PhonepayPlus new Three Year Strategic Plan

This week we have published of PhonepayPlus’ Three-Year Strategic Plan for 2014-17.

You can read it in full here, but there are some points I’d like to pull out of it for members of the PRS industry and particularly for people who responded to the consultation on our draft plan earlier this year.

A lot has changed in the three years since PhonepayPlus published our last strategic plan, with significant developments in both technology and premium rate business models. This new plan sets out how we will deliver:

• Effective protection, information and redress for consumers, including for those who are vulnerable
• Flexible and outcomes-based regulation that supports growth and innovation in the market
• Early information sharing and interventions to address emerging issues in the market rather than responding to harm after it has occurred
• Proportionate and cost-effective regulation
• Stronger partnership working with industry, consumer bodies and other regulators

I’m grateful for all the feedback that people gave PhonepayPlus during the consultation and we have included a number of your suggestions into the final document. In particular, we have amended the vision expressed in the Strategic Plan:

• To reflect PhonepayPlus’ focus on consumer protection and supporting growth and innovation in the market
• To say that within our remit and expertise, we will seek a more consistent approach to regulating other services that are similar to premium rate services. This reflects the fact that in a converging digital marketplace, touching on several different regulatory regimes, a more consistent approach to regulation will help consumers and also provide a less confusing and more even playing field for providers to compete and innovate. We will pursue this objective where it is appropriate to do so within the scope of our remit and expertise and working closely with industry, government, consumer bodies and other regulators.

PhonepayPlus has learnt from years of experience that the key to consumer protection and to a healthy market is to work in partnership with the PRS industry to build compliance into the market and to identify and resolve any emerging issues.

This new Strategic Plan sets outs the next steps in that journey for PhonepayPlus.