Section 75 and paying for All-on-6 by credit card
Paying for a large dental treatment by credit card can give you a second line of protection if things go wrong. How much protection depends on how you pay.
Medically reviewed by Dt. Hüseyin Yavuz Özbek, implant surgeon · Updated October 2026Citizens Advice explains that if you pay at least part of the cost by credit card, and the item costs more than £100 and no more than £30,000, you may be able to claim from your card provider under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. It usually only applies when you pay the trader directly, not through a third party. With a debit card, you can ask for a chargeback instead.
All-on-6 is one of the largest payments most people make outside buying a car or a house. When you pay that much to a clinic in another country, it is reasonable to ask what happens if something goes badly wrong. A good clinic, a clear written plan and a published guarantee are the first answer. How you pay can be a second one. This article explains the general rules, as set out by Citizens Advice, so you can ask the right questions before you pay.
Key points
- Section 75 can make your credit card provider jointly responsible if a purchase goes wrong.
- Citizens Advice says it covers items over £100 and up to £30,000, paid at least partly by credit card.
- It usually does not apply if you pay through a third party, such as an agent.
- Debit cards do not have Section 75, but you can ask your bank for a chargeback.
- Keep the plan, receipts, statements and messages together in case you ever need to claim.
What Section 75 is
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 makes a credit card provider jointly responsible with the trader when something goes wrong with a purchase made on the card. In practice, it means that if the trader does not put things right, you may be able to claim from your card provider instead.
Citizens Advice sets out the main conditions:
- You paid at least part of the cost with a credit card.
- The item cost more than £100 and no more than £30,000. The limits apply to a single item, not the whole order.
- You bought directly from the trader. Section 75 usually does not apply if you paid through a third party.
If you paid part by credit card and part another way, you can still use Section 75, as long as the item's total cost is within the limits. If you used more than one credit card, you can claim from only one provider.
How this fits All-on-6
An All-on-6 package for both jaws in Antalya typically falls well within the £100 to £30,000 range. At our top pick, Precious Dental, it is £6,500. That means the price itself is not usually the obstacle; the questions are how you pay and whom you pay.
Paying the clinic directly
The clearest situation is a card payment made directly to the clinic that treats you. The trader on your card statement is then the clinic, and the purchase is the treatment.
Paying through an agent or broker
Some patients book through an agency that arranges the clinic, hotel and travel. If your card payment goes to the agency rather than the clinic, Citizens Advice notes that Section 75 usually does not apply where you did not buy directly from the trader. Before you pay, ask who will appear on your card statement.
Paying a deposit by card
Citizens Advice gives the example of a deposit paid by credit card with the rest paid another way: Section 75 can still apply to the full item. If you plan to pay a deposit, paying it by credit card directly to the clinic keeps that option open.
Debit cards and chargeback
Section 75 does not apply to debit cards. Instead, you can ask your bank for a chargeback, a process run under the card schemes' rules. Citizens Advice explains that you can ask for the amount you paid on that card, or a partial refund to make up for a problem. Chargeback is not a legal right in the same way as Section 75, and there can be time limits, so contact your bank promptly if something goes wrong.
What Section 75 cannot do
It is worth being realistic. Card protection is a back-stop for a purchase that went wrong, not a guarantee of a good result.
- It does not stop complications happening; choosing the clinic carefully does more for that.
- Dental outcomes involve clinical judgement. A claim needs evidence that the service was not as agreed or not carried out with reasonable care, and card providers will look at the facts.
- It does not cover your flights or hotels if they were bought separately from a different trader.
- It does not replace the clinic's guarantee, which is the quickest route to a repair.
Practical steps before you pay
- Get the plan and price in writing, naming the clinic, the treatment, the implant brand, the materials and what is included.
- Ask who you are paying. The clinic's legal name should match the trader on your statement.
- Ask how payments are split between trips. See paying across two trips.
- Check your credit limit and any foreign transaction fee on your card. Ask the clinic whether it charges in pounds.
- Ask your card provider how it would treat a payment to an overseas clinic, so there are no surprises.
- Keep everything: the plan, receipts, guarantee terms and messages confirming prices.
If something does go wrong
The first step is always to contact the clinic. A clinic with a written guarantee should explain how it will put things right and who pays for any travel involved. At Precious Dental, implants with their abutments carry a lifetime guarantee and crowns and bridges five years, on the conditions set out on the guarantee page.
If that does not resolve it, Citizens Advice describes how to make a Section 75 claim: write to your card provider, explain what went wrong, and ask for a refund, compensation, or the cost of putting it right. Include copies of your plan, receipts and correspondence. Citizens Advice has a template letter. Seeing a UK dentist for an independent opinion and a written report on the problem can help show what happened.
Keep your records together
| Keep | Why |
|---|---|
| Written treatment plan and price | Shows what was agreed |
| Every receipt | Shows what was paid, when, to whom |
| Card statements | Shows the trader and the card used |
| Guarantee terms | Shows what the clinic promised |
| Implant passport, X-rays, scans | Shows what was done, for any dentist reviewing it |
| Messages with the clinic | Shows changes to the plan and how problems were handled |
If someone else is paying
Card protection belongs to the cardholder. Citizens Advice notes that with a joint credit card, the main cardholder should make any claim. If a family member pays with their card, they are the one with the right to claim. Decide this in advance; helping a parent pay covers the practical side.
Questions to ask your card provider
- Would a payment to a dental clinic in Turkey be covered by Section 75?
- Is there a foreign transaction fee, and how much?
- Will a large payment abroad be blocked as suspicious, and should I tell you in advance?
- What is my credit limit, and is it enough for the treatment plus a reserve?
The bottom line
Paying the clinic directly with a UK credit card, for a treatment between £100 and £30,000, may give you Section 75 protection on top of the clinic's guarantee. Paying through an agent may not. Debit cards offer chargeback, which is weaker and time-limited. None of this replaces a careful choice of clinic, but it costs nothing to set up correctly before you pay. For deposits, refunds and exchange rates, see paying safely. This article is general information, not financial advice; check the details with your card provider.
Common questions
Does Section 75 cover dental treatment abroad?
It can be relevant, because it covers purchases made with a UK credit card, but how it applies to a clinic abroad depends on the facts. Ask your card provider before you pay how it would treat a payment to an overseas clinic.
What if I pay part by credit card and part by bank transfer?
Citizens Advice says that if any part of the cost is paid by credit card, Section 75 can apply, as long as the total cost of the item is between £100 and £30,000.
Does paying through an agent affect my protection?
It can. Section 75 usually does not apply if you did not buy directly from the trader. Pay the clinic itself where you can.
What about debit cards?
Section 75 does not apply to debit cards, but you can ask your bank for a chargeback. There can be time limits, so act quickly.
Is this financial advice?
No. It is a summary of general rules published by Citizens Advice. Check with your card provider and, if needed, Citizens Advice before you pay.
Sources
- Citizens Advice — Getting your money back if you paid by card or PayPal
- NHS — Treatment abroad checklist
- Oral Health Foundation — Going abroad for dental treatment
Checked October 2026. Where we give our own view as a clinic, we say so.
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