If a UK online retailer enters administration before delivering your order or paying an agreed refund, contact the payment provider immediately. A qualifying credit-card purchase may be covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974; debit-card and some other card payments may be pursued through chargeback. PayPal has a separate dispute process. You can also register what you are owed with the administrator, but an insolvency claim is not a guaranteed full refund and should not delay a card or platform claim.
First confirm that the retailer is in administration
A checkout banner saying that orders are paused is not, by itself, proof of a formal insolvency procedure. Look for a notice on the retailer’s website, Companies House information, or a page published by the appointed insolvency practitioner. The notice should identify the company in administration and the administrator’s contact details.
Check the legal seller named on your order confirmation, invoice and payment record. A familiar shop name may be a trading name of a different company, and a marketplace seller may be a separate business from the marketplace operator. The legal entity and the payment chain determine which recovery route is available.
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- Save a copy of the retailer’s administration announcement and the administrator’s customer instructions.
- Record the date you learned of the administration and whether your order was never dispatched, was dispatched but not delivered, or was returned with a refund still outstanding.
- Do not send more money, pay a new delivery charge, or accept a replacement payment link until you have verified it with the administrator’s published contact details.
Collect the evidence before contacting your provider
A complete evidence pack makes it easier for an issuer or payment platform to identify the transaction and the breach. Keep original emails and download pages as PDFs or screenshots because a retailer’s website may disappear.
- Order number, item description, quantity and the price of each item.
- Order date, promised delivery date and any later delivery estimate.
- Invoice, payment receipt and the account or card statement showing the transaction.
- The payment method, including whether a card was used directly or through PayPal, a digital wallet, a marketplace or a buy-now-pay-later service.
- Messages with customer service, cancellation requests, return tracking and any written promise of a refund.
- Proof of non-delivery, such as a tracking record or a carrier statement.
- The retailer’s administration notice and any correspondence from the administrator.
UK Finance says a card claim can require the date and method of payment and whether an online payment went through a platform such as PayPal or Klarna. Give the issuer the full chain rather than describing the payment simply as a card purchase.
Choose the recovery route that matches your payment method
| Route | When it may apply | Who handles it and what to request |
|---|---|---|
| Section 75 | A qualifying direct credit-card transaction involving a single item priced above £100 and no more than £30,000, with the required creditor–supplier relationship and a failure to supply or a misrepresentation. | Your credit-card provider. Ask to make a Section 75 claim under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and explain any intermediary in the transaction. |
| Chargeback | Often available for debit-card payments and for some credit-card transactions that do not meet Section 75. It is a card-scheme process rather than a statutory right. | The card issuer. Ask for a chargeback for goods not received or a promised refund not paid, then confirm the scheme deadline and documents. |
| PayPal dispute | A transaction covered by PayPal’s buyer-dispute rules. | PayPal’s dispute centre or account process. Citizens Advice Scotland states that a dispute should be opened within 180 days of payment; verify the live terms and act sooner if possible. |
| Other wallet, marketplace or BNPL process | The provider’s own buyer-protection or complaint rules, which vary by product and transaction structure. | The wallet, marketplace or finance provider. Ask which party is legally responsible for the transaction and whether it will also support a card claim. |
| Administration claim | You are owed money directly by the insolvent company, for example for an undelivered order or an agreed refund. | The named administrator. Follow its customer-claim instructions and retain proof of the debt; any distribution and timetable are uncertain. |
You may be able to pursue more than one route, but tell each provider about any other claim and any money received. A duplicate recovery can create a repayment problem, and one provider may need to know that another route is still open.
Section 75: when a credit card can cover the loss
Section 75 creates a statutory link between the consumer, the credit provider and the supplier when the transaction meets the legal conditions. For this type of retailer failure, the relevant breach is usually that the supplier did not provide the goods or did not provide an agreed refund.
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The value and item rules
Citizens Advice and MoneyHelper describe the standard range as a single item costing more than £100 and no more than £30,000. The test concerns the price of the individual item, not necessarily the total basket. If one order contains several items, ask the issuer how it will treat the transaction rather than assuming the whole basket qualifies.
Partial payment can matter
Paying only part of a qualifying item with the credit card may still permit a Section 75 claim for the item’s full price. Keep evidence showing the complete contract price and the amount charged to the card. The card issuer will assess whether the required legal relationship exists.
Intermediaries can break the legal chain
Section 75 is not automatic merely because a credit card was used. A marketplace, payment wallet, ticket agent or other intermediary can mean that the card creditor did not finance the contract directly with the supplier. Citizens Advice warns that purchases made through a third party such as a marketplace or PayPal usually cannot use Section 75, although the facts and contractual structure matter. Ask the issuer to assess the chain and request chargeback if Section 75 is unavailable.
How to make the request
- Write to the card provider using its published complaints or Section 75 contact route.
- State that the supplier has entered administration and has not supplied the goods or paid the agreed refund.
- Identify the supplier’s legal name, the order and item, the transaction date and the amount charged.
- Attach the evidence pack and the administration notice.
- Ask the provider to confirm in writing whether it treats the request as a Section 75 claim, what further evidence it needs and when it will decide.
If the provider rejects the claim, ask for the reason and use its formal complaints process. A final response can be taken to the Financial Ombudsman Service where the complaint falls within that service’s jurisdiction and eligibility rules.
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Chargeback: the main alternative to Section 75
Chargeback is a process operated through card-scheme rules. It can cover debit-card transactions and may also be available for a credit-card payment outside Section 75. It is not the same as a statutory right, so the issuer and scheme rules determine whether the claim is accepted.
What to tell the issuer
Use clear wording such as “goods not received because the retailer entered administration” or “agreed refund not received.” Supply the expected delivery date, the retailer’s insolvency notice and your attempts to resolve the matter. If the retailer’s website has disappeared, UK Finance advises directing the card provider to any available notice from the insolvency practitioner.
Confirm the deadline
Chargeback is time-limited, but there is no single deadline that applies to every card, scheme and transaction. Ask the issuer for the last date to submit the claim and whether the clock runs from the transaction, the expected delivery date, the cancellation or the date the business failed. Request that information in writing and submit the claim even if the administrator has not yet replied.
Possible responses
- The issuer may ask for more evidence or give the retailer an opportunity to contest the chargeback.
- A provisional credit can be reversed if the claim is challenged or the evidence does not meet the scheme rules.
- Receiving an administration dividend or another refund can change the amount still recoverable. Tell the issuer promptly.
PayPal, digital wallets, marketplaces and BNPL
PayPal
Open a dispute through the transaction in your PayPal account and choose the reason that matches the facts, such as an item not received. Citizens Advice Scotland says the dispute should be opened within 180 days of payment. That is a published guidance figure, not a promise that every present-day case will be accepted, so check the current PayPal terms and submit immediately.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →A PayPal-funded transaction can also complicate Section 75 because the wallet may stand between the card creditor and the retailer. Tell the card issuer that PayPal was used and ask separately whether chargeback is available. Do not close a platform dispute or accept a settlement without understanding how it affects other routes.
Marketplace orders
Identify whether the marketplace was the seller, an agent, or only the platform hosting an independent seller. Save the seller profile, invoice and marketplace terms. The marketplace’s own protection programme may have a separate notification period, and a card claim may depend on which entity appears on the payment record.
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Digital wallets and BNPL
For a wallet or buy-now-pay-later arrangement, contact the provider named in the agreement and ask whether it will pause instalments, register a dispute or redirect you to the underlying card issuer. Continue to meet undisputed payment obligations unless the provider confirms a pause; missed instalments can create a separate credit or collections issue.
Claiming through the administration
The administrator’s process is separate from Section 75, chargeback and a platform dispute. Follow the administrator’s instructions for customers owed money, which may involve an online form, proof of purchase and bank details. Submit the claim even while pursuing a payment-provider route, and notify the administrator if another route pays you.
Consumers are commonly unsecured creditors in an insolvency. The available assets, debts with higher priority and the administrator’s proposals determine whether any distribution is made. The supplied official guidance does not establish a universal consumer timetable or a guaranteed percentage recovery, so treat an administration claim as a possible additional recovery rather than a promised refund.
Do not wait for a creditors’ meeting or a distribution before contacting your card issuer. Card-scheme and platform deadlines can expire while the insolvency case is still being organised.
A practical action plan
- Verify the status. Confirm the legal retailer and locate the administrator’s notice.
- Freeze the evidence. Download the order, invoice, payment record, delivery promise, correspondence and insolvency announcement.
- Map the payment chain. Note the card issuer, wallet, marketplace, finance provider and legal seller shown in each record.
- Contact the fastest relevant provider. Ask a credit-card issuer about Section 75 and chargeback; ask a debit-card issuer about chargeback; open a PayPal dispute through the account; contact a marketplace or BNPL provider under its dispute route.
- State the remedy precisely. Explain whether the goods were never supplied, were returned, or were supplied but an agreed refund was not paid.
- Ask for deadlines and documents in writing. Record the case number, the submission date and the name or team handling it.
- Submit to the administrator. Use the published form or address and keep confirmation of submission.
- Track every response. Keep a dated log, answer evidence requests by their deadline and report any duplicate payment.
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
Waiting for the administrator before contacting the issuer
An insolvency investigation can take longer than a card-scheme deadline. Start the card or platform process as soon as you have evidence of non-delivery or the unpaid refund.
Assuming every credit-card payment qualifies for Section 75
The item value, the single-item structure and the legal relationship all matter. A wallet or marketplace can change the analysis. Ask for a written assessment and keep chargeback as an alternative.
Using the wrong legal seller
A brand name on the website may not be the company on the invoice. Giving the issuer the wrong entity can delay matching the transaction and the insolvency notice.
Relying on a phone call
Telephone support can be useful for opening a case, but send the evidence and key statements in writing. Written records show what was requested and when.
Ignoring a provisional credit
A temporary refund during a chargeback investigation may be reversed. Keep the money available until the issuer confirms the outcome.
Continuing instalments without asking the finance provider
For BNPL or other finance, ask the provider how to dispute the transaction and whether payments should be paused. Do not simply stop paying without instructions.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsYour underlying consumer rights
The Consumer Rights Act 2015 contains protections for consumer contracts, including distance sales. For an online order, the seller normally remains responsible for supplying the goods in accordance with the contract. A failure to deliver or a failure to provide an agreed refund can therefore be evidence for a card or platform claim.
Those rights do not turn an insolvent company into a solvent one. A court judgment or an accepted debt in the administration may still leave you waiting for an uncertain distribution. Use the statutory rights to describe the breach, while using the payment-provider route that can produce a separate recovery.
The legislation page cited for this guidance states that Part 1 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 was up to date on 3 October 2026. Check the current text and obtain tailored advice if the order involves a business purchase, a high-value bespoke item or a cross-border seller.
Do not confuse non-delivery with a fraudulent payment
A retailer entering administration after taking genuine orders is usually a non-delivery or insolvency dispute, not automatically an unauthorised-payment case. The Financial Conduct Authority’s guidance on fraudulent payments addresses situations where a payment was made without the account holder’s consent. Tell the issuer what actually happened; using a fraud category for a transaction you authorised can delay the correct claim route.
Worked examples
Direct credit-card purchase
You buy one item directly from the retailer, pay with a credit card and receive an administration notice before dispatch. The item price falls within the Section 75 range. Send the issuer the order, statement and notice, request a Section 75 assessment and ask about chargeback in case the statutory route does not apply.
Debit-card purchase
You pay directly by debit card and the retailer stops trading. Section 75 is not the route for a debit card, so contact the issuer promptly for chargeback, ask for its submission deadline and provide proof that the promised delivery or refund failed.
Marketplace payment through PayPal
You pay a marketplace seller through PayPal and the seller does not deliver. Open the PayPal dispute within the stated platform period, identify both the marketplace and seller, and tell any card issuer that PayPal was the payment intermediary. Section 75 may be unavailable because of that structure, but the platform process or chargeback may still be relevant.
Refund promised after a return
You return an item, receive written confirmation that a refund is due, and then the retailer enters administration. Keep the return tracking and refund promise. Describe the claim as an agreed refund not received, rather than as an undelivered order, so the provider assesses the correct event and date.
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Where to get further help
Citizens Advice Scotland explains the card, chargeback and PayPal routes used in this guidance; consumers elsewhere in the UK should check the advice service for their nation. MoneyHelper provides an overview of Section 75 and chargeback. UK Finance explains the information a card provider may request and how to use an insolvency notice. GOV.UK material on retailer insolvency describes the role of the insolvency practitioner, while GOV.UK’s consumer-protection overview and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 provide the broader legal context.
If your card provider mishandles a complaint, use its formal complaints procedure and then check whether the Financial Ombudsman Service can consider it. For a complex insolvency, a very high-value purchase or a dispute about who the legal seller was, consider independent legal or debt advice.
Final checklist
- Legal retailer and administrator verified.
- Order, invoice, payment statement and delivery or refund evidence saved.
- Payment chain mapped, including any wallet, marketplace or BNPL provider.
- Section 75 requested where the credit-card conditions may be met.
- Chargeback deadline confirmed with the issuer.
- PayPal or platform dispute opened within its current rules.
- Administrator claim submitted and confirmation retained.
- Case numbers, deadlines and duplicate payments logged.
The quickest practical route is to preserve the evidence and contact the provider that handled your payment now. A qualifying credit-card claim can be legally different from a debit-card chargeback or a PayPal dispute, while an administration claim may recover little or nothing; pursuing the correct route before its deadline gives you the best chance of recovering the money.
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