The UK rules that stand behind your checkout

1. Nobody can charge you for paying by card

Since 13 January 2018, UK traders may not add a surcharge when a consumer pays with a personal debit card, credit card or PayPal and similar methods. If a checkout adds a fee for paying by card, it is breaking the Consumer Rights (Payment Surcharges) Regulations 2012, regulation 6A.

2. Section 75: your credit card company shares the responsibility

Under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974, if you pay at least partly with a credit card for a single item whose price is over £100 and not more than £30,000, the card issuer is jointly responsible with the seller if something goes wrong. An item priced at exactly £100 is not covered, and the limit applies per item, not per basket. Most single games cost less than £100, so section 75 mainly matters for collector's editions, consoles and accessories.

Paying through a PayPal account usually breaks the link section 75 needs, even when a credit card sits behind PayPal. It is also unclear whether spending from a store wallet or gift-card balance counts, and no official source says it does; do not rely on it.

3. Chargeback: useful, but not a law

Chargeback is a rule of the card schemes (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), not a legal right. Your bank can ask the seller's bank to reverse a debit, credit or charge-card payment when goods do not arrive or are not as described. Time limits are set by the schemes, usually around 120 days. It is the realistic route for most game purchases.

4. Digital content must work as described

The Consumer Rights Act 2015 treats a paid-for game as digital content. Sections 34 to 36 say it must be of satisfactory quality, fit for its purpose and as described. That includes items bought with virtual currency you paid for.

If it is not, sections 42 to 46 give you remedies: first a repair or replacement, then a price reduction of up to the full price. Problems in the first six months are presumed to have been there from the start. Section 46 also covers damage to your device caused by the content, even free content.

5. The 14-day cancellation right, and when it ends

For most things you buy online you have 14 days to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. For downloads and streaming, regulation 37 says the right ends once the download or stream begins, but only if you gave express consent to start straight away and acknowledged that you would lose the right. If the store never told you, the cancellation period can extend up to 12 months.

6. Pay-later is regulated from 15 July 2026

Buy-now-pay-later agreements made on or after 15 July 2026 are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Lenders must check affordability, give clear information and help people in difficulty; complaints can go to the Financial Ombudsman Service, and the FCA says section 75 can apply. Agreements made before 15 July 2026, and credit a shop provides itself, are not covered.

7. What is already banned, and what is coming

Since 6 April 2025 the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has banned drip pricing (hiding compulsory charges until late in checkout), fake reviews and more than thirty other unfair practices; the Competition and Markets Authority can fine up to 10% of global turnover. The same Act's subscription rules are due in January 2027.

8. Age and accounts

In practice you need to be 18 to hold a credit card, and it is an offence under the Consumer Credit Act to invite a minor to borrow. Platforms handle under-18s through family accounts: PlayStation child accounts are created by the family manager, Nintendo supervises accounts for children aged 15 and under, and EA teen accounts start with a spending limit of zero.

9. Labels on the box

PEGI adds an In-game purchases notice to games that sell anything inside the game, and a further note when those purchases include paid random items. From June 2026, newly rated games with paid random items receive at least a PEGI 16 rating. None of the twelve games we review sells paid random items.

Where to get help

• Citizens Advice consumer helpline: 0808 223 1133 (Welsh 0808 223 1144), Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
• Financial Ombudsman Service: 0800 023 4567, when a card issuer or lender rejects a section 75 or chargeback claim after its final response.
• MoneyHelper: 0800 138 7777, free and impartial guidance on credit and pay-later.

Sources