Chargeback and Section 75
Two ways to ask your card provider for your money back when a purchase goes wrong. This guide is general information only. We do not handle these claims, and you can make them yourself.
We do not handle card claims
Appeal Specialists does not advise on, prepare or submit Section 75 claims, chargeback requests, or complaints to banks, card providers or the Financial Ombudsman Service. A claim against a financial services firm is a regulated claims management activity, which only a business authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority may carry out. We are not authorised.
You do not need to pay anyone to make these claims. Your card provider deals with them directly, and the Financial Ombudsman Service does not charge consumers.
Chargeback
Chargeback is a process run under the rules of the card schemes, the networks that process card payments. It lets your card provider ask the trader's bank to reverse a payment, for example where goods were not delivered, were not as described, or the trader has stopped trading. Your provider may call it a "disputed transaction".
- It is not a legal right. It is a voluntary process, and your provider decides whether to raise a chargeback.
- It can be used for debit cards, credit cards and charge cards, and there is no minimum amount.
- Time limits are set by the card scheme rules, not by law, and can run from the date of the payment or from when you expected the goods or service. Contact your provider as soon as you can.
- The trader can challenge a chargeback, even after the money has been returned to you.
To ask for one, contact your card provider, explain what went wrong and what you have already done to resolve it with the trader, and send copies of your evidence.
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974
Section 75 makes your credit card provider equally liable with the trader if the trader breaches the contract or misrepresents what it is selling. The two are jointly and severally liable, which means you can claim against the card provider in the same way you could claim against the trader.
- It applies to a single item with a cash price of more than £100 and not more than £30,000 (section 75(3)). The limits apply to each item, not to the whole order.
- You only need to have paid part of the price on the credit card to claim for the whole item.
- It does not apply to debit cards. For a debit card payment, chargeback is the usual route.
- It usually needs a direct link between you, the card provider and the trader. Paying through an online payment service, a marketplace or a travel agent can break that link.
- If you paid with a buy now, pay later product, the position depends on the type of agreement and when you made it. Check the provider's own guidance or ask Citizens Advice.
| Chargeback | Section 75 | |
|---|---|---|
| Basis | Card scheme rules | Consumer Credit Act 1974 |
| Cards | Debit, credit and charge cards | Credit cards |
| Amount | No minimum | Single item priced at more than £100 and not more than £30,000 |
| Time limits | Set by the card scheme, so act quickly | No card scheme limit. A court claim is usually subject to the same six-year limit as a claim against the trader, but act promptly. |
| What it does | Reverses the payment, if the provider agrees and the trader's bank accepts it | Gives you the same claim against the provider that you have against the trader |
How to claim yourself
- Complain to the trader first, in writing, and keep a copy. It shows the card provider you have tried to resolve the problem.
- Write to your card provider. Say whether you are asking for a chargeback or making a Section 75 claim, explain what went wrong, and say what you want. For Section 75, that can include the price paid and other losses the breach caused.
- Send evidence: the order or contract, receipts, photos, and your correspondence with the trader.
- If the provider refuses, or does not send a final response within the time allowed (up to 8 weeks for most complaints, and less for some payment complaints), you can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. You usually need to do so within 6 months of the provider's final response.
Citizens Advice publishes free guidance and template letters for both routes.
Where we can still help
Your dispute with the trader is separate from any claim against your card provider. We can help with that dispute: setting out your rights under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, writing to the trader, taking the complaint to a non-financial ombudsman or dispute scheme, and helping you prepare a small claim. See faulty goods and refunds, poor workmanship and consumer rights and refunds. Any claim against your card provider remains yours to make, and we do not prepare material for use in one.
Our status
Appeal Specialists is an independent consultancy, not a law firm. We are not solicitors or barristers and we are not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority or any other legal regulator, so you cannot complain about us to the Legal Ombudsman.
We provide non-reserved legal services only. We do not conduct litigation, file or serve court documents, or accept service of court documents for you. Where the law allows, we can speak for you at a small-claims hearing or a tribunal, but only with your agreement and, at small-claims hearings, only if you attend.
What you tell us is not protected by legal professional privilege. We never hold your money. We work on matters in England and Wales only. We do not guarantee any outcome.