PECR in plain English: who you can email and phone
PECR is the UK law on electronic marketing. Limited companies are usually corporate subscribers: you can email them about relevant products if you identify yourself and offer an opt-out. Sole traders and most partnerships count as individuals and usually need consent. Screen live marketing calls against TPS and CTPS. Not legal advice; needs legal review.
Sources: ICO, guide to PECR and direct marketing: ico.org.uk; Telephone Preference Service: tpsonline.org.uk; The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003: legislation.gov.uk
Not legal advice. This is a plain-English orientation, not a legal opinion. Get proper advice for your own situation. Draft status: needs legal review before anything here goes live.
What PECR is
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) sit alongside UK GDPR and cover marketing by email, phone, text and so on. The ICO enforces them.
The big split: companies vs individuals
PECR treats “corporate subscribers” differently from “individual subscribers”. Roughly:
- Limited companies, LLPs and public bodies are generally corporate subscribers. Marketing emails to a business address are usually easier, though you still need to identify yourself and offer an opt-out.
- Sole traders and some partnerships are generally treated like individuals. Marketing emails to them usually need consent.
It's why we show business names for limited companies and trade-style names only, and withhold names that look like a person. That's a safeguard, not a legal guarantee. It's also why we give no phone numbers or email addresses at all.
Phone calls and the TPS
Live marketing calls must not go to numbers on the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). Businesses can register with the Corporate TPS (CTPS). You're expected to screen against them. Start at the official TPS site.
UK GDPR still applies
If you hold personal data about the people behind a business, UK GDPR applies as well. Think lawful basis, a privacy notice, and respecting objections.
A very rough checklist
- Is it a limited company, or a person trading as a business?
- Phoning? Check the TPS/CTPS first.
- Emailing? Say who you are and give an easy opt-out.
- Unsure about the type of business? Treat it as an individual.
What we do and don't do
We don't sell contact details. We give a business type, a council, a postcode district and a link to the official FSA page. What you do next is your call and your compliance.
The ICO's guidance is the place to read properly: ICO direct marketing guidance. We also have a quick-check card. Same disclaimer applies.
Questions to put to a professional
- How do I decide whether a particular business is a corporate or individual subscriber?
- What opt-out wording and sender details do my emails need?
- What lawful basis and privacy notice do I need for the contact details I collect myself?
- How often should I screen call lists against the TPS and CTPS?
Those four cover most of the ground. Writing the answers down, and dating them, is half the battle if anyone ever asks.
Status: draft. Needs legal review. Nothing on this page has been checked by a solicitor.
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Figures: council extracts dated 15 to 16 Oct 2026, our baseline first looked at on 18 Oct 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Not endorsed by the FSA. Illustration: Clipboard Clive, a cartoon, not an FSA mascot.