September 24, 2018

Registration was introduced seven years ago and has not been reviewed since. The PSA says that in that time the phone-paid services market has seen significant change, and the PSA’s regulatory approach has changed accordingly.

The PSA therefore conducted a detailed internal review of the information required under Registration with the aim of improving its ability to deliver its mission, namely to protect consumers from harm in the market, including where necessary through robust enforcement of its Code, and to further consumer interests though encouraging competition and growth in the market.

Following a consultation, the PSA’s overall conclusion is that it needs all service providers to provide additional, timely and accurate information about themselves (as an organisation) and their services as part of the registration system.

Changes proposed include:

• providing service promotion details, including names and contact details, of third party promotional companies being used; and
• a framework description of the promotion of a service, together with examples to illustrate how the service will be promoted within that framework, rather than notification every time an individual detailed aspect of a promotion is changed.

The provisional date by when providers will have to comply is 22 January 2019. To read the statement in full, click here.