What the UK TPS and CTPS lists are and how to filter against them

TPS and CTPS: the UK do-not-call framework

The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the UK's opt-out registry for individual consumers. Any person in the UK can register their number with TPS to signal that they do not want to receive unsolicited sales calls. The Corporate Telephone Preference Service (CTPS) does the same job for business numbers — it is the B2B equivalent.

Both lists are managed under Ofcom (UK)'s regulatory framework. UK companies running outbound auto-dialing campaigns are required to filter their call lists against TPS and CTPS before dialing. Calling a registered number is a compliance violation, and OFCOM can take enforcement action including fines.

How TPS and CTPS compare to US DNC lists

The closest US equivalent to TPS is the National DNC Registry, maintained by the FTC. Both are opt-out registries that consumers join voluntarily, and both require telemarketers to scrub their lists before calling. The CTPS has no direct US equivalent — the US national DNC list covers consumers, not businesses, as a class.

One important difference: in the US, companies can call people on the national DNC list if they have an established business relationship or prior express written Express written consent. UK TPS rules have their own set of exceptions, including existing customer relationships, but the specifics differ from US rules. Do not assume US DNC exemptions translate directly to UK TPS exemptions.

How filtering works in VICIdial

flowchart TD
  A[Lead List Loaded] --> B[Scrub Against TPS Data]
  B --> C{Number on TPS?}
  C -- Yes --> D[Add to DNC List - Do Not Dial]
  C -- No --> E[Scrub Against CTPS Data]
  E --> F{Number on CTPS?}
  F -- Yes --> D
  F -- No --> G[Lead Eligible for Hopper]
  G --> H[Outbound Dialing Campaign]

VICIdial does not have a built-in TPS/CTPS lookup service, but the DNC list infrastructure handles the filtering once you have the data. The process works like this: you obtain TPS and CTPS data from the official registries (available through licensed data providers in the UK), load those numbers into VICIdial as DNC lists, and then apply those lists to your campaigns as filters.

The Lead filter system in VICIdial can check leads against your DNC lists before they enter the Hopper, so TPS/CTPS numbers never reach the dialing queue. This is the same mechanism used for US national and State DNC list list filtering — the data source is different, but the VICIdial workflow is identical.

Keeping TPS and CTPS data current

TPS and CTPS registrations are updated regularly. People can add or remove their numbers, and numbers can be reassigned. Running a list scrub once and assuming it remains valid indefinitely is not a safe practice. The standard in UK telemarketing compliance is to scrub lists against current TPS/CTPS data before each campaign run, or at minimum monthly.

Most UK operations that buy lists from data providers receive pre-scrubbed data, but you should confirm with your provider how recently the scrub was performed. Building your own TPS/CTPS refresh workflow into your lead-loading process is safer than relying on vendor assurances.

TPS, CTPS, and the broader OFCOM picture

TPS and CTPS filtering is one piece of the OFCOM compliance framework. The same framework also governs drop rates, the 72-hour abandoned-call lockout, and calling-time restrictions. All of these apply simultaneously — filtering against TPS/CTPS while ignoring the other OFCOM requirements is not a compliant posture.

For a full overview of what UK OFCOM rules require from dialers — including the drop-rate rules and the 72-hour lockout — see what UK call-center rules mean for dialers. For the broader compliance landscape across US and international regulations, the starting point is the VICIdial compliance overview.

To get TPS/CTPS filtering configured correctly in your VICIdial setup, see our plans for managed configuration support.