PhonepayPlus is the regulatory body for all premium rate phone-paid services

Premium-rate telephone number

Premium-rate telephone numbers are telephone numbers for telephone calls during which certain services are provided, and for which prices higher than normal are charged. Unlike a normal call, part of the call charge is paid to the service provider, thus enabling businesses to be funded via the calls...

 in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

. These are the goods and services that consumers can buy by charging the cost to their phone bills and pre-pay phone accounts.

ICSTIS was founded by Sir Louis Blom-Cooper

Louis Blom-Cooper

Sir Louis Jacques Blom-Cooper QC FKC is an author and UK lawyer specialising in public law and administrative law.-Education:...

 QC, at the request of 3 network operators, British Telecom, Mercury Communications

Mercury Communications

Mercury Communications was a national telephone company in the United Kingdom. The company was formed in 1981 as a subsidiary of Cable & Wireless to challenge the monopoly of British Telecom which was privatised in 1984...

 and Vodafone

Vodafone

Vodafone Group Plc is a global telecommunications company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest mobile telecommunications company measured by revenues and the world's second-largest measured by subscribers , with around 341 million proportionate subscribers as of...

 as a response to public criticism of their profiting from adult premium rate content.

It regulates services using a Code of Practice , approved by Ofcom

Ofcom

Ofcom is the government-approved regulatory authority for the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the United Kingdom. Ofcom was initially established by the Office of Communications Act 2002. It received its full authority from the Communications Act 2003...

. This sets out the rules with which all providers of phone-paid services must comply. Among other things, it requires clear and accurate pricing information, honest advertising and service content, and appropriate and targeted promotions.

PhonepayPlus investigates complaints about phone-paid services. Where it decides that its rules have been broken, it can fine the company responsible, bar access to its services, and even bar the individual behind the company from running other services under a different company name. Investigations and adjudications are free to consumers and fully independent.

PhonepayPlus' powers

When PhonepayPlus upholds a breach of its Code, the company responsible must immediately amend the service and/or its promotional material so that it complies with the Code. In most cases, companies found in breach of the Code will be charged to cover the cost of the investigation.

PhonepayPlus also has the power to impose the following sanctions:

1. formal reprimands
2. making companies come to the regulator for prior approval
3. ordering companies to pay full refunds to complainants
4. imposing fines
5. barring access to services
6. banning named persons from operating services

PhonepayPlus held a consultation on its latest Code of Practice, which closed in January 2011.

Chairs of the board have included:

• Sir Louis Blom-Cooper
  Louis Blom-Cooper
  Sir Louis Jacques Blom-Cooper QC FKC is an author and UK lawyer specialising in public law and administrative law.-Education:...
  
   QC, Lawyer
• Brenda Dean, Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, Trade Unionist
• Sir Peter North (academic)
  Peter North (academic)
  Sir Peter Machin North, CBE QC FBA was Principal of Jesus College, Oxford from 1984–2005 and Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, England from 1993–1997...
  
  
• Sir Alistair Graham
  Alistair Graham
  Sir John Alistair Graham is a well known figure in British public life. He was Chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life from 2003 until April 2007....
  
  , Fmr Chair of the Committee on standards in public life

Members of the board have included:

• Matti Alderson, regulator
• Dr. Howard Baderman, A & E consultant
• Ruth Evans
• Hugh Griffiths,Telecoms veteran
• Jeremy Hallsworth, Chief Executive Officer of BT agilemedia
• Valerie Howarth, Baroness Howarth of Breckland
  Valerie Howarth, Baroness Howarth of Breckland
  Valerie Georgina Howarth, Baroness Howarth of Breckland, is a British politician and a member of the House of Lords.In 2001, she was created a life peer with the title Baroness Howarth of Breckland, of Parson Cross in the County of South Yorkshire. She is one of the board members of the Children...
  
  , Child care activist and founder of Childline
• Yvonne Light, Writer & journalist
• Kate Marcus, Barrister
• Claire Milne, Telecoms veteran
• Mark Stephens (solicitor)
  Mark Stephens (solicitor)
  Mark Howard Stephens CBE is a British solicitor specialising in media law, intellectual property rights and human rights with the firm Finers Stephens Innocent...
  
  , Lawyer, mediator and regulator
• Howard Webber, Consumer champion
• Paul Whiteing, regulator