The TPS Register Explained: Does the Telephone Preference Service Actually Stop UK Cold Calls?

The TPS register UK consumers can join for free at tpsonline.org.uk is the country’s only statutory do-not-call list. Once your number is on it, UK-based marketing callers are legally barred from ringing you 28 days later, with the Information Commissioner’s Office empowered to fine breaches up to £500,000 under PECR Regulation 21. It works well against compliant UK marketers and barely at all against overseas scammers. This guide explains the difference, how to register, and the four other defences you need alongside it.

What the Telephone Preference Service actually is

The Telephone Preference Service is the UK’s official suppression list for direct marketing calls. Established in 1999, transitioned to PECR in 2003, and operated by the Federation of Communication Services on behalf of the ICO, it is free, lifetime registration and applies to both landlines and mobiles.

Under PECR Regulation 21, any UK organisation making a live marketing call must screen its outbound dialling list against the TPS at least every 28 days, and must not call any registered number without specific consent. Breaches can be reported to the ICO, which has issued public monetary penalties against firms including Eazy Funerals Ltd, Lyca Mobile and many lead-generation outfits; the ICO publishes its enforcement actions in full.

TPS versus CTPS: the corporate register

The consumer TPS does not protect business numbers. For UK limited companies, partnerships, LLPs and Scottish partnerships, the equivalent register is the Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS), also run by FCS. CTPS is a separate database, but the legal effect is the same: UK marketers must screen against it and must not call a registered corporate number without consent.

A sole trader uses the consumer TPS for their business line, because legally they are an individual subscriber. Anything incorporated at Companies House should use CTPS. CTPS protects the organisation’s published phone numbers; if a director’s personal mobile is also published somewhere, add it to consumer TPS as well.

How to register, step by step

Consumer TPS (landline or personal mobile)

1. Visit tpsonline.org.uk.
2. Click Register, then enter the UK phone number you want to add. The form accepts landlines (01, 02, 03) and mobiles (07).
3. Enter a contact email address. TPS sends a confirmation link.
4. Click the link in the email to activate the registration. The 28-day countdown starts from that confirmation.
5. Add additional numbers separately. Each landline and each mobile in your household needs its own registration.

If your number is reassigned (you move house, change provider, or your mobile number is recycled), TPS does not automatically transfer. Re-register the new number from scratch.

Corporate CTPS (limited company, LLP, partnership)

1. Visit fpsonline.org.uk and follow the CTPS link, or go directly to tpsonline.org.uk/ctps.
2. Create a corporate account using the registered company name and Companies House number.
3. Upload the phone numbers to be registered. CTPS supports bulk upload by CSV for larger organisations.
4. Confirm the email verification, then wait 28 days for the entries to be propagated to UK marketers’ suppression files.

The CTPS portal can manage hundreds of numbers in one account, which is useful if your business runs a hosted PBX or a SIP trunk with multiple DDIs. The same 28-day delay applies to additions and removals.

What the TPS blocks, and what it does not

The single biggest source of disappointment with TPS is misunderstanding its scope. It is a marketing-call list, not a scam-call list, and the difference matters enormously.

The TPS blocks:

• Live, unsolicited marketing calls from UK-based businesses subject to PECR.
• Lead-generation calls from any UK firm that has not obtained specific prior consent.
• Calls from third parties acting on behalf of a UK marketer.

The TPS does not block:

• Overseas callers. PECR is UK law and the ICO cannot fine a call centre in another jurisdiction.
• Outright scams. A criminal cold-calling about a fake HMRC arrest warrant does not care about a marketing register. For the actual scam landscape, see our guide on UK phone scams in 2026 and the 12 patterns to know.
• Recorded automated marketing messages, which are governed by a stricter consent rule under PECR Regulation 19 (separate complaint route via the ICO).
• Market research, opinion polling, charity, political and silent-call traffic (each has its own regulatory regime).
• Existing customer relationships and “soft opt-in” contacts, where you have previously given consent or expressed interest.

That last point catches many people out. If you ticked a box six years ago on a price-comparison site, that consent may still be on file with a downstream lead buyer who is legally entitled to ring you despite the TPS.

Does the TPS actually work? An honest assessment

Mixed results, and the honesty matters. Citizens Advice and Which? have repeatedly reported that consumers who register see a noticeable but not total drop in marketing calls. Industry estimates suggest a 30 to 50 percent reduction in legitimate UK marketing volume after registration, settling over a few months.

The ICO does take PECR breaches seriously: recent years have seen six-figure penalties against funeral-plan sellers, lead generators and energy switchers, and Ofcom maintains a nuisance-calls framework that obliges UK networks to block obviously spoofed calls at the carrier edge.

The flip side is that the modern UK nuisance-call problem is dominated by overseas, CLI-spoofed traffic the ICO cannot reach. Ofcom consumer trackers have put cold-call volumes back near 2019 levels despite TPS registration peaking. The TPS is necessary; it is not sufficient.

What to do when registered callers still ring you

If a UK marketer rings a TPS-registered number, the ICO wants to hear about it. Two routes exist:

1. Report to TPS directly via the complaints form at tpsonline.org.uk. TPS forwards substantive complaints to the ICO.
2. Report directly to the ICO at ico.org.uk/concerns. This is the faster route if you have multiple breaches or evidence of repeat behaviour.

For either route you will need the caller’s CLI (the number that rang you), the date and time of the call, the organisation that introduced themselves, and ideally a brief summary of the script. Recording the number through a UK lookup tool such as the Business Hub Who Called Me lookup is a quick way to capture the geographic origin and the original carrier in evidence-ready form.

Layering the TPS with stronger defences

Because the TPS only addresses one slice of the nuisance-call problem, treat it as the foundation of a four-layer defence.

1. Register the number with the TPS or CTPS. Stops compliant UK marketers within 28 days.
2. Turn on your network’s free call-blocking service. EE Scam Shield, Vodafone Scam Shield, O2 Call Defence and the rolling-out Three Spam Shield catch the overseas scam volume the TPS cannot. Full setup is in our guide on how to block unknown callers on iPhone, Android and business mobile.
3. Enable device-level filtering. iPhone’s Silence Unknown Callers, Android’s Google Phone spam filter, and (for business fleets) MDM-pushed policies.
4. Identify suspect numbers before responding. Use a UK lookup tool to see the area code and original carrier before calling back; details below.

Common TPS myths busted

• “TPS stops all calls.” No. It stops UK marketing calls. Scammers, charities, market research and prior-consent callers all remain.
• “TPS is a global do-not-call list.” No. An overseas call centre dialling into the UK is not bound by PECR.
• “TPS costs money.” No. Both TPS and CTPS are free. Any site charging is a third-party reseller, not the statutory register.
• “TPS reports scams.” No. Scams go to Action Fraud (101 in Scotland). TPS handles marketing-call complaints under PECR.
• “TPS blocks withheld numbers.” Withheld marketing calls remain a PECR breach, but TPS cannot screen what it cannot see; report directly to the ICO.
• “Once registered, I never need to do anything.” Re-register when you change number or switch provider; otherwise it stays put.

Verifying a UK marketing call is legitimate

If you are TPS-registered and a UK number rings you with a sales pitch, a quick verification protocol turns a frustrating call into either a compliant business meeting or a clean ICO complaint.

1. Ask the caller to state their full company name and registered address. PECR requires they disclose this on request.
2. Ask which suppression file they used and on what date. Compliant callers know.
3. Ask how they obtained your number and what consent record they hold. A vague “from a partner” answer is a red flag.
4. Look the displayed CLI up on the free UK Who Called Me lookup to see whether it is a real geographic number or a spoofed range. London callers should appear under 020 London, Manchester under 0161 Manchester, and freephone marketers under 0800 freephone. A “London bank” calling from an 0800 number that resolves to a marketing reseller is your evidence.
5. If the call is unsolicited, on a TPS-registered number and the caller cannot answer the questions above, hang up and file the ICO complaint with the details you captured.

The same verification approach is the practical core of resisting vishing attacks on UK SMEs, where attackers spoof UK CLIs to impersonate banks, suppliers and even your own CEO.

Frequently asked questions

Is the TPS the same as registering with the ICO?

No. TPS is the statutory marketing-call suppression list. The ICO is the regulator that enforces breaches of TPS under PECR. You register with TPS at tpsonline.org.uk; you complain to the ICO at ico.org.uk/concerns when a registered caller rings you anyway. The two are linked: TPS forwards substantive complaints to the ICO, which can issue fines of up to £500,000 per breach.

Does TPS work on mobile numbers?

Yes. The TPS accepts UK mobile numbers (07) as well as geographic landlines (01, 02) and non-geographic numbers (03). Mobiles often see less benefit from TPS in practice because scam-call traffic to mobiles is heavily dominated by overseas-originated spoofed numbers, which TPS cannot stop. Pair the registration with your network’s free scam shield for noticeably better results.

How long does TPS take to start working?

Twenty-eight days from the moment you confirm your registration via the email link. PECR Regulation 21(4) requires UK marketers to refresh their suppression file at least every 28 days, so compliant callers will have removed you within four weeks. Non-compliant callers may take longer or never stop, which is when the ICO enforcement route becomes relevant.

Does CTPS protect numbers behind a switchboard?

CTPS protects the published numbers of the registered organisation, including main switchboard lines and DDIs listed on the company website, in directories or in official filings. Internal extensions are protected indirectly because the marketing call cannot reach them without first dialling a published number. For unpublished staff mobiles, register the consumer TPS as well.

Can a UK business call me if I am TPS-registered but I am already a customer?

Yes, in limited circumstances. PECR allows an “existing customer relationship” exemption for marketing calls about goods or services similar to those you previously bought, provided you were offered a clear opt-out at the point of purchase. The exemption is narrower than many marketers believe and is a frequent ICO enforcement topic. If the call is about an unrelated product, the exemption does not apply and the TPS rule reasserts.

Does the TPS share my number with anyone?

No. TPS data is held by the Federation of Communication Services under contract with the ICO and is only made available to UK marketers via secure suppression-file downloads, for the purpose of removing those numbers from their dialling lists. Your number cannot be retrieved from TPS in a way that lets a third party identify it as an active line. Legitimate non-marketing callers, including banks, GPs, schools and emergency services, are unaffected.