Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 lets you raise a claim against your bank or lender for a breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier of goods or services. It covers a single item with a cash price of more than £100 and up to £30,000. The lender is jointly and severally liable with the supplier.
Key points
✓Section 75 covers a single item with a cash price of more than £100 and up to £30,000, paid for by credit card, a point-of-sale loan or certain catalogue shopping accounts.
✓The lender is jointly and severally liable with the supplier, so you can raise the claim against your bank or lender for the supplier's breach of contract or misrepresentation.
✓It does not apply if you paid with a debit card, a charge card, cash, a credit card cheque or a bank transfer, though for a debit card your provider may still be able to help through chargeback.
✓If something goes wrong with what you bought using regulated Deferred Payment Credit (often called Buy Now Pay Later), Section 75 is available. The FCA started regulating it on 15 July 2026, and agreements taken out before that date stay unregulated.
✓It is the cash price that counts, not what you put on the card, so it can apply even if you paid only part by credit.
What is Section 75?
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 says that if you have a claim against the supplier for misrepresentation or breach of contract, you have a like claim against the creditor, who is jointly and severally liable with the supplier. This means:
You can raise a claim against your bank or lender for a breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier of goods or services
The lender is jointly and severally liable with the supplier
It applies to a single item with a cash price of more than £100 and not more than £30,000
Where the cash price is over £30,000, a lender might still be responsible under Section 75A, so mention it to your bank or lender
Section 75A can let you pursue the lender for a breach of contract on a linked credit agreement if, for example, the supplier cannot be traced, has not responded after you contacted it, or is insolvent
The bank or lender needs to work out whether Section 75 applies, then see whether there has been a breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier. If you are unhappy with its response you can complain to it, and if you are still not satisfied the Financial Ombudsman Service may be able to help. The Ombudsman service is free, and it sees complaints where a bank has unfairly rejected a Section 75 claim.
When does Section 75 apply?
The Financial Ombudsman Service says Section 75 applies if both of these are true:
✓Yes: You paid some or all of the cost by credit card, with a point-of-sale loan, or with certain catalogue shopping accounts
✓Yes: The cash price of the goods or services is more than £100 but not more than £30,000
Section 75 does not apply if:
✗No: You paid with a debit card or a charge card, although your card provider may still be able to help through the chargeback process
✗No: The credit was given under an overdraft or general-purpose bank loan
✗No: You paid using cash, a credit card cheque or a bank transfer
There also needs to be a clear agreement between you, the supplier and your bank or lender, which the law describes as a debtor-creditor-supplier agreement. Whether that is in place is not always straightforward, and your bank or lender should be able to help. If you were tricked into paying by bank transfer, see our guide to bank transfer scam refunds.
The cash price limits apply to each single item. Section 75 does not apply so far as a claim relates to any single item to which the supplier has attached a cash price not exceeding £100 or more than £30,000. It is the cash price of the goods or services that matters, not what you paid on your credit card or loan, so Section 75 applies even if you only made part of the payment using credit.
What problems can you claim for under Section 75?
A claim needs a misrepresentation or a breach of contract by the supplier. The Financial Ombudsman Service hears complaints about problems like these:
✓Yes: Being unhappy with what you were told about the goods or services before you bought them
✓Yes: Goods that are of poor quality or defective
✓Yes: Services that were not carried out with reasonable care and skill
✓Yes: Something that turned out to be unfit for its intended purpose
✓Yes: An item that never turned up, or a service that was cancelled without a refund
✓Yes: A travel company that has stopped trading: you can still speak to your bank or lender about a Section 75 or chargeback claim, especially if there is no ATOL or ABTA cover
Your bank or lender should consider the contract that was agreed, including relevant consumer law. That is likely to include the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which is covered in our faulty goods guide.
How to make a Section 75 claim
1
Contact the supplier about the problem
For a chargeback you often need to show that you have tried to resolve the problem with the supplier of the goods and services.
2
Gather your evidence
Useful evidence includes receipts and invoices or other proof of payment, contracts and terms and conditions, marketing materials such as leaflets or screenshots, correspondence such as emails, photos or videos if the goods were not as expected, and independent assessments, reports or expert opinion if needed.
3
Contact your bank or lender
Explain that you want help with something you paid for using a card or loan they provided, and mention that you would like them to consider the chargeback and Section 75 process.
4
Wait for the response
The bank or lender should look at whether it can raise a chargeback or a Section 75 claim. If you are unhappy with its response you can complain to it.
5
Escalate if refused
Make a formal complaint to the bank or lender first. If it does not send a final response letter within eight weeks, or you are unhappy with its response, you can bring the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free. It may tell the bank or lender to refund you in part or in full, and may suggest compensation for any trouble or upset.
Section 75 vs chargeback, what is the difference?
A chargeback lets you challenge and claw back payments made using a debit or credit card, but only in certain circumstances. A bank or lender does not have to raise one. Our chargeback guide covers it in full. Key differences:
Section 75
Part of the Consumer Credit Act 1974
Credit card, point-of-sale loan or certain catalogue shopping accounts, not a debit or charge card
Cash price of more than £100 and up to £30,000
6 years in England and Wales
6 years in Northern Ireland
5 years in Scotland
Covers misrepresentation and breach of contract by the supplier
Lender jointly and severally liable with the supplier
Chargeback
Each card scheme (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) has different chargeback rules
Debit and credit card payments
Usually around 120 days, but time limits might be longer or shorter
Often valid if the goods do not match the description, never turned up or arrived broken or defective
A bank or lender does not have to raise one
If Section 75 does not apply, for example because you paid by debit card, your card provider may still be able to help through the chargeback process. If you paid by credit card, ask your bank or lender to consider both.
Does Section 75 cover Buy Now Pay Later, and other ways of paying?
Regulated Buy Now Pay Later: the FCA started regulating Deferred Payment Credit on 15 July 2026, and if something goes wrong you may be able to get a refund from the lender because Section 75 is available
Deferred Payment Credit is interest-free credit repayable in 12 or fewer instalments over 12 months or less, and it is regulated if the lender and the supplier are different businesses
Hire purchase and similar agreements: where the lender and the supplier are the same, for example under a rent-to-own agreement like hire purchase, the lender could be directly responsible for problems with the goods or services
How you made your purchase, and the parties involved, might affect your Section 75 claim, so ask your lender if you are unsure
Not regulated, so the new protections do not apply:
✗No: A Deferred Payment Credit agreement taken out before 15 July 2026
✗No: A purchase from a business where the Deferred Payment Credit is provided by that same business
Common Section 75 scenarios
Tickets for events and travel, cosmetic treatment, home appliances, kitchen installations and educational courses are some of the purchases the Financial Ombudsman Service sees complaints about when something goes wrong. Situations where you can ask your lender about a Section 75 claim include:
An item you paid for never turns up
A service you were expecting is cancelled and you are not refunded
Goods you paid for are defective or of poor quality
A travel company stops trading and there is no ATOL or ABTA cover, or you have further costs that they do not cover
If Section 75 and chargeback do not get your money back, our small claims guide explains how to take a seller to court, and the consumer rights section covers the rest.
Section 75 lets you raise a claim against your bank or lender for a breach of contract or misrepresentation by the supplier of goods or services. It applies to a single item with a cash price of more than £100 and up to £30,000, and the lender is jointly and severally liable with the supplier.
Does Section 75 apply to debit cards?
No. Section 75 does not apply if you paid with a debit card or a charge card, although your card provider may still be able to help through the chargeback process. A bank or lender does not have to raise a chargeback, and you usually have around 120 days to raise one, though the time limit might be longer or shorter.
Can I use Section 75 if I only paid part of the purchase on a credit card?
Yes. Section 75 applies even if you only made part of the payment using credit, as long as the cash price of the goods or services is more than £100 but not more than £30,000. It is the cash price that matters, not what you paid on your credit card or loan.
What if my credit card company refuses a Section 75 claim?
Make a formal complaint to them first. If they do not send a final response letter within eight weeks, or you are unhappy with it, you can take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free. It may tell the bank to refund you in part or in full, and may suggest compensation for any trouble or upset.
Know Your Rights UK. "Section 75 Consumer Credit Act: Credit Card Refund Rights." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/consumer/section-75