Premium Rate Services
Telephone and other services charged at more than the normal rate, regulated by the Phone-paid Services Authority under Communications Act 2003. Includes TV voting lines, chat services, and competition entries.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
Premium rate services (PRS) are a form of micro-payment for content, data services, and value-added services that are charged to the user's phone bill, typically costing more than a normal call or text. They usually operate on numbers beginning 09, 118, or 087, or on five- or six-digit mobile shortcodes, and cover a wide range of services including directory inquiries, business information lines, mobile games, competitions and quizzes, charity donations, and chat services.
Ofcom has overall statutory responsibility for regulating PRS, with its powers derived from section 120 of the Communications Act 2003, which defines PRS and lets Ofcom set conditions regulating their provision, content, promotion, and marketing. Day-to-day regulation is delegated to the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA), formerly PhonePayPlus, which Ofcom has designated to develop and enforce a Code of Practice for PRS providers.
The PSA investigates complaints about PRS numbers under its Code and, where a provider is found to have breached the Code, its Tribunal can impose sanctions ranging from formal reprimands and compensation orders to fines of up to £250,000 per breach, barring access to services, or banning individuals from operating a PRS. Regulatory strategy and policy are developed jointly, but under the Memorandum of Understanding between the two bodies, final decisions rest with Ofcom.
Example
A TV talent show's premium-rate voting line, charging viewers more than the cost of a standard call to vote for a contestant, must comply with the PSA's Code of Practice on clear pricing information and honest promotion.
Related terms
Official sources
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