A chargeback lets you challenge and claw back a payment made with a debit or credit card. A bank does not have to raise one, though the Financial Ombudsman Service says it can be good practice where there is a valid reason. If you paid by credit card, the purchase could also be covered by Section 75.
Key points
✓Chargeback is a way of disputing a transaction through the card scheme. Your card will likely be with one of the main card schemes, Visa, Mastercard or American Express, and each has different chargeback rules, so check them with your bank. A bank does not have to raise one, although it can be good practice where there is a valid reason.
✓Section 75 does not cover a debit card payment, but your card provider may still be able to help through the chargeback process.
✓You usually have around 120 days to raise a chargeback, which might run from when you expected the goods or services, or from when you got something defective or not as described. The limit can be longer or shorter, so ask your bank straight away.
✓Section 75 covers a credit card purchase with a cash price of more than £100 and up to £30,000. Since 15 July 2026 Section 75 is also available for regulated Buy Now Pay Later.
✓Chargeback is for payments made with a debit or credit card, and Section 75 does not apply to a bank transfer.
What is chargeback?
A chargeback lets you challenge and claw back a payment made with a debit or credit card. You can only do it in certain circumstances, and your bank will ask for supporting evidence before it starts the process. Visa, Mastercard and American Express each have their own chargeback rules, so check them with your bank.
For payments made with a debit or credit card
A bank does not have to raise one, though it can be good practice where there is a valid reason
Each card scheme has its own chargeback rules, so check them with your bank
Can help with a debit card purchase, where Section 75 does not apply
A chargeback can fail, and it is not always reasonable for a bank to raise one
On a debit card, Section 75 does not apply, but your card provider may still be able to help through chargeback. On a credit card, ask your bank to consider both chargeback and Section 75.
When can you use chargeback?
The Financial Ombudsman Service lists these as often valid reasons for a chargeback:
Not as described
The goods or services you received do not match the description.
Never received
The goods never turned up, or the supplier never provided the service.
Faulty goods
The goods arrived but were broken or otherwise defective.
Refund promised but not paid
The supplier says they were processing a refund, but you never got one.
Cancelled with no refund
The supply of goods or services was cancelled in line with the supplier's policy, but no refund was paid.
The Ombudsman adds that other chargeback reasons might relate to a dispute over the nature of the transaction, such as the amount charged or whether the payment was authorised.
If a payment was not authorised, the Payment Services Regulations 2017 also say your payment service provider must refund it, subject to regulations 74 and 75. That is a legal duty.
If a travel company has stopped trading, the Ombudsman says you can still ask your bank about a Section 75 or chargeback claim, especially if there is no ATOL or ABTA cover.
Chargeback time limits
You usually have around 120 days to raise a chargeback about goods or services. The time limits can be longer or shorter depending on the circumstances, and each card scheme has its own rules, so ask your bank what applies to you.
If the goods or services never arrived, the 120 days may run from the date you expected to receive them
If you got something defective or not as described, they may run from the date you received it
If your claim is not in time, you might not be able to get your money back through the chargeback process
Speak to your bank as soon as you know there is a problem, and send any extra information they ask for quickly. For Section 75, see the time limit row in the table below.
How do you make a chargeback claim with your bank?
To request a chargeback, contact your bank or card provider and say why you are disputing the payment. Your bank will ask for supporting evidence before it starts the process, and you often need to show that you tried to sort the problem out with the seller first. Ask your bank about the time limit straight away.
1
Try the seller first
Contact the seller and ask them to put the problem right. You often need to show that you tried to resolve it with them, so keep your emails and any replies.
2
Contact your bank or card provider
Explain that you want help with something you paid for using a card they provided, and ask them to consider the chargeback and Section 75 process.
3
Have your evidence ready
Useful evidence includes receipts, invoices or other proof of payment, contracts and terms and conditions, leaflets or screenshots of what was promised, emails or other correspondence, photos or videos if the goods were not as expected, and an independent report or expert opinion if needed.
4
Your bank decides what to do
Your bank should look at whether it can raise a chargeback or a Section 75 claim. If a first attempt at a chargeback does not succeed, it might be reasonable for the bank to take it further, and you may need to give more information to answer any defence from the seller.
5
If your bank will not help
Make a formal complaint to the bank first. If it does not send you a final response letter within 8 weeks, or you are unhappy with its response, you can bring the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free. The Ombudsman aims to give an answer to a complaint within 90 days, though complex cases can take longer.
What is the difference between chargeback and Section 75?
If you paid by credit card you may have both. Here is how they compare:
Feature
Chargeback
Section 75
Where it comes from
The chargeback rules of your card scheme
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974
Applies to
Debit and credit card payments
Credit card, point-of-sale loan or certain catalogue shopping accounts, not a debit or charge card
Price
Ask your bank what applies to your purchase
Cash price of more than £100 and up to £30,000
Time limit
Usually around 120 days, but it can be longer or shorter
The time limit for a claim for breach of contract: 6 years in England and Wales, 6 years in Northern Ireland, 5 years in Scotland. Section 75 gives you a like claim against your bank or lender
What you claim
Your bank is asked to challenge and claw back the payment
The supplier's breach of contract or misrepresentation, claimed against your bank or lender
Does the bank have to act?
No, a bank does not have to raise a chargeback
The bank needs to work out whether Section 75 applies, then look at whether there was a breach of contract or misrepresentation
It is the cash price of the goods or services that counts for Section 75, not how much you put on the card, so it can apply even if you paid only part by credit card. If you paid by credit card, ask your bank to consider chargeback and Section 75 together.
Bank transfers, debit cards and Buy Now Pay Later
How you paid decides which routes your bank can look at:
Bank transfer, cash or credit card cheque: Section 75 does not apply, and chargeback is for payments made with a debit or credit card
Debit card or charge card: Section 75 does not apply, though your card provider may still be able to help through the chargeback process
Regulated Buy Now Pay Later: the FCA has regulated Deferred Payment Credit since 15 July 2026, and if something goes wrong you may be able to get a refund from the lender because Section 75 is available
Older or unregulated Buy Now Pay Later: an agreement taken out before 15 July 2026, or one where the lender and the seller are the same business, is not regulated, and the FCA says the new protections do not apply
Deferred Payment Credit is interest-free credit repayable in 12 or fewer instalments over 12 months or less. If you were tricked into paying by bank transfer, see our guide to bank transfer scam refunds. Section 75 is covered in our Section 75 guide.
What if your bank will not raise a chargeback?
If you think your bank has not done enough to help:
Make a formal complaint to the bank first. If it does not send you a final response letter within 8 weeks, or you are unhappy with its response, you can bring the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS), which is free
The Ombudsman will usually look at whether it was fair for the bank not to raise, or to discontinue, a chargeback, and at how well the bank explained the process, including the information it asked for and any time limits and restrictions
It may tell the bank to refund you in part or in full, and may suggest compensation for trouble or upset
A chargeback lets you challenge and claw back a payment made with a debit or credit card. You can only do this in certain circumstances, and your bank will ask for supporting evidence before it starts the process. A bank does not have to raise one, though the Financial Ombudsman Service says it can be good practice where valid reasons exist.
Can I do a chargeback on a debit card?
Possibly. Section 75 does not apply to a debit card, but your card provider may still be able to help through the chargeback process. A bank does not have to raise one, and it will ask for supporting evidence first.
Know Your Rights UK. "What Is a Chargeback? How to Recover Money Through Your Bank." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/consumer/chargeback