Telephone Preference Service

A TPS licence makes
good business sense

A Telephone Preference Service (TPS) licence gives your organisation access to the TPS Register, the official ‘do not call’ list. It is the law to screen marketing calls against the TPS Register, or face fines from the Information Commissioner.

Individuals sign-up to the TPS Register for free, to opt out of marketing calls. The golden rule of one-to-one communications is to respect your customers’ wishes by contacting them on their terms. Businesses should always check their call lists against the TPS Register before beginning a telemarketing campaign.

It is a legal requirement that all organisations, including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties, do not make marketing calls to numbers on the TPS Register, unless they have clear consent to do so.

The TPS licence in a nutshell

Why buy a TPS licence?

Buying a TPS licence saves your business money.

It shows that you’re a responsible marketer who respects a consumer’s right to choose who they receive calls from.

Only calling people who want to receive calls improves response rates and builds consumer trust. Lastly, it’s the law.

How much does a TPS licence cost?

This depends on your volume of calls and campaign level.

Services start at £50 (+VAT) to screen 500 calls with TPS Callguard, up to £2200 (+VAT) for the full licence for a year.

There are less expensive options if you target a specific part of the country, or if campaigns last a limited time. See https://corporate.tpsonline.org.uk/index.php/tps/cost for full information.

How does having a TPS licence help future-proof the telemarketing industry?

Using your TPS licence to screen your telemarketing lists helps safeguard our industry from government intervention. It shows legislators and regulators that we are responsible marketers and that the industry is capable of regulating itself.

My supplier handles my calling lists. Do I still need a TPS licence?

You may not. If you are a DMA member, then according to the DMA Code you are responsible for your suppliers’ actions.

A TPS licence not only makes your telemarketing more cost-effective, it is also the law, so it is worth checking with your supplier to see if they screen their data against the TPS.

What does the law say?

It is illegal to make marketing calls to those on the TPS Register. According to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, an organisation shouldn’t contact those who have asked not to be contacted. The Information Commissioner (ICO) can issue fi nes of up to £500,000.

In addition, changes to the law in April 2015 mean that a company is in breach of the regulations by making calls to those on the TPS Register. In the past, the Information Commissioner had to demonstrate calls had caused ‘distress’, but this threshold has now dropped away.

Contact details

Telephone Preference Service (TPS)
DMA House, 70 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SS
Tel: 020 7291 3327 Fax: 020 7323 4226
www.tpsonline.org.uk
corporate.ctpsonline.org.uk
licensee@dma.org.uk