Section 75 Card Protection

What does Section 75 cover, and how does it protect your credit card purchases? Find out how to claim, and how Aqua cards can help.

Man paying with his phone against a card reader

Written by Hayley Bevan and Victoria Smith

Published on October 24th, 2026

Last reviewed on October 24th, 2026

8 mins read

Understanding credit cards

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act provides legal protection when you pay for eligible purchases between £100 and £30,000 on a credit card, by making your card provider equally responsible if something goes wrong.

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Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, your card provider is jointly liable for supplier contract breaches that could include faulty products or misinterpretations of services.

The Act applies to credit card purchases between £100 to £30,000, giving you a layer of protection against the total cost of an item, even if you’ve only put down a deposit payment.

As part of the Act rules and thresholds, there must be a direct debtor-creditor-supplier link. In instances where a purchase is made through an intermediary or third-party payment, a claim may not be valid.

In this guide, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. You’ll find answers to every common question such as what it is, how to make a claim, and how it compares to chargeback.

What is Section 75?

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes your credit card provider jointly liable with the retailer if something goes wrong with the purchase of a product or service, so you can claim from either party.

You don’t need to opt in to activate the Act. Whenever an eligible credit card purchase is made, Section 75 is automatically applied by law whenever statutory requirements for a purchase are met.

For the Act to take effect, purchases on your credit card must fall between the total purchase value of £100 to £30,000. And even if you’ve only put down a deposit for a purchase, you could still be covered by Section 75.

For example, if you use a credit card to pay a deposit of £1 for a product or service with the total purchase value of £1,000, you can still be eligible to reclaim the full cash price amount.

Other criteria regulations state you must have paid at least part of the cost directly on a credit card (which isn’t third-party finance or a linked account).

Following a new ruling at the House of Lords in 2007, Section 75 also protects you against goods and services bought from overseas retailers, including online, telephone, and mail order purchases delivered from abroad.

What purchases are covered under Section 75?

Any purchase between the value of £100 to £30,000 is covered under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, provided it’s paid for using qualified credit. Common examples include:

Faulty goods, which include items that are broken, unfit for purpose, or do not match the product description.

Items or services not received for instances where you’ve paid a retailer but never received the product or service, such as a family holiday.

Not-as-described purchases where a transaction is made based on false or misleading claims from the seller.

Retailer insolvency for instances where a business goes into administration or liquidation prior to fulfilling your order.

For Section 75 to apply, your purchase must be made using a qualified payment type such as a credit card, store card, PayPal credit, or a buy now pay later (BNPL) agreement.

Provided you’ve used a qualifying payment type, you will be covered against the full purchase price, even if you’ve only paid a deposit. There must also be a direct contractual link between you and the seller (which doesn’t involve an intermediary or third-party payment aggregator)

What isn’t covered under Section 75?

Although Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 provides protection in a lot of transactional instances, there are limitations to its cover and where it can be used. Typical examples may include:

Debit card purchases which are not covered by Section 75 as it only relates to purchases made using credit. For debit card users, you may be covered by chargeback instead.

Purchases outside the qualifying price range that do not fall between the £100 to £30,000 threshold covered by Section 75.

Purchases without a direct contractual link which might include a transaction made entirely on a linked store card or paid for via a third party not directly connected to the credit agreement.

Other instances where Section 75 may not apply could include cash withdrawals, overseas purchases (depending on circumstances), and cases where the retailer disputes liability and further evidence is needed.

For peace of mind about what type of purchases might qualify under Section 75, get in touch with your credit card provider. Or, if you’re an Aqua customer, feel free to explore our FAQs.

How to make Section 75 claim

If you feel a retailer has breached a contract, provided a faulty item, or misinterpreted a product or service, you can make a claim under Section 75. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Contact your card provider either by phone, email, completing an online form, or registering a claim through their online portal.

Step 2: Submit your evidence such as proof of purchase (receipt, order confirmation, statement entry), details of what went wrong, and evidence of attempts to resolve the issue with the retailer.

Step 3: Get your claim resolved by submitting any further evidence or supporting information requested by your card provider. After which, they will later confirm the outcome and give you a timeline on proceedings.

Before you start the process to claim under Section 75, it’s a good idea to raise the issue with your retailer. This step isn’t always required before a claim is considered, but it might lead to a more immediate agreement or settlement.

Beyond claims made under Section 75, it’s a smart move to protect your account from other types of financial burdens such as fraud, data theft, or card cloning. Always follow best practice to keep your account safe.

Section 75 vs chargeback: what’s the difference?

Although both Section 75 and a chargeback scheme exist to protect consumers when purchases go wrong, they fundamentally differ when it comes to card eligibility and claiming rules.

For example, Section 75 is a legal right under the Consumer Credit Act which applies to eligible credit card purchases between £100 and £30,000. It exists to make the credit lender jointly liable for purchases that go wrong.

Chargeback, however, is a voluntary scheme run by card providers such as Visa and Mastercard which isn’t confined to a specific total cash price value, available on both debit and credit cards.

In instances where both schemes apply, it’s wise to use Section 75 for larger transactions made using qualified credit, and chargeback for purchases made on a debit card or for amounts that fall outside Section 75 limits.

If your claim is eligible for both Section 75 and chargeback, you won’t be expected to choose which route is best; your card provider will guide you through the process to help you reach the best outcome.

FAQs

What is Section 75?

Do part payments qualify (e.g. paying a deposit on a credit card for a larger purchase)?

Yes, part payments qualify under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. Even if you pay a deposit of £1 for a product or service with a total value of £1,000, you’ll still be covered for the full purchase price and not just the deposit amount.

Are purchases made through third-party payment providers (such as PayPal) covered?

Purchases made through third-party payment providers are generally not covered under Section 75 as they break the direct debtor-creditor-supplier link. For third-party payments made using PayPal, you may have cover under PayPal Buyer Protection.

Does Section 75 cover purchases made abroad?

Yes, Section 75 of the Credit Consumer Act 1974 generally covers purchases made abroad provided you’ve used a UK-issued credit card to make the transaction and the item value falls within £100 to £30,000.

What’s the difference between Section 75 and chargeback?

Where Section 75 makes your card provider jointly liable for purchases that may have gone wrong, chargeback is a voluntary scheme run by payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard for both debit and credit cards.

How long do I have to make a claim?

You generally have up to six years to make a claim under Section 75, with the deadline usually starting from the date your contract was breached or when you first discovered the problem. For best practice, file your claim as soon as possible.

Section 75 gives credit card users valuable legal protection on eligible purchases at no extra cost. Before you make a claim, here are a few points to check:

Total purchase value is within the qualifying range of £100 and £30,000.
A qualified, UK-issued credit card has been used for the transaction.
You have sufficient evidence to support your claim (such as a receipt or payment confirmation).

If you want peace of mind with your next purchase, explore our range of Aqua cards that prioritise your protection with every payment. Credit is always better when you can use your card with confidence.

Representative 39.9% APR (variable) on Aqua Classic

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