Section 75 refunds: are you covered and how to claim
Powerful FREE protection when purchases using credit go wrong
Section 75 is your secret financial superhero – buy something costing more than £100 and up to £30,000 using qualifying credit, and your credit provider has a LEGAL responsibility to come to the rescue if there's a problem. So if something you've bought is faulty, doesn't turn up, or the seller goes bust, for example, you may be able to get your money back through a Section 75 claim – and it's FREE to do.
What is Section 75?
Section 75 is a UK law that makes your credit lender jointly liable with the retailer if something goes wrong, meaning you can claim your money back if your consumer rights aren't met. For example, if your online order doesn’t arrive, is faulty or the seller’s gone bust.
It doesn't work on all purchases. You have to meet a few basic criteria to qualify:
-
The total cost of the item or service must be at least £100.01 but no more than £30,000. You'll be covered for the full amount even if you just pay 1p of it on a credit card.
-
You can use Section 75 if you've paid on credit, but that means more than just credit cards. Section 75 can cover qualifying purchases on store cards, Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) agreements made from 15 July 2026 onwards, PayPal Credit, and payments made via Apple Pay or Google Pay.
-
There must be a direct link between you and the seller. There can't be a third party or intermediary involved in the transaction. So that means buying tickets for a concert from the venue would be covered, but buying tickets for a concert through a reseller wouldn't be.
This isn't the credit provider being nice. It's a legal protection put in place as part of the Consumer Credit Act so that you're never in the position of paying off debt for something you either didn't receive, or wasn't as it should've been.
Whether it's a flight, kitchen, computer, or anything else, pay on a credit card, store card or with store instalment credit, and the credit provider's responsible too. If this sounds like you, this guide covers the three main ways to make a claim.
If you're not sure if you qualify, head to 'What does Section 75 cover?' for examples of eligible transactions.
If you're not covered by Section 75 you often have other protection:
Chargeback can help if you've used a debit card or the item cost £100 or less. In some cases even if you qualify for Section 75, it's best to try Chargeback first. We talk about this in more detail.
If you've purchased and item or service costing OVER £30,000, you won't qualify for Section 75, but you may be protected by Section 75a.
Prefer to watch? See Martin's quick explainer on the power of Section 75:
Section 75 really works – hear from people who've tried it...
One MoneySaver was able use Section 75 to get a refund on a pair of costly funeral plans after the firm went bust:
My wife and I lost both our funeral plans after the firm went into administration. But following Martin's suggestion to claim using the Section 75 we've been fully reimbursed for the full amount of £4,780. We're absolutely delighted! Without Martin's help we would have lost everything.
Another MoneySaver paid the deposit for their car by credit card, and got a full refund using Section 75 when the trader went bust.
I ordered and paid £15,991 in full for a new car but before I took delivery, the trader went into liquidation.
Thankfully I had paid the deposit on my Barclaycard credit card. So I made a Section 75 claim. It took six months, but this week I received a credit to my card of the whole amount, just from having paid a small deposit on the card.
And in another success story, MoneySaver Linda and her husband followed the advice in this guide. When buying a £22,400 kitchen they paid £200 as a deposit on a credit card for extra protection. The firm went bust before installing the kitchen, so they asked the card firm for all the cash back – as they were due.
When their request was rejected, Linda went to the Financial Ombudsman, which ordered the card provider to pay out the full whack. Read a quote from Linda below, or see her full "I got £23k back" story.
Tesco (the card provider) tried to say the name of the business owner was different to his real name so it wasn't the same person. But I kept going back on MoneySavingExpert and reading about Section 75 and I kept thinking, 'don't give up, keep going, keep fighting' as I knew we were right. When we heard the ombudsman had found in our favour, I burst into tears. I just couldn't believe it.
What does Section 75 cover?
Section 75 is FANTASTIC protection... if your purchase qualifies.
The table below shows examples of scenarios where Section 75 does and doesn't apply. For all the scenarios, remember that the item or service you're buying needs to cost at least £100.01 but not more than £30,000. If it doesn't, then you won't have Section 75 cover and your next port of call should be to check if you could get your money back via chargeback instead.
What type of payment were you making? | What did you use to pay? | Section 75 protection? |
|---|---|---|
Directly to the seller – in a shop, online or abroad | Credit* | Yes |
Directly to a venue or event organiser | Credit* | Yes |
Through an online marketplace or other third party that takes your payment before passing it to the seller (eg some Amazon Marketplace purchases) | Credit* | No |
Through PayPal Guest Checkout | Credit* | Yes |
Through PayPal while logged into your PayPal account | Credit* | No |
Withdrew cash, then used the cash to pay | Credit*/ Debit | No |
Any purchase | Debit | No |
Direct from your bank account | Bank transfer / Pay by bank | No |
Making a Hire Purchase agreement | Hire Purchase | No |
Through a third-party BNPL provider, for an agreement taken out on or after 15 July 2026 | Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) | Yes |
BNPL offered directly by the retailer | Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) | No |
*Credit includes credit cards, store cards, Buy Now Pay Later (from 15 July 2026 onwards), PayPal Credit, and payments made via Apple Pay or Google Pay
Will Section 75 cover me if I've been scammed?
In some instances, you may be able to get your money back via Section 75 if you've been scammed.
For example, if you've bought something online and it never arrives, or is different to how it was described and it cost over £100 (but less than £30,000) you may be able to submit a Section 75 claim.
However, it's crucial that all the conditions for a Section 75 claim are met.
Some scam websites, for example, will use a third-party payment provider, which breaks the direct link between you and the supplier and means that you'll not be eligible to make a Section 75 claim - but you may still be able to do a Chargeback.
Another example of where you would not be able to make a Section 75 claim is if you've purchased something from a cloned site, and it's arrived as described (even though the site isn't the one you believed it to be).
Section 75a: the lesser-known protection for some purchases up to £60,260
If your purchase costs more than £30,000 but no more than £60,260, you may be protected under Section 75a. Unlike Section 75, however, this doesn't apply to credit cards. It only applies to certain linked credit agreements – typically finance arranged specifically for that purchase through the retailer. For example:
If you take out a personal loan from your bank and use it to buy a £40,000 car, Section 75a won't normally apply because the loan could have been used for anything.
If you buy the same car using finance arranged through the dealership, or take out retailer-arranged finance for a £45,000 kitchen or home improvement project, Section 75a could apply because the finance is directly linked to that purchase.
Another key difference is how you make a claim. With Section 75, you can usually claim directly from either the supplier or the credit provider because they're jointly liable. With Section 75a, the lender's liability is secondary. In most cases, you must first try to resolve the problem with the supplier (unless, for example, they've gone bust or can't be traced) before claiming from the lender.
Should I use Chargeback instead of Section 75?
If something's gone wrong with a card purchase, you might be eligible to use both Section 75 or Chargeback to get your money back.
If chargeback is available, it's often worth trying that first, especially if what went wrong is straightforward (such as something not turning up or not being as described).
Try chargeback first if it covers your problem
Chargeback lets your card provider try to reverse a payment you've made to a retailer. It isn't a legal protection like Section 75 – it's part of the rules set by Visa, Mastercard and Amex – but it can often be a useful first route to getting your money back.
With Chargeback, your card provider tries to recover the payment through the card scheme from the retailer's side of the transaction. So where it's clear what's gone wrong it can be quicker than Section 75. As MSE founder Martin Lewis explains:
"Even if you actually have a credit card and qualify for Section 75, I wouldn't ask for that at this stage. I would ask for a Chargeback. That's because under the Chargeback process, which is part of the Visa, Mastercard and Amex rules, your bank is asking for money back from the holiday firm's bank, which your bank is unlikely to have an issue doing."
Unlike with Section 75, though, you need to act quickly with Chargeback as there's a claim deadline. The rules set by Visa, Mastercard and American Express usually only give you 120 days to claim – and the clock normally starts ticking from the date of payment, but it depends on the situation. See our Chargeback guide for full info.
If this doesn't work, you can then try a Section 75 claim. You have much longer to make a Section 75 claim – the usual legal limits will apply of six years in England/Wales and five years in Scotland. So doing it this way round means you don't risk missing the Chargeback deadline (usually 120 days after purchase).
Important: If Chargeback doesn't cover you for the full value of your purchase (for example, if you paid a deposit on your credit card and then paid the final balance in cash) go straight to the Section 75 claim.
If you paid by credit card and think you qualify for both Chargeback and Section 75, tell your card provider you want it to try chargeback first, but that if this isn't successful you want it to consider your claim under Section 75 too.
How do I make a Section 75 claim?
The law makes clear that both the retailer and credit provider can be responsible for Section 75 claims.
It may be easier to complain to the retailer first in some cases – for example, if you want a repair or replacement rather than a refund – but you don't have to. If the retailer has gone bust or is overseas, for example, you can go straight to your credit provider.
Make sure you contact the firm that provided the credit, not the card network. So if you've an HSBC Mastercard, for example, you'd contact HSBC, NOT Mastercard.
Whichever way you claim, you'll usually need to explain:
-
What you bought and when. Include the transaction date, amount and what you were buying.
-
What went wrong. For example, if the goods or service haven't met the standards required by your consumer rights, were faulty or not as described, a service wasn't provided, or your purchase never arrived. You may be asked for evidence.
-
What you've already done about it. Your credit provider may ask whether you've contacted the seller or service provider and what happened. But for a Section 75 claim, you don't normally have to exhaust your options with the seller first.
You can then make your claim in whichever way works best for you:
-
By making your own Section75 claim
If it doesn't work and your claim's rejected, your next port of call should be to escalate your claim to the Financial Ombudsman.
If you're claiming via Section 75a, you'll have to prove you tried to resolve the issue with the retailer first (or be able to prove that it's impossible to contact them eg. if they've gone bust). Unlike Section 75 you're not able to completely bypass this step.
Option 1: Make a Section 75 claim on your banking app or online
How you do this will differ depending on your card provider. Some let you dispute payments simply by tapping on the transaction in your mobile banking app, while others let you claim via their online chat service or over the phone.
Check with your card provider to find out how to make a claim. You can usually find this out on its website, or in the 'Help' section of your mobile banking app. If it seems easy to claim through your card provider then go direct, but if they ask you to jump through hoops or fill in a claim form, your best bet is to use our free Section 75 reclaim tool.
Option 2: Make your own Section 75 claim
You can make a Section 75 claim yourself for free. You don't need a claims firm to do it for you.
You can email or write to your credit provider. Say you're making a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and explain what you bought, how much it cost, when you paid, what went wrong and what you want it to do. Include useful evidence such as receipts, order confirmations, photos or correspondence with the supplier.
Want AI to help with the wording?
If you're not sure what to write, you can use the prompt below with an AI chatbot. It'll ask you for the key facts and use your answers to draft a complaint email.
-
First check you're likely to be covered by Section 75 using this guide. The AI is only there to help with the wording – don't rely on it to decide whether you've got a valid claim or for legal advice.
-
Don't give the AI personal or sensitive financial information. Don't enter your full name, address, phone number, email address, full card or bank account numbers, passwords, PINs or security information. Add any identifying details your credit provider needs yourself afterwards.
-
How to use it: Copy the prompt below into an AI chatbot. Answer the questions it asks about your purchase and what went wrong, but don't give it the personal or financial information we've warned about above. It'll then draft the email for you.
-
Check the result carefully before sending it. AI can make mistakes or add things that aren't right, so make sure the finished complaint accurately reflects what happened.
Copy this into an AI (such as ChatGPT or Gemini) and fill in your details:
Help me draft an email to my credit provider making a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
IMPORTANT: Your job is to help me word my complaint, NOT to decide whether I qualify for Section 75 protection or give me legal advice.
PRIVACY: Do not ask me for personal or sensitive financial information such as my full name, home address, email address, phone number, full card number, bank account details, passwords, PINs or security information. If I provide any of these details anyway, do not repeat them in your response. Use a placeholder instead where necessary.
First, ask me for ONLY the following information. I can answer in one message:
What I bought and the name of the supplier
The total cash price of the individual item or service
How much I paid using credit
The approximate date I paid
What went wrong – for example, it was faulty, wasn't as described, didn't arrive, or the supplier went bust
What I've already done to try to resolve the problem, if anything, and what happened
How much I'm asking my credit provider to reimburse
Don't ask for information you don't need to draft the complaint. Don't ask me questions to determine whether my purchase qualifies for Section 75 – I'll check this separately.
Once I've answered, draft a concise, polite but firm email. It should:
Clearly say I'm making a claim under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Briefly set out what I bought, when, from whom and what went wrong.
Explain, in plain English and using only the facts I've given you, what the supplier did wrong or what went wrong with the purchase.
State how much I'm asking my credit provider to reimburse.
Mention any attempts I've already made to resolve the issue.
Ask the credit provider to consider its liability under Section 75.
Ask it to confirm receipt of my claim and explain what happens next.
Don't make up missing information. If an important detail is missing, use a clear placeholder such as [ADD DATE] or [ADD AMOUNT] rather than guessing.
Don't include sensitive personal or financial information in the draft. Where identifying information may need to be added before sending, use an appropriate placeholder.
Keep the email factual, clear and easy to understand. Don't use aggressive language, make threats or state that Section 75 definitely applies to my purchase.
At the end, give me a short checklist of evidence it may be useful to attach, based only on what I've told you, such as a receipt, order confirmation, correspondence with the supplier or photographs.
Prefer not to use AI? Use our template letter
If you’d rather just send the letter yourself, we’ve also made a template letter that you can use as a general guide. Got a problem opening the letter?
Section 75 claim rejected? Escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman
If your credit provider won't help, has taken longer than eight weeks to deal with your complaint, or you're not satisfied with their response, escalate it to the Financial Ombudsman.
This is completely free and well worth doing. The ombudsman can look into complaints where you feel you've not been dealt with fairly and reasonably. This includes where a firm hasn't met good industry practice, as well as the regulators' rules and the law of the land. While less formal than a court hearing, the Ombudsman can still order firms to pay you compensation if it agrees with your case.
MoneySaver Matt successfully escalated their complaint to the Financial Ombudsman after their car suffered an engine failure just 6 years into the 10 years the manual said it should have lasted. The Ombudsman ordered their card provider to pay out £8k in total:
Thanks to your advice, I’d paid £300 of the deposit on a credit card (the only thing I’ve ever used that card for!). I made a Section 75 claim based on the car not meeting the durability standards of the Consumer Rights Act. Lloyds didn’t want to know either, claiming it was impossible to prove a fault at the time of sale, but the Financial Ombudsman has instructed Lloyds to reimburse me in full for the cost of a new engine and the diagnostic - £8k in total. Lloyds has accepted the decision.
Your great advice and clear communication is the thing that's saved us being £8k out of pocket, which would have been an unbelievably painful pill to swallow. Thank you!
If you use the Resolver service above to help with your claim, it will notify you when it's the right time to escalate your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman, and help you do that.
Section 75 FAQs
What if I need to make a claim but I've cancelled my credit card?
If you've paid for something on a card but since cancelled it, you may still have Section 75 protection.
The Financial Ombudsman Service told us that assuming you meet all other criteria you should be covered, as the fact you've cancelled the card doesn't matter. The original payment method is what's important – in other words, that you paid on a credit card.
If you have any doubt, put in a claim – the worst that can happen is your claim is rejected.
I can't get credit. Can I still get Section 75 cover?
No, as Section 75 only applies to items bought on certain types of credit. But there is a way you can access some purchase protection using a prepaid card. Prepaid cards allow you to load them with cash before spending. They don't credit-check, so they're useful for people who can't get credit.
Which credit card should I pick?
Credit card companies make their money by charging you interest. And frankly the interest cost is so large it often overrides the protection, so follow…
The Golden Rule: Always set up a direct debit to pay the card off in full each month, so you'll never pay interest
If you don't have a credit card or have debts on a card, and need another specially for these purchases, which you can pay off in full each month, it's time to apply for a new card. The two best choices are:
-
A cashback credit card
These pay you when you spend on them. With a direct debit set up so there's no interest, they can add £100s a year to your income without any hassle. Full info and best buys in our Credit card rewards guide.
-
A 0% spending card
If you're going to spend on a card you can't repay in full, ensure it's as cheap as possible. A number of cards offer 0% interest for more than a year on all your spending. Full info and best buys in our Best 0% credit cards guide.
The law behind Section 75
This all comes from Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, which why it has the rather uninspiring name Section 75. The act rather impenetrably says…
75. — (1) If the debtor under a debtor-creditor-supplier agreement falling within section 12(b) or (c) has, in relation to a transaction financed by the agreement, any claim against the supplier in respect of a misrepresentation or breach of contract, he shall have a like claim against the creditor, who, with the supplier, shall accordingly be jointly and severally liable to the debtor.
Share this guide?
