Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your credit card company jointly liable with the retailer or trader if something goes wrong with a purchase. This means you can claim against your credit card company directly — even if the retailer has gone bust or is refusing to help.
| Condition | Required? |
|---|---|
| Purchase price between £100 and £30,000 | Yes — total item price, not amount paid on card |
| Paid by credit card (not debit card) | Yes — debit cards not covered |
| Bought from a business (not private individual) | Yes |
| Direct transaction between you and retailer | Yes — see exclusions below |
Partial payment tip: You only need to pay part of the price on your credit card to get full Section 75 protection for the entire purchase. Pay a £1 deposit on your credit card for a £5,000 sofa and the entire £5,000 is protected.
Chargeback is a Visa/Mastercard/Amex scheme rule that allows banks to reverse a card transaction. It is available for debit and credit cards but is not a legal right — it depends on the card scheme rules. Claims must usually be made within 120 days of the transaction. Chargeback is weaker than Section 75 because the card issuer can reject the claim if the retailer disputes it successfully.
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