Section 75 Protection on Holiday Purchases UK

Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is one of the most valuable protections available to UK consumers — and it applies to holidays, flights, and hotel bookings made anywhere in the world on a UK credit card.

What Section 75 Covers

You do not need to pay the full amount by credit card — even if you only put a £1 deposit on a credit card and pay the rest by cash, the full purchase can be covered (though the £100 minimum must apply to the individual item).

Common Holiday Scenarios Covered

What Section 75 Does NOT Cover

• Purchases under £100
• Purchases over £30,000
• Debit card purchases (chargeback only)
• PayPal payments (PayPal is the merchant, not the travel company)
• Prepaid card purchases
• Purchases where you didn’t pay the merchant directly (some indirect bookings)

How to Make a Section 75 Claim

1. Try the seller first — contact the airline, hotel, or operator and request a refund. Document all contact.
2. Gather evidence — booking confirmation, payment receipt, evidence of what went wrong (airline closure notice, hotel cancellation, etc.)
3. Contact your credit card issuer — call the number on the back of your card. Explicitly say “I want to make a Section 75 claim.”
4. Provide your evidence — the issuer will review and, if valid, credit your account. They typically process claims within 2–8 weeks.
5. Escalate if rejected — if your issuer refuses a valid claim, escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (free for consumers).

The Minimum Payment Rule — A Critical Detail

A common misconception is that Section 75 only applies if you paid the full amount by credit card. This is not correct.

Section 75 applies if:

• You paid any part of the purchase (even £1) using a credit card, AND
• The individual item costs between £100 and £30,000

Example: You book a £2,000 hotel using your credit card for a £200 deposit and pay the rest by bank transfer. The full £2,000 is protected because you used a credit card for part of the transaction and the item cost over £100.

This also means: if you split payment across multiple cards and the item costs over £100, Section 75 applies as long as the credit card payment is part of the purchase — even if just a small deposit.

However: If the credit card payment is for an item that individually costs less than £100 (e.g. you buy ten £50 items separately), Section 75 does not apply to those transactions even if the total is over £100. The £100 threshold applies per item.

Time Limits for Section 75 Claims

There is no fixed statutory time limit in Section 75 itself, but limitation periods apply:

• Contract claims: Generally 6 years from the date the breach occurred
• Misrepresentation: 6 years from discovery of the misrepresentation
• Credit card issuer internal deadlines: Your issuer may have shorter internal timelines, but these cannot legally override the statutory right

In practice, raise a Section 75 claim as soon as you are aware of the issue. Do not wait. The earlier you raise a claim, the easier it is to document and the more likely the issuer is to process it efficiently.

For chargeback claims (which sit alongside Section 75): The Visa/Mastercard chargeback window is typically 120 days from the transaction or the expected delivery/service date. Chargeback has a much stricter time limit than Section 75.

Booking Platforms — Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia

Third-party booking platforms create complexity for Section 75 claims because the merchant on your credit card statement is the platform (Airbnb, Booking.com, etc.) rather than the property or airline directly.

General guidance:

• Airbnb: Your credit card merchant is Airbnb Ireland (or Airbnb Inc.). Section 75 claims against Airbnb directly relate to Airbnb’s contract with you — if the host cancels and Airbnb refuses to refund, you may have a Section 75 claim against Airbnb.
• Booking.com / Expedia: Similar — the merchant is the platform, and Section 75 relates to Booking.com’s obligations under the contract.
• Direct supplier booking: Booking directly with the airline or hotel names them as the merchant — cleaner Section 75 claim if they fail.

Where possible, book directly with suppliers for cleaner Section 75 protection. If booking through a platform, understand that the claim is against the platform, not the underlying supplier.

ATOL, ABTA, and Section 75 Together

Several protections can overlap on package holidays:

• ATOL (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing): Protects package holidays including flights booked through an ATOL-licensed operator. If the operator collapses, ATOL refunds or repatriates you.
• ABTA (Association of British Travel Agents): Industry protection for non-flight package holidays. Financial protection and dispute resolution.
• Section 75: Legal right against your credit card issuer.

Having multiple protections is not a problem — you can pursue any available route and do not need to choose in advance. If ATOL resolves your claim, you do not also need to claim on Section 75 (and should not “double claim”). But if one route fails or is delayed, another route remains available.

Section 75 vs ATOL Protection

If you book a package holiday through an ATOL-protected operator, you also have ATOL protection (a separate government-backed scheme). Section 75 applies regardless of ATOL status. Having both protections does not harm your claim — both routes are available.

For choosing the right card for travel, see Best Travel Credit Cards UK and How to Avoid Foreign Transaction Fees.

Related Guide

• How Credit Cards Work UK 2026 — Beginner’s Complete Guide