Reminder: Section 75 still protects credit card spending of £100–£30,000
Despite the rise of debit cards and account-to-account payment, paying any part of a £100–£30,000 purchase on credit card still triggers full Section 75 protection.
By Money Guide editorial team
Published:
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes the credit card provider jointly liable with the seller for the whole purchase price if something goes wrong, where any part of the cost is between £100.01 and £30,000 and the payment is by credit card.
The protection covers misrepresentation, breach of contract and supplier failure — for example, a holiday company collapsing before delivering a booked trip. It applies even where only the deposit was paid on the credit card.
Chargeback, by contrast, is a Visa/Mastercard scheme that can be used to reverse a card payment (debit or credit) where goods or services were not provided or were materially different from those agreed. It typically applies for 120 days from the transaction or scheduled delivery date and is a scheme rule, not a statutory right.
Use credit card for higher-value purchases or anything involving a significant gap between payment and delivery (e.g. furniture, building work, flights). Pay off the balance in full each month to avoid interest erasing the benefit.