Debit card chargebacks in the UK: what sellers need to know

Your customer paid by debit card, so Section 75 does not apply, and you might assume they cannot get their money back. They can. The bank can reverse the payment, and Shopify shows a dispute. Here are debit card chargebacks, seller side.

Debit card chargebacks are disputes where a customer asks their bank to reclaim a debit card payment because goods did not arrive, were faulty or a refund was refused. MoneyHelper says debit cards give chargeback protection on all purchases, usually claimed within 120 days. For sellers, debit card chargebacks cost and work like any other chargeback.

This guide is for you if:

• You sell to UK customers who mostly pay by debit card, and you wonder whether they have fewer rights, or more risk of disputes, than credit card buyers.
• You have a dispute from a customer who said "my bank told me to ask for a chargeback" and you are not sure how that differs from a credit card claim.
• You want to know how long to keep evidence, which orders carry the longest tail and what to do when the card type is unknown.

Last updated: 9 October 2026. Written by the ChargeFix team.

The 30-second answer (TL;DR)

• MoneyHelper says a debit card "gives chargeback protection on all purchases". If an item is faulty or does not arrive and the company will not refund, the customer can ask their bank to claim the money back.
• For debit cards the 120 day limit runs from the purchase date, or the date of tickets for events.
• Section 75 covers credit card purchases from £100 to £30,000, with no time limit on a claim. It does not apply to debit cards.
• For you, the process and cost are the same: Shopify withdraws the amount and the £10 fee at once, you have a response window normally of 7 to 21 days, and there is no appeal.
• The practical difference is the tail: a debit chargeback is usually a 120 day risk, while a credit card order of £100 or more can be claimed later through Section 75.
• You cannot rely on knowing the card type, so treat every order as a possible dispute and keep evidence for at least four months, longer for higher-value orders.

What are debit card chargebacks, and how do they work?

A chargeback is a way for a customer to ask their bank to get money back from a card payment. With a debit card, the bank puts the claim through the card network, the seller's side is given a chance to respond with evidence, and a decision follows. For a Shopify Payments merchant, you see it as a dispute in your admin with a due date.

MoneyHelper, the free government-backed money guidance service, explains the customer's side. A debit card "gives chargeback protection on all purchases". If an item is faulty or does not arrive and the company will not refund, the customer can ask their bank to claim the money back. For debit cards, the 120 days run from the purchase date, or the date of tickets for events.

There is no sign in the pages I read that debit card chargebacks are treated differently by Shopify. The Shopify process is the same for any card. When a customer files a chargeback, Shopify withdraws the disputed amount and the chargeback fee at once, which is £10 for a UK merchant. You normally have 7 to 21 days after the chargeback is filed to respond. A card review can then take up to 75 days after you submit. If you win, the amount and the fee come back. If you lose or accept, the fee does not, and there is no appeal.

Step	What happens	Who acts
1	Customer has a problem and asks you for a refund	Customer, then you
2	You refuse, ignore or fail to resolve	You
3	Customer asks their bank to reclaim the debit card payment	Customer and bank
4	Shopify withdraws the amount and £10 fee	Shopify
5	You respond with evidence within the window	You
6	The card issuer reviews and decides	Card issuer
7	Win: amount and fee returned. Lose: neither	Shopify

The last two steps of debit card chargebacks are the same whether the card was debit or credit. What changes is what else the customer could have done.

How do debit card chargebacks differ from credit card claims?

The main difference sits on the customer's side, and it has a knock-on effect for you. A credit card buyer who spends between £100 and £30,000 has Section 75 as well as chargeback. A debit card buyer has chargeback only. That is the entire legal difference between debit card chargebacks and credit card claims, and MoneyHelper describes it plainly.

Feature	Debit card	Credit card
Chargeback available	Yes, on all purchases	Yes, for purchases outside £100 to £30,000, and as an option
Section 75 available	No	Yes, £100 to £30,000
Chargeback time limit	120 days from purchase (or date of tickets)	120 days for chargeback claims
Section 75 time limit	Not applicable	No time limit
Bank should tell the customer the outcome	Within eight weeks (per MoneyHelper)	Within eight weeks (per MoneyHelper)
If the customer is unhappy with the bank	Can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service	Same

The comparison explains why debit card chargebacks are common: for a debit card customer, chargeback is the only route. A credit card customer on a £140 order has two. I did not find a source that says how Shopify labels or processes a Section 75 claim, or whether it reaches the merchant as a chargeback, so I will not say. What I can say is that the seller's exposure is not the same shape in each case, and that is what the rest of this guide is about.

Does Section 75 matter for debit card chargebacks?

No. Section 75 is for credit card purchases in the stated range. MoneyHelper says the debit card route is chargeback. So if a customer says "I will go to my bank under Section 75" about a debit card payment, the claim they can actually make is a chargeback. That does not make it weaker. Debit card chargebacks are real, and for a seller they cost the same as any other.

How long do debit card chargebacks last? The 120 days explained

Longer than the order, shorter than a Section 75 claim. MoneyHelper gives 120 days for chargeback from the purchase date, or the date of tickets. So an order paid for on Monday 2 November 2026 can be disputed by a debit card customer until about Tuesday 2 March 2027. Black Friday orders on 27 November 2026 reach to about Saturday 27 March 2027.

I have not verified every detail of how the 120 days are counted for different card schemes or situations, and the pages I read describe the period in general terms. So treat it as the working rule, and add margin. Keep your evidence for debit card chargebacks for at least four months after the order, and longer for products delivered late or with long lead times.

Illustration: a debit card order. A customer pays £85 by debit card on Monday 2 November 2026. The parcel is delivered on Thursday 5 November, and the customer later claims it never arrived. They have until about 2 March 2027 to ask their bank for a chargeback. If the claim comes on 1 March, you have a response window of 7 to 21 days after it is filed, and then up to 75 days for the card review, so the case can run into the summer. The money is out of your account from day one. If you lose, you are out £85 plus the £10 fee, £95. Dates and amounts are illustrative.

Order paid on	Debit card chargeback window ends about	Credit card £100+ Section 75
Monday 2 November 2026	Tuesday 2 March 2027	No time limit (per MoneyHelper)
Friday 27 November 2026	Saturday 27 March 2027	No time limit
Wednesday 16 December 2026	Thursday 15 April 2027	No time limit

Check the exact count if a case sits at the edge of the window. The point of the table is the contrast in the last column: a £100 or more credit card order has no time limit under Section 75, which is a reason to keep records of higher-value orders for longer.

What does the seller see when debit card chargebacks arrive?

Very little that tells you which route the customer took. Shopify shows the dispute, its reason, the amount and the due date. I did not find a source in the pages I read that says Shopify shows whether the card was debit or credit, or whether a claim began as a Section 75 request. If your admin shows the card type on the order, that is useful, but do not build a process that depends on it.

The reason shown is what you answer. Shopify's chargeback reasons include fraudulent, unrecognised, duplicate, subscription cancelled, product not received, product unacceptable, credit not processed and general. For each there is a different evidence list, and a debit card does not change it.

Reason	What Shopify suggests you submit
Product not received	Fulfilment date and time, billing information, shipping and tracking information; Shopify uploads a PDF of fulfilment events
Product unacceptable	The same, plus descriptions or pictures showing the product was as described
Credit not processed	Refund and return policies, proof you informed the customer, emails about the refund, an explanation of why they were not entitled
Unrecognised or fraudulent	Evidence linking the buyer to the order, such as delivery and billing details

Shopify Payments adds some evidence automatically, including order details, addresses, IP address, fulfilment details and a tracking PDF. The rest comes from you. Our guide to the evidence to save at fulfilment gives a three-minute routine that works for every card type.

Why are debit card chargebacks common for UK sellers?

Because many UK shoppers pay by debit card, and because a debit card dispute is, for the customer, one phone call or app tap away. I do not have a sourced share of UK online payments made by debit card, so I will not quote one. What I can say from the way chargeback works is that a debit card holder has no second route, so a refused refund pushes them straight to the bank.

Practical consequences of debit card chargebacks for you:

• A refused refund is a debit card chargeback waiting to happen. There is no Section 75 alternative to absorb the dispute.
• Small orders matter. Section 75 does not apply below £100 for anyone, so on orders under £100 both debit and credit buyers rely on chargeback.
• Speed helps. A reply within a day, and a refund where the customer is right, keeps most debit card customers out of the bank.

Illustration: where debit and credit differ. Two customers have a faulty £140 order. The first paid by debit card. The second paid by credit card. The first can ask their bank for a chargeback within about 120 days. The second can ask their card provider under Section 75 with no time limit, or use chargeback. If you refuse both, the first customer's only route is the bank and the dispute comes to you. A lost case costs £140 plus the £10 fee, £150. The second customer's claim may reach you in another form, or later. Amounts are illustrative.

Does the 120 days window change when you should refund a debit card customer?

Yes, in one useful way. Inside the window, a customer with a debit card has a safety net. After the window, they largely do not, except through a complaint to the bank or the Financial Ombudsman Service. So late in the window, the risk that a refusal becomes a chargeback is highest, and just after it ends, the risk drops.

That sounds cynical, and it is not a reason to stall. A refusal that is right should stay right. But it does show where the dispute risk sits on the calendar:

Days since purchase	Typical position	Seller's best habit
0 to 14	Customer may cancel or report a fault	Reply within one working day, refund where due
15 to 60	Delayed delivery, late faults, forgotten orders	Keep customers informed; fix problems quickly
61 to 120	Last stretch for debit chargeback	Do not ignore late complaints; they are the ones that reach the bank
After 120	Chargeback window has generally closed for debit	Keep records anyway; other routes may exist

For late complaints, a short goodwill refund is often cheaper than a dispute. Our guide to chargeback vs refund works out the break-even: at £60, fighting only beats refunding if you think your chance of winning exceeds about 14 percent, and that ignores the effect on your chargeback rate.

Do contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal change debit card chargebacks?

MoneyHelper says the same process applies to contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay as to other debit or credit card payments. So a customer who paid by Apple Pay linked to a debit card has debit card chargeback protection, as I read the page.

PayPal is different. MoneyHelper says Section 75 usually will not apply when a customer pays through PayPal, but if they paid via PayPal using a debit or credit card, they have 120 days to claim through chargeback. This guide is about payments taken by Shopify Payments, where those wallet payments arrive as card payments. A PayPal-held balance is a separate system with its own dispute rules, which I have not covered.

Payment method	Customer's route (per MoneyHelper)	Time limit
Debit card	Chargeback	120 days
Debit card via contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay	Chargeback, same process	120 days
Credit card £100 to £30,000	Section 75	No time limit
Credit card outside £100 to £30,000	Chargeback	120 days
Card paid through PayPal	Chargeback; Section 75 usually not	120 days

How should you word your policy for debit card customers?

You should not write one policy for debit card customers and another for credit. You should write one clear policy that tells every customer how to get help from you first, and what happens if they cannot. The best defence against debit card chargebacks is a customer who never needs to file one.

Key elements:

• A visible contact route. Shopify's prevention advice includes making contact details easy to find. A debit card customer with a problem and no way to reach you files a debit card chargeback.
• A clear refund process. Say how long refunds take and how they are paid.
• A delivery promise you can keep. State delivery times and tell customers early if they slip.
• A recognisable billing descriptor. Shopify's prevention advice includes setting the billing statement text to your store or domain name, so customers recognise the charge.

CONTACT AND REFUND WORDING (for every card type)
Problem with your order? Email [address] and we will reply within
[1] working day. If your order is faulty, late or not as described,
we will put it right, usually with a refund to your original payment
method. We do not want you to have to go to your bank, and we will
work with you first.

I would not mention chargebacks in the customer-facing policy. The aim is to make the first call to you easier than the first call to the bank.

What evidence works against debit card chargebacks?

The same evidence that works against any chargeback, but timed to the 120 day window for debit card chargebacks. Because the customer has until about four months after purchase, your evidence needs to be saved at the start, not reconstructed at the end.

1. Order and checkout proof. The order record, billing and delivery addresses and the checkout wording the customer saw.
2. Policy snapshots. Dated copies of your return, delivery and contact policies.
3. Fulfilment proof. Dispatch time, carrier, tracking number and a tracking screenshot.
4. Delivery proof. A scan, signature or photo. Shopify says a signature significantly strengthens your position in product not received disputes.
5. Customer messages. Every email and reply, in date order.
6. Refund records. Dated confirmation of any refund, with the transaction reference.

DEBIT CARD DISPUTE FOLDER (per order)
01-order-and-checkout
02-policies-on-order-date
03-dispatch-and-tracking
04-delivery-proof
05-customer-messages
06-refund-records
Keep for at least 4 months; longer for orders of £100 or more.

What if the customer says their bank told them to claim a debit card chargeback?

This happens more than you might expect, and it is useful information. A customer who says the bank told them to claim a chargeback has often already spoken to the bank, and may be a short step from filing. Treat it as the last chance to resolve things directly.

Here is how to respond:

1. Reply the same day. Do not argue about the bank's advice. Say you want to put it right.
2. Ask what happened. Get the order number, the problem and what the customer wants.
3. Offer a remedy in writing. A refund, a replacement or a repair, as the facts justify.
4. Ask them to hold off. Say you will resolve it within a set time, such as two working days.
5. Save the thread. If a chargeback follows, the thread shows you tried.

Hi [name],

I'm sorry about this, and I'd like to sort it out today without you
needing to go through your bank. Could you confirm [the problem]?
If it's as you describe, I will [refund £X to your original payment
method / send a replacement] by [date] and confirm by email.
If you've already started a claim with your bank, let me know and I
will still do the above, and you can ask them to withdraw it.

[Name]

If the customer has already filed, remember that Shopify says you cannot issue a refund after a chargeback has been made. In that case, ask them to withdraw the claim with their bank, and include evidence of their agreement in your response, as Shopify advises. Our guide to customer threatens a chargeback covers the exact words to use.

What does the Financial Ombudsman Service add to debit card chargebacks within eight weeks?

Very little for you directly, and a lot for the customer. MoneyHelper says the bank should tell the customer the outcome within eight weeks for a chargeback or Section 75 claim, and that a customer who is unhappy with the response, or who has missed a deadline, can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. So a lost case is not always the end on the customer's side.

For a seller, the effect is indirect. A customer who loses a debit card chargeback may complain to the bank or the Financial Ombudsman Service rather than come back to you. I did not find a source in the pages I read showing how often that happens or how it affects merchants, so I will not guess. What you can do is keep your evidence in good order, because it may be asked for again.

Stage	Who is involved	What you may need
Chargeback filed	Customer, bank, Shopify	Your response within the window
Card review	Card issuer	Nothing, unless more evidence is requested
Outcome communicated	Bank to customer, within eight weeks (per MoneyHelper)	Nothing from you
Customer complains to the Financial Ombudsman Service	Customer, bank, ombudsman	Possibly the same evidence again

Keep your dispute folder for at least as long as the longest plausible tail. That is one more reason not to delete evidence at 60 days.

How should you handle debit card chargebacks when you do not know the card type?

Most of the time you will not know, and it should not matter. Build your process so that it does not depend on the card type, and then add one extra step for higher-value orders where the type could change the timeline.

Order value	Process for every card type	Extra step
Under £100	Standard evidence folder, 4 month retention	None
£100 to £30,000	Standard evidence folder	Keep the folder longer, because a credit card customer can use Section 75 with no time limit
Above £30,000	Standard evidence folder	Take advice; the Section 75 range ends at £30,000

The card type is unknown in most cases, so the table is built around order value instead. A £60 order is a chargeback-only risk for any card type. A £250 order is a chargeback risk for a debit card customer and a chargeback or Section 75 risk for a credit card customer. By keeping the folder longer for the second kind, you cover both without needing to know which is which.

The same logic applies to your reply times. Debit card customers have fewer routes, so the first route is the bank. Credit card customers in range have two. A fast reply serves both, which is why the habit that matters most is the simplest one: answer every complaint within a working day.

What does the 120 days rule mean for your evidence calendar?

It means you need a rolling evidence calendar, not a one-off effort. An evidence calendar keeps debit card chargebacks from catching you without proof. Evidence for an order has to last until the window closes, and the window for a November order closes in March. Set a simple routine so nothing is deleted too early and nothing is kept for no reason.

EVIDENCE CALENDAR FOR DEBIT CARD CHARGEBACKS (rolling)
Order date: ___
Debit card chargeback window ends (about +120 days): ___
Keep folder until at least: ___ (window end + 30 days margin)
Orders of £100 or more: note "Section 75 possible, review at 12 months"
Dispute opened: extend retention until the case is closed and a
further 90 days have passed.

The 30 day margin allows for a claim filed on the last day and the time it takes to reach you. The 12 month review for higher-value orders is my suggestion, not a rule from the sources, because Section 75 has no time limit and a longer review gives you a point at which to decide whether to keep the records. For how long you may keep personal data, I have not verified ICO guidance, so take your own data protection advice.

What's different for UK merchants?

This section is general information, not legal advice. Debit card chargeback protection and Section 75 are UK features that US-focused articles do not cover, which is why advice written for US stores often confuses the two. For UK stores, the other differences are the £10 chargeback fee on Shopify Payments and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013, which can require a refund regardless of the payment method.

If a customer is entitled to a refund under UK law, for example after a valid rejection of faulty goods within 30 days, the card type does not change your duty. Our guides to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 and cancellation exceptions show when a refusal is safe. A refusal that the law supports is your best protection against any dispute, debit or credit.

MoneyHelper says the bank should tell the customer the outcome of a Section 75 or chargeback claim within eight weeks, and that a customer unhappy with the response can complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service. That is the customer's process, and it does not change what Shopify asks of you, but it means a lost case can be followed by a complaint on the customer's side.

For how long you may keep personal data in your dispute folders, I have not verified ICO guidance, so take your own data protection advice.

What are the most common mistakes with debit card chargebacks?

1. Assuming no Section 75 means no debit card chargebacks. Debit cards have chargeback on all purchases.
2. Assuming debit card chargebacks are rarer than credit card claims. Chargeback is their only route, so a refused refund can send them straight to it.
3. Deleting evidence after 60 days. The window is about 120 days.
4. Treating the card type as knowable. Do not build a process that depends on it.
5. Ignoring late complaints. The last stretch of the window is where disputes reach the bank.
6. Skipping the delivery proof. Product not received is the most common reason, and a signature or photo helps most.
7. Refunding after a chargeback is filed. Shopify says you cannot, and you risk paying twice.
8. Hiding contact details. A customer who cannot reach you will reach the bank.

Frequently asked questions

Do debit card chargebacks exist, and who protects the customer?

Yes. MoneyHelper says a debit card gives chargeback protection on all purchases. If an item is faulty or does not arrive and the company will not refund, the customer can ask their bank to claim the money back. For debit cards the 120 days run from the purchase date, or the date of tickets for events.

Is there Section 75 protection for debit card chargebacks?

No. Section 75 applies to credit card purchases from £100 to £30,000, so it does not apply to debit cards. A debit card customer's route is chargeback. Section 75 claims have no time limit, according to MoneyHelper, while chargeback claims are usually made within 120 days.

How do debit card chargebacks affect merchants?

The same as any chargeback. Shopify withdraws the disputed amount and the £10 fee at once, you normally have 7 to 21 days after the chargeback is filed to respond, and the card review can take up to 75 days after you submit. If you lose or accept, the fee does not come back.

How long can a customer wait before filing debit card chargebacks?

About 120 days from the purchase date, or from the date of tickets for events, according to MoneyHelper. A November order can be disputed into March. I have not verified how the period is counted in every situation, so keep your evidence for at least four months and add margin for edge cases.

Can I tell if a customer paid by debit or credit card?

I did not find a source showing that Shopify displays the card type on a dispute, so do not rely on it. If your admin shows it on the order, it is useful but not essential. Treat every order as a possible dispute and keep the same evidence for each.

Are Apple Pay and contactless payments treated differently?

MoneyHelper says the same process applies to contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay as to other debit or credit card payments. So a payment made with Apple Pay linked to a debit card has debit card chargeback protection. For PayPal, Section 75 usually does not apply, but a card used through PayPal has 120 days for chargeback.

Should I handle debit card chargebacks differently from credit card disputes?

No. Use one clear policy for everyone: easy contact, honest delivery times, a prompt refund where one is due. A debit card customer with no Section 75 has fewer options than a credit card customer, which means a refused refund is more likely to go to the bank, so replying fast is even more important.

How long should I keep evidence for debit card orders?

At least four months after the order, because of the 120 day window. For orders of £100 or more, consider keeping records longer, because a credit card customer in that range can claim under Section 75 with no time limit. For how long you may hold personal data, take your own data protection advice.

Does winning debit card chargebacks help my chargeback rate?

No. Shopify says winning a chargeback does not remove it from your chargeback rate, which is based on all disputes customers open. So the best outcome is a refund or a settlement before the customer files, and a strong response when you must fight.

Can ChargeFix help with debit card chargebacks?

ChargeFix handles Shopify Payments disputes whatever the card type: it gathers proof from your store, drafts the response from verified facts. You review and file it, or let Auto mode handle them. It cannot recreate records you did not save, so keep your own dated screenshots, and it does not give legal advice.

Start free trial with ChargeFix

ChargeFix gathers the proof from your store, drafts the response from verified facts, on flat monthly pricing with no cut of what you win. You review and file it, or let Auto mode handle them. If you want every one of your debit card chargebacks answered with evidence ready before the due date, start free trial and be set up before the next one arrives.

Sources

• How to sort a problem with a payment, MoneyHelper
• Responding to chargebacks and inquiries, Shopify Help Center
• Chargeback reasons, Shopify Help Center
• Preventing chargebacks, Shopify Help Center
• Chargeback monitoring, Shopify Help Center
• Consumer Rights Act 2015, Chapter 2, legislation.gov.uk