TPS, CTPS, and PECR: the UK rules that apply to your dial.
A short, plain-English summary of the UK regime that governs unsolicited marketing calls. Useful for sales managers, RevOps leads, and the compliance officer who is going to ask you about it.
What is the TPS?
The Telephone Preference Service is the UK's official register of consumers who have opted out of unsolicited live marketing calls.
It is operated by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) and backed in law by PECR. Around 28 million UK numbers are on the register. If a number is on TPS, you may not call it with an unsolicited live marketing message unless that specific person has given you specific consent to do so.
What is the CTPS?
The Corporate Telephone Preference Service is the same idea, for corporate subscribers.
CTPS covers numbers belonging to companies, partnerships, public bodies and other corporate entities that have opted out of unsolicited live marketing calls. Around 3 million corporate numbers are on the register. B2B teams who think TPS does not apply to them are usually thinking of the consumer register only. CTPS is the one you need to check for direct dial numbers at corporate prospects.
What does PECR require?
PECR makes unsolicited marketing calls to TPS or CTPS-registered numbers unlawful unless you have specific prior consent.
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) sit alongside the UK GDPR. For live marketing calls, PECR requires you to:
- Screen against TPS and CTPS before calling, and re-screen often enough that registrations made since your last screen are caught.
- Not call a registered number unless the specific subscriber has given specific consent for marketing calls from your organisation.
- Identify yourself, and provide an address or freephone number on request, on every call.
- Honour every opt-out request promptly and keep a do-not-call list.
How often do I need to screen?
Often enough that newly-registered numbers are caught before you call them. The ICO has fined firms whose screening windows were too wide.
The TPS register is updated continuously. The DMA publishes standard 28-day refresh files for list-cleaners. Real-time screening (what TPSClear does on phone-number change) is the strictest standard, and is the safest answer when an ICO investigator asks how recently the number was last checked.
Sources
- ICO guide to PECR
- Telephone Preference Service (TPS)
- Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS)
- Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003
- Direct Marketing Association (DMA)
Legal disclaimer
This page is a plain-English summary, not legal advice. TPSClear is not a law firm. If you need a binding view on whether a specific calling programme is lawful under PECR, take advice from a qualified UK solicitor or your in-house counsel. TPSClear is a tool to help you operate within the rules, the responsibility for compliance always sits with the calling organisation.