If you are involved in the provision of a premium rate service, you need to check if you are a regulated PRS provider carrying out a regulated activity within the meaning of The Regulation of Premium Rate Services Order 2024 (‘the PRS Order’).
If you are, you need to comply with the requirements imposed by the PRS Order. The PRS Order sets out the rules that regulated PRS providers need to comply with and the powers Ofcom has to deal with non-compliance with the rules.
Check the regulatory requirements. Remember that it is your responsibility to comply with all applicable requirements which are set out in the PRS Order. Make sure you know what they are and how they will affect your business.
Registering a PRS
All providers carrying out regulated activities need to be registered with Ofcom. You must register new services at least five working days before carrying out any regulated activity ; and update the register within five working days of any change in circumstances that makes the information on the register inaccurate.
Our online portal should be used for all PRS registrations and updates, except where otherwise noted.
If you have any questions about PRS registration, contact PRSRegistration@ofcom.org.uk.
To register for the first time:
Use our online portal to create your account and submit your registration.
If you are a merchant, you also need to provide additional specific information such as a description of your controlled PRS and which number(s) you will be using to operate the service.
To update your registration details:
Use the online portal to update your registration with the relevant information.
Registration exemption for certain merchants
The PRS Order allows for a merchant to be exempt from registration where it provides a premium rate service either through a sole intermediary, or an intermediary provider app store.
Intermediaries must provide a general undertaking to Ofcom in order for merchants who provide a service through them to be exempt from registration. The intermediary must notify Ofcom that it will meet the necessary conditions in article 11 of the PRS Order.
Merchants seeking to rely on the article 11 exemption must also assure themselves that the requirements in article 11 have been complied with by a qualifying intermediary.
An intermediary can notify Ofcom of an article 11 undertaking by emailing PRSRegistration@ofcom.org.uk. Ofcom will then update the PRS Register accordingly.
Personal data
Please note that any data, including personal data, entered into the webform will automatically be displayed on the PRS Register, except for information entered into the following fields:
- Director(s) / senior manager(s) name and job title;
- Generally authorised person(s) name, job title, telephone number and email address; and
- PRS Provider telephone number and provider email address.
Information in the above fields will be redacted on the public register. Please consider your data protection obligations when completing the online portal.
More information about why it is necessary for Ofcom to collect and use your personal data is set out in the general privacy statement.
Information for compliance with due-diligence requirements
Part 4 of the PRS Order imposes requirements on PRS providers to ensure that they do not enter into arrangements with unregistered PRS providers or persons on whom a suspension, prohibition or restriction has been imposed. We provide below some supplementary information to assist with PRS providers’ compliance with such ‘due diligence’ measures.
Prohibition on dealing with unregistered PRS providers:
Article 15 of the PRS Order prohibits PRS providers from entering into arrangements with unregistered PRS providers, unless they are exempt from registering with Ofcom under article 11. In complying with that requirement, article 15 requires that PRS providers consider the information in article 12(2)(a), (b) or (c) (as the case may be) in Ofcom’s register. In that regard, you can review the PRS Register.
Prohibition on dealing with persons on whom a relevant direction, decision or sanction has been imposed:
Article 16 prohibits PRS providers from entering into arrangements with persons on whom a relevant direction, decision or sanction has been imposed, where that arrangement would contravene any such direction, decision or sanction that remains in effect.
In complying with that requirement, article 16(2) lists the specific directions or decisions that may be given by Ofcom that are relevant in this context, which you can find on Ofcom’s enforcement pages.
In complying with the requirement in article 16, PRS providers must also ensure that the person in question is not subject to a relevant sanction which was imposed prior to 1 February 2025 by the Phone-Paid Services Authority (PSA). In that regard, we have published a guidance note to assist PRS providers complying with this requirement.
Review of scope of regulation for premium rate services
In 2009 Ofcom carried out a review of the way in which PRS are regulated in light of market developments, in particular the rapid growth in number and range of PRS. This led to the publication of the PRS Scope Review statement , which set out, amongst other things:
- An analytical framework that can be used to analyse a particular phone-paid service to assess whether it should be subject to PRS regulation; and
- A number of initiatives aimed at improving the current regulatory framework. Although we found that the current regulatory regime is working well overall, we recommended a number of refinements to further improve protection for consumers.
Non-geographic services review
In December 2013, Ofcom published a statement on “Simplifying non-geographic numbers”, in which we set out our decisions on changes to the regulation of non-geographic call services – specifically the 080, 084, 087, 09, 116 and 118 number ranges. These changes included several decisions that affect the regulation of PR and, in particular, the following decisions:
- to separate out the Communications Providers’ Access Charge (which is the charge paid to the phone company originating the call) from the Service Charge (which is the charge paid to the phone company which terminates the call and may be shared with the PRS provider);
- to set a maximum per minute Service Charge for calls to 09 numbers of £3 per minute plus VAT which represents an increase in the current price point; and
- to set a maximum per call Service Charge for calls to 09 numbers of £5 per call plus VAT, which also represents an increase in the current price point.
These changes were implemented on 1 July 2015.
Further details setting out Ofcom’s decisions on Simplifying non-geographic numbers.
PRS Bad Debt Surcharge
We consulted in July 2009 about the proposed form & level of a price cap on BT for its PRS Bad Debt Surcharge. This is a wholesale charge that BT levies on terminating communication providers (TCPs). The charge relates to the retail bad debt on PRS calls which BT retails in excess of the level of bad debt recovered in the NTS Retail Uplift. The NTS Retail Uplift is the wholesale charge applicable to all NTS calls that recovers costs which BT incurs when retailing NTS calls on behalf of TCPs.
Further details about the nature of these proposed controls can be found in the July 2009 consultation.
Numbering policy
Number Availability: Supplying numbers for 09 premium rate services
Ofcom has made it possible for telecoms operators to apply for newly available numbers within the 09 premium rate services range.
Consumer protection test for telephone numbering
Information on Ofcom's proposed consumer protection test for allocating telephone numbers, including PRS numbers.