Who pays for a chargeback?

The merchant. Their acquiring bank debits them the disputed amount plus a fee.

Can I chargeback a debit card payment?

Yes. Chargeback rights apply to Visa Debit, Mastercard Debit and most other card schemes — not just credit cards.

What if my bank refuses?

You can escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free. A clearly-worded original letter makes this escalation much stronger.

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What is a chargeback?

A chargeback is a consumer-protection mechanism built into Visa, Mastercard and Amex. It lets your bank pull money back from a merchant when something has gone wrong with a card payment — even if the merchant refuses to cooperate. It works the same way in the UK, US and Australia.

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The simple definition

A chargeback is a request you make to your card issuer to reverse a transaction. The issuer debits the merchant's bank, credits you, and the merchant must either accept the loss or provide evidence the charge was valid.

Chargeback vs refund vs Section 75

A refund is the merchant voluntarily returning your money. A chargeback is your bank forcing the reversal under card scheme rules. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act adds extra protection for credit-card purchases between £100 and £30,000 — the card issuer becomes jointly liable with the merchant.

Common reasons people use chargebacks

Goods not received, item not as described, duplicate charges, recurring subscriptions after cancellation, fraudulent transactions, services not delivered (e.g. a holiday that didn't happen), and merchant going out of business before delivering.

Example letter to start a chargeback

[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Date]

[Card Issuer Name]
Disputes Department
[Issuer Address]

Re: Formal chargeback request — Card ending [last 4 digits]
Transaction date: [DD/MM/YYYY]
Amount: [£ amount]
Merchant: [Merchant name]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to formally dispute the above transaction on my account and to request a chargeback under the relevant card scheme rules (Visa / Mastercard / Amex).

The reason for this dispute is: [goods not received / not as described / service not provided / duplicate charge / unauthorised transaction]. I have already attempted to resolve this directly with the merchant on [date] by [email / phone / chat], and they have [refused to refund / failed to respond / offered an unsatisfactory resolution]. Copies of that correspondence are enclosed.

Please treat this letter as my formal request to:
1. Open a chargeback on the transaction above.
2. Credit my account with the disputed amount pending investigation.
3. Confirm the case reference and expected timeframe in writing.

I look forward to your written response within 14 days.

Yours faithfully,
[Your Name]

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