Section 75 Claims with Santander: How to Claim and What to Expect
You have a Santander credit card and a purchase has gone wrong. A retailer has taken your money and failed to deliver, supplied something defective, or gone into administration. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, Santander is jointly liable with the supplier for that purchase — and you can claim against Santander directly, regardless of whether the retailer still exists or is willing to cooperate.
Santander UK is authorised by the FCA and subject to the same Consumer Credit Act obligations as any other UK credit card issuer. Their Section 75 process follows the standard FCA framework: written claim, evidence review, decision within eight weeks. Submitting a clear, well-evidenced claim from the outset gives you the best chance of a first-attempt resolution.
Quick check: does Section 75 apply to your Santander purchase?
- ✓ You paid at least £1 on your Santander personal credit card
- ✓ The total purchase price was more than £100 and no more than £30,000
- ✓ The card is a personal credit card, not a Santander corporate or business card
- ✓ The supplier failed to deliver, supplied faulty goods, misrepresented the product, or has gone into administration
Not sure? Use the free eligibility checker.
Which Santander cards qualify
Santander personal credit cards — including Santander All in One, Santander Everyday, and Santander World Elite Mastercard — are regulated consumer credit agreements. Section 75 applies in full.
Santander corporate and business credit cards are generally outside the Consumer Credit Act and do not qualify. Sole traders using a personal Santander credit card for a business purchase are still covered, as the test is the regulatory status of the credit agreement, not the purpose of the purchase.
How to contact Santander’s disputes team
Submit your claim in writing. Do not rely on a phone call as your formal submission — calls are not treated as written claims and leave you without a record.
The most convenient route is a secure message through Santander Online Banking or the Santander mobile app. Log in, navigate to the help or messaging section, and send your claim addressed to the credit card disputes or Section 75 team. Save a copy and note any reference number provided.
You can also write by post to the address printed on your Santander credit card statement. Mark the envelope for the Credit Card Disputes Team.
Your written claim should state:
- That you are making a claim under Section 75(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974
- The date and amount of the transaction on your Santander card
- The name of the retailer or supplier
- What went wrong and why this constitutes a breach of contract or misrepresentation
- The total amount you are claiming
- A list of the supporting documents enclosed
What evidence to include with your Santander Section 75 claim
Include these documents with your claim
- ▪Your Santander credit card statement showing the transaction — highlight the relevant payment
- ▪Order confirmation, receipt, or invoice from the retailer showing the total price agreed
- ▪Evidence of what went wrong: non-delivery confirmation, photographs of faulty or misdescribed goods, or the administrator’s public announcement if the business has failed
- ▪Written correspondence with the retailer showing you attempted to resolve the issue — include this even if the retailer did not respond
- ▪For goods or services not as described: the original product description or advertisement alongside documentation of what was received
Sending your evidence upfront avoids delays from follow-up requests. Santander, like other banks, may ask for more documentation — but a thorough initial submission is both faster and harder to reject at the first stage.
What to say if Santander pushes back
Santander may say
”You need to resolve this with the retailer before making a Section 75 claim.”
Section 75(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 gives you the right to pursue Santander directly. Joint and several liability means you are not legally required to exhaust your remedies against the retailer first. Where the retailer is insolvent, has ceased trading, or is simply not responding, this requirement is both unreasonable and legally incorrect. State this and include any correspondence you have already sent to the retailer as supporting evidence.
Santander may say
”Your refund is limited to the amount charged to your Santander card.”
This is incorrect. Section 75(1) makes Santander jointly and severally liable for your full loss arising from the breach of contract. If the total purchase price was between £100 and £30,000 and you paid at least £1 on your Santander credit card, your claim is for the total amount owed — not just the portion paid by card. A deposit on a card triggers liability for the full contract value. Cite Section 75(1) and set out your total loss clearly.
Santander may say
”We have treated your claim as a chargeback dispute.”
Chargeback and Section 75 are separate processes. Chargeback is processed under Visa or Mastercard scheme rules and has a shorter time window. Section 75 is a statutory right under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 with a six-year limitation period. If Santander has misrouted your claim as a chargeback, write back stating explicitly that you are making a Section 75 claim under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and that it must be assessed under that legislation.
Santander may say
”The retailer partially fulfilled the contract, so your claim is not valid.”
Partial fulfilment does not extinguish your claim. Your claim is for your net loss — the cost of completing the contract or the value of what was not delivered, minus the value of anything legitimately provided. Set out your loss calculation clearly and, where services were partially provided, obtain a written quote for the outstanding work or a professional assessment of the shortfall. Partial completion is a factor in the amount claimed, not a ground for refusing the claim entirely.
If Santander still refuses
Issue a written rebuttal addressing each stated reason. If Santander issues a final rejection or fails to respond within eight weeks, refer the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service. The FOS is free and its decisions are binding on Santander.
You must contact the FOS within six months of Santander’s final response letter. See our Financial Ombudsman escalation guide.
What to do now
Gather your evidence before writing — your Santander statement, order confirmation, and proof of what went wrong. A complete submission is faster to process and harder to dismiss.
Submit in writing via secure message or post — citing Section 75(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. State the retailer name, the total loss, and the reason. Do not rely on a phone call.
If rejected, address each stated reason or escalate to the FOS — cite the legislation, respond to Santander’s specific grounds, and if they still refuse, refer to the Financial Ombudsman within six months of their final response.
Ready to write the claim?
The Section 75 Claim Pack includes a template letter citing Section 75(1) of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, an evidence checklist, rebuttal templates for the most common rejection reasons including those listed above, and a Financial Ombudsman complaint letter. £6.99, no subscription.
Get the claim pack — £6.99Last updated: 2 May 2026. See also our complete Section 75 guide and our Financial Ombudsman escalation guide.