Registration help guide

No, the registration will only work on desktop/PC devices, not mobile/tablet devices.

Yes, if you have more than 50 services to register at once, we can upload them in bulk for you. To do that or for more information, please email us at registration@psauthority.org.uk.

The registration fee is currently £155 + VAT per year. All registered organisations must pay this annual fee, except:

• organisations in their first year of activity in the phone-paid services market and with gross outpayment receipts from phone-paid services activity of £10,000 or less in this first year of activity
• charities registered with the UK Charity Commission, the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

Please note that even if exempt from registration or payment of the registration fee, all organisations must still comply with the Code.

All Network operators, Level 1 and Level 2 providers must register with the PSA, except:

• Level 2 provider organisations solely providing services on 0870/1/2/3 numbers, and where those services do not fall within the Special conditions of the Code

Special conditions are applied to certain types of service where the PSA is satisfied after public consultation that there is an increased potential for consumer risk, harm or offence. Each Special condition regime is unique to the risks presented by the service types and is set out in Notices. These services currently are:

Broadcast PRS
Call TV Quiz services
Credit Broking services
Information, Connection and Signposting services
Live Entertainment and Chat services
Online Adult services
Online Competition services
Pay Per View services
Professional services
Recurring donations
Remote gambling
Subscription services

• Level 2 organisations solely providing services through an app store and where the app store provider has successfully applied to the PSA for such an exemption
• Level 2 organisations solely providing services through a single Level 1 organisation and where that Level 1 organisation has successfully applied to the PSA for such an exemption
• Level 2 organisations solely providing voice short code services costing less than 20p per minute.

The PSA’s new registration requirements went live on 01 September 2019, and we have migrated all existing information across to the new registration database. Organisations then have 3 months to 30 November 2019 to review existing organisation and service information and amend or add the newly required data.

This is a requirement of the PSA Code of Practice and must be supplied. If you fail to provide the information required you may be found in breach of the Code. If you experience any difficulties in providing information, please contact us for assistance.

You can register your organisation through the PSA website. This process will create an account with the PSA through which you will be able to manage different activities with us, including the registration of your services.

The organisation details we will require through registration are:

• organisation name
• company registration number
• registered charity number
• trading names, if different from organisation name
• organisation address
• primary contact details
• regulatory contact details
• responsible person details
• registration fee classification (to determine possible exemption from paying the annual registration fee)
• organisation identification in the value chain (network and/or L1 and/or L2)

The service information details we require are:

Core service information

• service name
• service start and end dates
• customer service contact details (telephone, website, email)
• service delivery method
• service description
• other service terms and conditions
• service delivery domain
• country of service provision
• customer service information (service provider can input text to enable specific messaging)

Branding

• brand name(s) the service is known by
• brand images (if relevant)

Service type and payment

• service category and sub-type
• Special conditions declaration
• payment frequency
• charge
• price description

Consumer bill details

• all bill identifiers
• all bill identifier types

Service promotion

• service promotion description
• promotion start and end dates
• methods used to promote a service (from a defined list)

Service value chain

• name(s) of other providers in the value chain
• other providers service roles

Assistance services

Directory enquiries

• voice service used to find out a specific phone number and/or address of a residence, business or public entity
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated six-digit number beginning with 118.

Customer services

• voice service to contact the customer service of an organisation
• accessed and paid for via a premium-rated number beginning with 087 or 09, or presented as a voice short code.

Information, connection and/or signposting services (ICSS)

• voice service to contact a specific business or service (for example, a lawyer or solicitor)
• accessed and paid for via a premium-rated number beginning with 087 or 09.

Betting, gambling and lotteries

Betting

• entry to a sport-related competition to win prizes (for example, via an event, bookmaker or online)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Gambling

• entry to a game of chance to win prizes (for example, mobile casino, arcade or bingo). Excludes bets and lotteries
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Lotteries

• entry to a lottery/tombola typically organised by a business, charity or society to raise money
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Charity donations

Charity donations

• text-based donation to a charity (as part of a televised event, regular donations collected by charities, or specific appeals during humanitarian crises)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode.

Competitions and quizzes

Online competitions

• entry to competitions advertised online (for example, on a website or through email marketing). Excludes competitions run by TV or radio broadcasters
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Offline competitions

• entry to competitions advertised offline (for example, on TV, in newspapers, or on public billboards). Excludes competitions run by TV or radio broadcasters.
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or using a premium-rated number beginning with 09.

Device personalisation and security

Ringtones, ring-back tones, wallpapers

• purchase and download of ringtones, ring-back tones and wallpapers for device personalisation
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.
  

Security

• purchase and download of a software to protect a mobile device (for example, from viruses, hackers or other malware)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Digital payments

Vouchers

• purchase of discount codes (for example, that can be used at a retailer or supermarket)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing,

Virtual gifts

• purchase of virtual gifts on social media websites (such as virtual flowers)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Gift cards

• purchase of gift cards (for example, to use at a retailer or supermarket)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Low-cost international or reverse charge calls

• alternate call services typically with a charge per minute
• accessed and paid for via a premium-rated number beginning with 087 or 09, or presented as a voice short code.

Entertainment

Music

• subscription to music streaming services or one-off download of songs or music albums
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

TV

• subscription to niche TV channels or one-off download of TV shows
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Video

• subscription to video streaming services or one-off download of short videos
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Film

• subscription to film bundles/channels or one-off download of individual films
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Books

• subscriptions to, or one-off downloads of, books and magazines
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Games

Games downloaded from app store

• purchase and download of games from an online store (including app stores such as Apple App Store or Google Play, large online games stores such as PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store, as well as other small independent online games portals)
• paid for via operator billing.

Games played on social media

• access to games playable on social media websites
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Games bundled as part of monthly subscription

• subscription service for games downloads (unlimited or limited to a certain number of games per time period) from online games portals
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

In-game purchases

• purchase of in-game items or rewards (for example, boosters, lives or customisable content), or the premium version of a free-to-play game (for example, with no ads or with expanded game content available)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

In-game credit top-ups

• purchase of in-game credit, such as in-game currency (such as gold or gems), that can be used to purchase in-game items or rewards
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Information, news and education

Weather

• voice service used to access weather information
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code.

News

• voice service used to access news information
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09 or presented as a voice short code.

Travel

• voice service used to access travel information
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code.

Sport

• voice service used to access information on sports results
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code.

Stocks and shares

• voice service used to access information on stocks / shares
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code.

Alerts

• service used to set up alerts at specific times
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code, via premium SMS shortcode, or through operator billing.

Educational services

• service used to access information on educational services
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code, or accessed online and paid for through operator billing.

Lifestyle

Fitness, health and wellbeing

• service used to access information, tips, advice or reminders on nutrition, dieting and exercise
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Food and recipes

• subscription to, or one-off downloads of, information on foods and recipes
• paid for via operator billing.

Personal and relationship services

Dating

• access to dating services or in-app purchases (for example, credit or premium messaging) in free-to-use dating services
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code, via premium SMS shortcode, or through operator billing.

Flirting chat services

• voice- or message-based (non-explicit) flirting chat with a service operator
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number (beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code), via premium SMS shortcode, or through operator billing.

Chat services

• voice- or message-based chat with a helpline or friendship service. Excludes flirting chat services.
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code, via premium SMS shortcode , or through operator billing.

Tarot/astrology services

• service used to access services such as horoscopes and, tarot card readings
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code, via premium SMS shortcode, or through operator billing.

Sexual entertainment

Glamour pics

• access to and/or download of revealing or nude photos
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Adults pics

• access to and/or download of hardcore and explicit photos
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Adults videos

• access to and/or download of hardcore and explicit videos
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Adults cams

• purchase of tokens to access online video streams
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Adults chat (messaging)

• message-based (explicit) chat service
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing.

Adult talk services (voice)

• voice-based (explicit) chat service
• accessed and paid for via a premium rated number (beginning with 087, 09, or presented as a voice short code).

TV and radio engagement

Broadcaster competitions

• entry to an (online or offline) competition run by a TV or radio broadcaster
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or operator billing, or using a premium-rated number beginning with 09, or presented as a voice short code.

Voting on a TV/radio show

• voting in the context of a TV or radio show (for example, voting for a favourite candidate)
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode or using a premium-rated number presented as a voice short code.

Texting in to show host

• text-based engagement with the presenter of a TV or radio show
• paid for via premium SMS shortcode.

This is a free text field that will enable you to add any specific information regarding the service that you would like to make the consumers aware of. For example, you may want to advise consumers the opening hours of your customer service department.

The value chain consists of all parties involved in the provision of services. Typically for mobile services this will involve the mobile network operator, a Level 1 aggregator and the Level 2 provider of the service. For fixed line services the network that terminates the call is often contracted directly with the Level 2 service provider.

It is the responsibility of organisations to ensure that their registration details are maintained and accurate.
However, the PSA will also undertake a full review of all information provided and we will contact you to discuss any discrepancies we find. If changes are not made within a reasonable timeframe this may result in enforcement action.

There are numerous objectives for Registration as explained in our original consultation document. These include to improve the information returned for consumers on the services they have used, to provide the ability for better market analysis, to assist with intelligent monitoring, allow efficient application of Code processes and effective due diligence.

The Service Checker functionality is currently under development and will be available for use later this year.

No. Service providers need to be aware of their obligations under the Code of Practice and operate compliantly with it. Registering particular information within the registration process does not make that information (or the activity it relates to) necessarily compliant. If you’re unsure of any compliance requirements please email us at  compliance@psauthority.org.uk for free compliance advice.

If you leave the market you need to let us know. Any registered user of the organisation’s account can log in and set the account to ‘left the market’. This can be found within the ‘manage account’ section of your account.