Portugal · deposit disputes & chargebacks · updated July 2026

How to Dispute or Chargeback a Car Rental Deposit Charge in Portugal

Every page on this site that covers a refused card, a wrongful no-show or a disputed toll charge ends the same way: cancel in writing, then chargeback through your bank within 120 days of the planned rental date (capped at 540 days from payment). What none of them cover is how a chargeback actually works, what a bank expects to see, and how it differs from a UK Section 75 claim — the two get confused constantly, and mixing them up can cost you the stronger protection.

A chargeback is a reversal request your card issuer makes to the merchant's bank through the card network's own rules (Visa, Mastercard); it isn't a legal right, and it's available on both credit and debit cards. Section 75 of the UK Consumer Credit Act is different: it's a statutory right that only applies to purchases made on a UK-issued credit card (not debit) for something costing over £100, and it makes the card issuer jointly liable with the merchant — with a claims window of several years, not 120 days. If you're a UK credit-card holder, that's normally the stronger route; everyone else, and every debit-card payment, is working with a chargeback instead.

Which companies actually work

Chargeback: available on both credit and debit cards, run through your bank via the card network's rules, generally must be started within 120 days of the planned rental date per the terms referenced elsewhere on this site (absolute cap 540 days from payment).
UK Section 75: a separate, statutory right — credit card only, not debit — for the item paid costing over £100; it holds the card issuer jointly liable with the rental company and isn't bound by the 120-day chargeback clock.
Evidence to gather before contacting your bank: the booking confirmation, any written confirmation the company gave you about card acceptance, your written cancellation email and its timestamp, and photos taken at the counter if you got that far.
Portugal also has its own complaints route independent of your bank — several company pages on this site mention the Livro de Reclamações (official complaints book) a rental desk is legally required to provide on request.
A chargeback disputes a specific transaction; it doesn't undo a no-show marking on your reservation by itself, so keep pursuing the written cancellation in parallel rather than relying on the bank dispute alone.

Step by step

Before involving your bank, cancel the reservation in writing by email the same day something goes wrong at the counter — this site's own rescue advice depends on that timestamp existing.
Check which card paid for the deposit or the booking: a UK credit card can support a Section 75 claim as well as a chargeback; a debit card, or any card outside the UK, only has the chargeback route.
Contact your card issuer and explain the transaction is disputed — they'll typically ask for the same evidence you'd send the rental company, so have the booking confirmation, any written card-acceptance confirmation, and your cancellation email ready.
If you're a UK credit-card holder, ask your issuer specifically about a Section 75 claim as well as a chargeback, since the two have different evidence expectations and very different time limits.
If the rental desk refused to hand over a Livro de Reclamações complaint form, note that in your dispute — it's a legal obligation in Portugal and its refusal is itself worth mentioning to your bank or issuer.

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Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a chargeback and a Section 75 claim for a Portugal car rental deposit?

A chargeback is a reversal request made through the card network's own rules (Visa, Mastercard), available on credit or debit cards, and it isn't a statutory right. Section 75 is a UK law that makes a credit card issuer jointly liable with the merchant for purchases over £100 — it only covers credit cards, not debit, and its claims window runs to several years rather than the 120-day chargeback clock referenced elsewhere on this site.

Can I get a chargeback if I paid the rental deposit with a debit card instead of a credit card?

Yes — chargeback is available on both card types through the card network's dispute process. Section 75 is the one that's credit-card only; if your deposit was held on a debit card (as it is at Goldcar, Centauro or Record go), a chargeback through your bank is the applicable route, not Section 75.

Does Section 75 protection apply if my credit card only paid the deposit, not the whole rental?

Generally yes under UK law — Section 75 can still apply even when the card only covered part of the cost, such as a deposit, provided the overall purchase price falls within the qualifying range. This is general UK consumer-credit law, not something specific to any rental company on this site, so confirm the current detail with your card issuer or a consumer body before relying on it.

What is the Livro de Reclamações and how does it help with a dispute?

It's Portugal's official complaints book, which every business serving consumers — including rental car desks — is legally required to provide on request. Filing a complaint in it creates an official, dated record of the issue, separate from and in addition to any chargeback or Section 75 claim you pursue with your bank.

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Disclaimer

Rental conditions change frequently and companies' own documents sometimes contradict each other (see the Goldcar Lisbon Airport discrepancy). Everything on this page reflects the official terms and conditions as verified in July 2026. Always verify directly with the rental company before booking. This is practical guidance, not legal advice.