Section 75 or chargeback? How to get your money back on Black Friday buys over £100

What's happening

Black Friday is on 27 November. If something you buy never turns up, breaks, or isn't what the listing said, the way you paid decides how easily you get your money back. There are two routes. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is the law. Chargeback is a card scheme rule that your bank can use, but doesn't have to.

At a glance

• Section 75 makes your credit card provider equally liable with the seller when an item costing more than £100 and up to £30,000 goes wrong.
• It covers the whole price, even if only part of it went on the credit card.
• Chargeback works on debit cards for any amount, and on credit card buys that section 75 doesn't cover.
• Chargeback isn't a legal right. Your bank doesn't have to raise one, and you usually have around 120 days to ask.

How section 75 works

Section 75(1) says that if you have a claim against a seller for misrepresentation or breach of contract, you have "a like claim" against the credit card company, and the two are "jointly and severally liable". Section 75(3) sets the limits: the claim must relate to a single item with a cash price over £100 and not more than £30,000.

That's per item, not per basket. Five £30 jumpers in one £150 order aren't covered, but one £150 coat is. Citizens Advice says section 75 still applies if only part of the price went on the card. Its example is a £250 oven with a £50 deposit on a credit card and £200 in cash: you can claim the full £250. If you split the cost across several credit cards, you can only claim from one of them.

There are gaps. Citizens Advice says section 75 usually doesn't apply if you didn't buy directly from the seller, for example through eBay, Amazon or a PayPal wallet. You can still ask, but the card company might say no. Charge cards that you must clear in full every month are left out by section 75(3)(c). Buy now pay later plans taken out since 15 July 2026 are covered, and here's how the new BNPL rules work.

How chargeback works

Chargeback is run by the card schemes, such as Visa and Mastercard: your bank asks the seller's bank to reverse the payment. It works with debit cards for any amount, and with credit card buys that section 75 doesn't cover, such as an £80 order. You only get back what you paid on that card.

The Financial Ombudsman Service says "a bank or lender doesn't have to raise a chargeback", and that you usually have around 120 days to raise one, though the limit can be longer or shorter depending on what went wrong. Citizens Advice also warns that the seller can challenge a refund even after you've had the money back, so leave it untouched for a few weeks if you can.

A worked example

This is an illustration. On Black Friday, Sam orders a £449 TV. He pays a £50 deposit on his credit card and the other £399 by debit card. From a different shop, he buys a £60 coat on his debit card. The TV arrives with a cracked screen and the seller stops replying, and the coat never arrives.

The TV is a single item over £100, and part of it went on a credit card, so Sam can make a section 75 claim to his credit card company for the full £449. For the £60 coat, he asks his bank for a chargeback, in good time.

What to do now

1. For a single item over £100, put at least part of it on a credit card, and clear the balance in full if you can, so you don't pay interest.
2. Go to the seller first, in writing, as Citizens Advice suggests. Say what's wrong and what you want under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Keep copies.
3. If that fails, write to your card provider. Say whether you're claiming under section 75 or asking for a chargeback, and attach your order confirmation, photos and emails.
4. Ask for a chargeback quickly. Around 120 days is the usual limit, so don't leave a Black Friday problem until February.
5. Complain if you're turned down. If your card provider says no, or doesn't send a final response within eight weeks, take it to the Financial Ombudsman Service. It's free.

Questions

What if the shop goes bust? This is where section 75 is most useful. If you paid for an item over £100 at least partly by credit card and the seller can't deliver or refund, your claim against the seller is also a claim against your card company.

What if I paid with PayPal? Citizens Advice says you have 180 days from when you paid to open a dispute on PayPal's website.

Where this applies

These rights apply to bigger buys anywhere you pay by card, including the Black Friday sales at Currys, Argos, John Lewis, AO.com and Very, where we list current codes and offers. Our Currys page, for example, has £100 off selected Copilot+ PC laptops with code COPILOT100.

When you shop through Voucher Magpie, part of the commission the shop pays us goes to the charity or club you pick. You pay the same price.

Sources: Consumer Credit Act 1974, section 75, checked 8 Nov 2026, Citizens Advice: Getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal, 8 Nov 2026, Financial Ombudsman Service: section 75 and chargeback, 8 Nov 2026