TL;DR
- The TPS is the UK's statutory opt-out register; registering requires businesses subject to PECR to stop making unsolicited live marketing calls to your number.
- Registration is free, takes effect within 28 days, and is available at tpsonline.org.uk for both landlines and mobile numbers.
- TPS does not stop scam calls, automated robocalls, calls from organisations you consented to, or calls from overseas entities outside UK jurisdiction.
- The ICO enforces PECR and can issue fines of up to £500,000 to organisations that call TPS-registered numbers without lawful grounds.
- Businesses have a separate register — the Corporate TPS (CTPS) — for company telephone numbers.
What the TPS is and where it comes from
The Telephone Preference Service was established under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR), which implemented an EU directive on privacy in electronic communications into UK law and which continues to apply in Great Britain after the UK's departure from the EU. PECR requires organisations making unsolicited live marketing calls to individuals to check their calling lists against the TPS register before dialling. A number on the register signals that the individual has opted out of receiving such calls.
The TPS register is maintained by CTPS Ltd, which operates the service under contract. Registration has always been free for individuals. The service covers UK landline numbers and UK mobile numbers; there is a parallel register, the Corporate TPS (CTPS), for business telephone lines. The registers are regularly updated and legally binding on organisations making marketing calls from a UK base.
How to register
Registering a number with TPS can be done online at tpsonline.org.uk or by telephone via the TPS registration line. You will need to provide the telephone number you want to register and a valid email address for confirmation. Multiple numbers — for example a home landline and a mobile — can be registered in one session. Registration is free and there is no renewal required; numbers remain on the register indefinitely unless removed by the subscriber.
The register typically takes up to 28 days to take full effect across all organisations that access it. After that point, any live marketing calls you receive from UK-based businesses operating under PECR without your prior consent constitute a potential breach. Registration does not affect calls from organisations that already hold your number and with whom you have an existing relationship, if that relationship provides a lawful basis for contact, unless you have specifically withdrawn consent.
What TPS covers
TPS coverage is specifically limited to unsolicited live marketing calls — that is, calls made by a human or connected to a human agent for the purpose of promoting goods or services, where the recipient has not consented to receive them. This is a meaningful but bounded protection. It means that a legitimate UK double-glazing company, claims-management firm, or utility supplier using a call list that includes your TPS-registered number is in breach of PECR.
The rules place the legal duty on the calling organisation rather than on phone networks or the TPS itself. TPS does not place a technical block on any call; it creates a legal obligation. Whether that obligation is complied with depends on the organisation's compliance processes — reputable businesses with proper compliance functions will screen against TPS regularly; less scrupulous operators may not.
| Category | Covered by TPS? | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Unsolicited live marketing calls from UK businesses | Yes | Core purpose of TPS under PECR |
| Automated recorded marketing calls (robocalls) | No (prohibited to all numbers) | PECR requires prior explicit consent regardless of TPS status |
| Calls from organisations you have consented to | No | Prior consent overrides TPS registration |
| Scam or fraudulent calls | No | Scammers do not comply with PECR; criminal law applies |
| Calls from overseas organisations outside UK jurisdiction | No | PECR enforcement is UK-based; international enforcement is limited |
| Market research or survey calls | Depends | Calls with a marketing element are covered; purely research-only calls occupy a grey area under PECR guidance |
What TPS does not cover
Understanding the limits of TPS protection is as important as understanding what it does. Scam calls, whether they originate from overseas boiler rooms, spoofed numbers, or domestic fraudsters, are outside the TPS framework entirely. These callers have no intention of complying with PECR, and TPS registration offers no protection against them. Fraud calls should be reported to Action Fraud and suspicious numbers texted to 7726 to inform operator-level blocking.
Calls from charities, political parties, or government bodies are also outside the direct-marketing PECR framework in some circumstances, as are calls from organisations with whom you have a genuine ongoing customer relationship — for example, your current bank or insurer calling about your existing account. If you do not want those calls, you must communicate that withdrawal of consent directly to the organisation. TPS registration alone will not stop them.
How enforcement works
The ICO is responsible for enforcing PECR in Great Britain. When individuals submit complaints about marketing calls received after TPS registration, the ICO logs the data and looks for patterns that suggest systematic non-compliance by a particular organisation or campaign. The ICO has formal investigation powers, can require organisations to provide information, and can issue enforcement notices requiring cessation of unlawful calling activity.
Where the ICO finds a serious breach — typically large-scale systematic calling of TPS-registered numbers without consent — it can issue a monetary penalty notice. The maximum penalty under PECR is £500,000. The ICO publishes the names of organisations fined, the amounts, and summaries of the breaches on its enforcement register. This public record provides both accountability and a deterrent, and the ICO actively publicises significant fines to raise compliance awareness across industries that use outbound calling.
What this means in practice
Marcus, a teacher in Sheffield, registered his mobile number with TPS after receiving several unsolicited calls from a claims-management company during his lunch break. He waited the required 28 days and then received two further calls from the same company. He noted the number displayed, the time of each call, and what was said, and submitted a complaint to the ICO via its online portal. The ICO confirmed receipt and explained that his complaint would be assessed alongside any others received about the same organisation. Approximately four months later, the ICO published an enforcement action against that company naming it for systematic PECR breaches; the penalty notice was part of a pattern of complaints the ICO had aggregated over several months. Marcus received no further calls from that number.
Related Guides
How we verified this
This article was compiled from the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 as published on legislation.gov.uk, the ICO's direct marketing guidance for consumers, the ICO's PECR enforcement register, and TPS registration information and FAQs published at tpsonline.org.uk.
Disclaimer: Kaeltripton.com is an independent UK editorial publisher. We are not regulated by Ofcom or the FCA and we do not sell or arrange mobile services, insurance, or financial products. This content is for general information only and is not legal, financial, or technical advice. Rules, prices, and operator policies change. Verify the current position with Ofcom, GOV.UK, the ICO, or your provider before acting. ICO registered ZC135439. Last reviewed: 2026-06-05.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TPS?
The Telephone Preference Service is the UK's statutory opt-out register for unsolicited live marketing calls. Established under PECR 2003, it requires organisations making marketing calls to UK individuals to check their lists against the register before dialling. If a number appears on the register, the organisation must not call it for marketing purposes unless the individual has separately given prior consent. Registration is free and available at tpsonline.org.uk.
How do I register for TPS?
You can register online at tpsonline.org.uk or by calling the TPS helpline. You will need to supply the number or numbers you want to register and a valid email address. There is no charge and no expiry date — numbers remain on the register until removed. The registration takes up to 28 days to take full effect across all organisations accessing the register. Both landline and mobile numbers can be registered.
Does TPS stop all unwanted calls?
No. TPS is effective against compliant UK businesses making live marketing calls, but it does not stop scam calls, fraudulent callers, automated robocalls (which require prior consent regardless of TPS), calls from overseas organisations, or calls from businesses you have previously given explicit consent to contact you. It creates a legal obligation on callers, not a technical block. Supplementary measures such as call-blocking apps and reporting to the ICO and Ofcom remain useful alongside TPS registration.
How do I complain about a company that ignored TPS?
Submit a complaint to the ICO via its online portal at ico.org.uk. Include the date and time of the call, the number displayed (even if withheld, note that), and the nature of the call. The ICO uses complaints to identify patterns of non-compliance and can open formal investigations. It has power to issue monetary penalties of up to £500,000 for serious PECR breaches. Individual complaints may not result in immediate action but contribute to enforcement cases built across many reports.
Does TPS cover mobile numbers?
Yes. TPS covers both UK landline and mobile numbers. Any individual — regardless of whether they use a mobile, a landline, or both — can register with TPS. The same legal duty applies to calling organisations: they must screen both landline and mobile numbers against the register before making unsolicited marketing calls. For business mobile numbers, registration should be done via the Corporate TPS (CTPS) rather than the personal TPS register.
