often involve holiday cancellations, failed booking agents and retailers that became insolvent before delivering goods, where the issuer initially refused the claim and was later told to put things right.
- Refunds plus interest are the standard remedy once a breach is confirmed.
- Additional compensation is added where the issuer caused unreasonable delay in handling the claim.
- Cases involving booking agents or marketplaces are decided on whether the DCS chain actually existed, not on how the claim felt.
The lesson across these decisions is consistent: claims supported by clear, dated evidence and a prompt approach to escalation tend to succeed, while vague timelines and missing paperwork slow everything down.
PolicyCheck perspective: how our guides help you prepare a stronger claim
We built our credit card guide and our wider finance content to strip the jargon out of consumer rights like Section 75. Our checklists and worked examples are designed to help you organise evidence, understand the DCS test, and approach your card provider with a claim that holds together.
Author perspective: why Section 75 still matters
Section 75 remains one of the strongest consumer protections tied to a card payment, precisely because it sits in law rather than in a scheme’s goodwill. Acting promptly, keeping dated evidence and following the steps in order gives any claim its best chance. The FAQ below and our linked guides cover the detail worth checking before you write to your issuer.
— Kiana
PolicyCheck resources and a downloadable checklist
We put together related guides to help you move from reading about Section 75 to actually using it: our piece on rising consumer credit borrowing explains why claims are becoming more common, and our news section tracks regulatory updates such as the BNPL changes above.
- Our credit card basics guide explains the terms issuers use in claim correspondence.
- Our consumer credit news page flags regulatory changes that affect your rights.
- Our car finance redress guide shows a worked example of a UK consumer claims process.
If insurance sits alongside your purchase, our car insurance guide is a good next stop. This is general information, not legal advice, for the specifics of your situation.
This article is general information, not a substitute for advice from a qualified financial advisor. Consult a qualified financial professional about your own circumstances before acting on anything here.
FAQ
How long does a Section 75 claim take?
There is no fixed statutory deadline for your issuer’s decision, but most respond within a few weeks of receiving full evidence. Complex cases involving insolvency or disputed facts can take longer, and escalation to the Financial Ombudsman Service adds further time if your issuer declines the claim.
What should I check before assuming my purchase qualifies?
Confirm the cash price falls between £100 and £30,000 and that you paid at least part of it directly on your credit card, as Section 75 requires a debtor-creditor-supplier link. Check your receipt and merchant name match the business you actually dealt with, since payments through unrelated third-party gateways often fail this test.
How does chargeback fit in if I can use both protections?
Chargeback works through your bank under card scheme rules and is limited to the transaction amount, while Section 75 is a legal right that can cover wider losses. UK Finance guidance suggests trying the supplier first, then using chargeback for a fast reversal, keeping Section 75 as the statutory backstop.
How do I avoid credit card fees while making a claim?
Ask your issuer to place the disputed amount in dispute, which can pause interest and minimum repayments while they investigate. Paying off any undisputed balance on time, as usual, avoids separate interest charges unrelated to the claim itself.
What outcome can I realistically expect from a successful claim?
A successful claim typically results in a refund of the amount paid, and published Financial Ombudsman Service decisions have included 8% simple interest alongside modest compensation for distress or delay. Outcomes depend on the facts of each case and how the issuer handled your complaint.
Sources
- Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75
- Financial Ombudsman Service – what to expect
- Chargeback rights and Section 75 | UK Finance
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