The Telephone Preference Service (TPS)

Been charged for registering on the TPS?

'The' TPS is free. If someone is charging you, then that is not right.

There are a number of companies out there misleading consumers into thinking they are the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) or associated with the TPS and that registering requires a fee.

Registration on the TPS is free

If you have been charged for registering on the TPS, then report the company directly to the TPS on www.tpsonline.org.uk or you can call them on 0345 070 0707.

Who operates the Telephone Preference Service?

Ofcom is required to make available a register where you can opt out of receiving unsolicited sales calls.

This register is known as the Telephone Preference Service Register and is operated by the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) on behalf of the ICO.

The DMA licences access to the Telephone Preference Service register. TPS Services is one of these registered licensees. Our access to the register and our IT skill set is what allows us to provide the quick and convenient services that allow business of all sizes to effectively access and screen their data lists against the TPS prior to calling.

Please note

Registration on the Telephone Preference Service register only covers consumers in the UK (including Northern Ireland).

Registration on the TPS is free and can be accessed at the bottom of this page.

Don’t be confused about some services available on the web that will charge you for services similar to the TPS. These will not be as effective, regardless of what they promise. Read more here "Bogus TPS Calls".

The Telephone Preference Service

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is a free service enabling individuals to register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls.

Those that can register on the TPS include consumers at their residential address, sole traders and, except in Scotland, partnerships.

Organisations with which you have an ongoing relationship, for example those who regard you as a customer, (or in the case of charities - a donor) may well gather your consent during the early stages of your relationship with them and will therefore be entitled to call you even if your number is registered on TPS (unless you have previously told them specifically that you object to them calling you for marketing purposes).

The TPS can accept the registration of mobile telephone numbers, however it is important to note that this will prevent the receipt of marketing voice calls but not SMS (text) messages. If you wish to stop receiving SMS marketing messages, please send an 'opt-out' request to the company involved.

As TPS registration only prevents marketing calls, organisations will still be able to call you for the purposes of genuine market research.

The impact on your business

The Telephone Preference Service register has increased massively over recent years. It seems that the media have been hell bent on encouraging consumers to be anti-telemarketing. Whilst we think that’s a bit naive, if you operate an outbound telemarketing team of any size, you have to understand the implications.

Many of the successful businesses of today owe their success in some part to telemarketing, as do the people employed by them. It’s ironic in many ways that so many people support the TPS register and yet they fail to see the wealth that has been brought to the economy and the jobs telemarketing has been directly and indirectly responsible for creating. So we’re on your side, we understand.

All that said, if you make outbound calls to either consumers or businesses, there is no point in calling people on the TPS, because if they’ve registered, then they’re unlikely to warm to your call and it will be a waste of your time, resources and money and could get you fined. More importantly for regulated licence holders such as those regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Claims Management Regulator (CMR) or those simply acting as an Appointed representative (AR) or an Introducer Appointed Representative (IAR) then they could lose your licence to operate or have conditions imposed on them as a matter of public record. For the directors and major shareholders of any licenced business, that means problems in the future wherever you go if you expect to be involved in a regulated industry in the future.

It’s really not worth the risk or the hassle

The official Logo of the
Corporate Telephone Preference Service

The Corporate Telephone Preference Service

The Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) is the central opt out register whereby corporate companies can register their wish not to receive unsolicited sales and marketing telephone calls. They can register one or all of their numbers.

Those that can register on the CTPS include corporate companies such as a limited company in the UK, a limited liability partnership in England, Wales and Northern Ireland or any partnership in Scotland. It also includes schools, government departments and agencies, hospitals, plc’s and other public bodies.

Find out more on the CTPS

Renewal

For the CTPS you will receive an e-mail once a year notifying you of how to renew. The process is simple and will only take a minute. Failure to renew will result in your number(s) being removed from the CTPS data file.

Those consumers, sole traders and partnerships registered on the TPS do not need to renew their registration.

It is a legal requirement that companies do not make calls to numbers registered on either the TPS or CTPS.

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS)

Registration on the TPS is free

Who operates the Telephone Preference Service?