Telephone Preference Service (TPS): How It Works for Consumers and Businesses

So TPS works two ways. For you as a person, it cuts unwanted marketing calls. For you as a business owner, it's a list you're legally expected to screen against before you pick up the phone, even if the person is an existing customer.

Here's how to register, what the rules say for callers, and where small businesses usually slip up.

How to register your number

Registration is free and quick on the TPS website. There's also a text option for mobiles: text TPS and your email address to 85095 from the phone you want to register. TPS says sending the text and getting the confirmation are both free.

Businesses register on the CTPS instead. That covers companies, limited liability partnerships, Scottish partnerships and government bodies. Sole traders and some partnerships register on the ordinary TPS, which matters later.

What TPS stops, and what it doesn't

Call type	Covered by TPS?
Live marketing calls from UK businesses	Yes, unless you've specifically agreed to that caller
Automated recorded marketing calls	Already banned without specific consent, TPS or not
Service calls about an account you have	No, these aren't marketing
Scam calls	No, scammers ignore the law, so report them instead

TPS also runs a complaints service. The ICO enforces the law behind the register, and TPS reports every complaint it receives to the ICO. If you're getting fake calls claiming to be the taxman, our page on HMRC scam calls explains what to do.

The rules if your business makes calls

The ICO's guide to PECR sets out the rules for live marketing calls. You must not make an unsolicited live call:

• to anyone who's told you they don't want your calls,
• to any number on the TPS or CTPS, unless the person has specifically consented to calls from you, even if they're an existing customer,
• about claims management services, unless the person has specifically consented.

On every call you must say who's calling, show your number or an alternative contact number, and give a contact address or freephone number if asked.

Automated calls are stricter

A call that plays a recorded message through an automated dialling system needs specific consent for that type of call. The ICO is clear that general marketing consent, or even consent for live calls, isn't enough. The message must give your name and a contact address or freephone number.

Calling other businesses

The rules are the same for business-to-business calls, with one twist people miss. Sole traders and some partnerships sit on the TPS, while companies sit on the CTPS. So for B2B calling lists, the ICO says you need to screen against both registers as well as your own do-not-call list.

Your TPS checklist

1. Screen every calling list against the TPS and CTPS before you use it.
2. Keep your own do-not-call list of anyone who says no, and screen against that too.
3. Never call a TPS number on the strength of being an existing customer alone. You need their specific consent to calls.
4. Display your number, say who you are, and give a contact address or freephone number if asked.
5. Don't use recorded-message calls unless people have specifically agreed to that kind of call.

Screening is usually done through licensed list cleaners, which TPS lists on its website, or through your calling software if it checks the register for you.

How to complain about a marketing call

If you're registered and still get live marketing calls, TPS and CTPS run a free complaint-handling service on the TPS website, and every complaint goes to the ICO. Note the company name, the number that called and the date and time. More detail makes it easier for the ICO to act.

When someone asks you to stop calling

If you're the caller, the rule is simple. Once a person tells you they don't want your calls, you must not call them again, whether or not they're on the TPS. Add them to your own do-not-call list straight away, and make sure everyone who uses your calling list sees it. It's one of the ICO's checklist points, and it's the easiest one to fail if two people share the same list.

Is cold calling still worth it?

For many small businesses, the compliant version of cold calling is narrow: business numbers not on the CTPS, people who haven't objected, and a clear reason to call. If you do call, a strong opener matters, and our cold call opening lines help with that. My honest view: for most of the businesses I work with, a referral, a well-targeted email or a useful piece of content gets a warmer start than a call to a stranger.

Whatever you choose, keep a record of where every number came from and when it was screened. If the ICO ever asks, that record is your best answer.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Telephone Preference Service?

It's the UK's official do-not-call register for landline and mobile numbers. It's free, and businesses must not make live marketing calls to TPS numbers without specific consent.

How do I register with the TPS?

Register free on the TPS website, or text TPS and your email address to 85095 from your mobile. TPS says sending the text is free.

Can a business call me if I'm on the TPS?

Not for live marketing unless you've specifically agreed to calls from that business. Service calls about your account aren't marketing and can still happen.

What is the difference between TPS and CTPS?

TPS is for individuals, sole traders and some partnerships. CTPS is for companies, LLPs, Scottish partnerships and government bodies.

Do I need to check TPS for B2B calls?

Yes. The ICO says B2B calling lists should be screened against both the TPS and the CTPS, plus your own do-not-call list.

Can I call existing customers who are on the TPS?

Not for marketing unless they've specifically consented to calls from you. The ICO says being an existing customer isn't enough on its own.