Most beach clubs charge for access through some combination of a sunbed or daybed fee, a minimum spend at the table, and — for a reserved cabana or a busy Saturday — a deposit held against the booking. None of that is standardised, and the terms live on each club's own site, not a single rulebook. What's worth knowing before handing over a card is less about any one club's price and more about what protection you actually have if the booking falls through or the charge doesn't match what you agreed.
The three charging models, briefly
A sunbed or daybed fee is a rental charge for the lounger itself, for a half-day or full-day slot. A minimum spend doesn't charge for the seat — instead, food and drink at the table needs to reach an agreed total over the visit. A deposit, most common on cabanas, reserved tables and peak weekends, is paid in advance to hold the booking and credited against the final bill. Clubs frequently combine two of these, so the total cost isn't always obvious from the headline price.
What UK card protection actually covers
If a club takes a deposit or full prepayment and the booking goes wrong — it never opens that season, say, or doesn't honour what was paid for — a UK-issued card offers two separate routes to get the money back, and they aren't the same thing.
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is a genuine legal right, not a bank courtesy. It applies to credit card payments of more than £100 and up to £30,000, making the card provider jointly and equally liable alongside the seller if the goods or service isn't delivered as promised. Which? confirms it also applies to purchases made abroad, provided the amount and payment method meet those same conditions — so a card-paid beach club deposit in Spain is, in principle, covered the same way a UK purchase would be.
Chargeback is different in kind. It's available on both debit and credit cards, but — as the Financial Ombudsman Service sets out — it isn't a legal right, just a set of rules run by the card scheme (Visa, Mastercard and similar), with no guarantee of success. It's the main option if you paid by debit card, since Section 75 only ever applies to credit.
In practice, the payment method matters as much as the amount: a credit deposit over £100 carries a real legal backstop; a debit payment relies on a scheme process with no such guarantee, whatever the sum.
What this doesn't cover
Neither route replaces reading a club's own booking terms. Cancellation windows and what counts as the club's fault versus the customer's changing their mind are set by the venue, not by card protection rules. And cash carries neither protection at all — one reason to prefer a card for any sum worth protecting.
See the beach clubs hub for how the underlying payment models work, and the Marbella and Puerto Banús guide for the area this site's archive covers.
Questions people ask
Is a beach club deposit refundable?
That depends entirely on the individual club's own terms — there's no general legal right to a refund of a beach club deposit in Spain simply because you change your mind. Check the specific cancellation policy on the club's own booking page before you pay.
What's the difference between Section 75 and a chargeback?
Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974 is a legal right that applies only to credit card payments between £100 and £30,000, making your card provider jointly liable with the seller. Chargeback is not a legal right but a card-scheme process (run by Visa, Mastercard or similar) available on both debit and credit cards, with no guarantee of success.