Chargebacks: cuándo funcionan y cuándo no

What a chargeback is, and when it works

A chargeback is a refund processed through your card network (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) rather than directly with the merchant. You ask your card-issuing bank to reverse a charge; they raise it with the card scheme, which raises it with the merchant's bank. If the merchant cannot satisfactorily prove the transaction was legitimate, the money is returned to your card.

When chargebacks usually work

• **Goods or services not delivered as described** — including investment platforms that block withdrawals.
• **Cardholder not present and did not authorise** — for example unauthorised card use.
• **Merchant has gone out of business** without delivering.
• **Fraud or misrepresentation** — including investment scams, with the right evidence.

When chargebacks do not work

• You paid by **bank transfer** (different process — push-payment refund, see below).
• You paid in **cryptocurrency** (no scheme to dispute with).
• More than **120 days** have passed since the transaction (Visa/Mastercard standard limit; some categories shorter).
• You **wilfully authorised** the transaction with full information.

What about bank transfers?

If you transferred money directly to a scammer, the route is an "authorised push payment" (APP) refund claim. In the UK, a 2024 reimbursement framework requires most banks to reimburse victims of APP fraud up to £85,000 unless the customer was grossly negligent. In the EU, similar rules are being phased in. You file the complaint with your bank first; if they refuse, escalate to the financial ombudsman.

Building a strong chargeback case

The card schemes give you a reason code (e.g. "13.1 – merchandise not received", "13.5 – misrepresentation"). Your evidence should match that code: documents showing what was promised, what was delivered (or not), screenshots of communication, dates, and proof of attempts to resolve directly. Chargebacks fail more often from weak evidence than from weak facts.