Is missed call text back legal in the UK?
By JP, who runs Ralphio. Updated 8 October 2026.
Yes, in the normal case. The UK rules on texting (PECR) are about marketing, and a text that replies to someone who has just rung you, and only asks what they need, is not marketing. It stops being safe when you start selling in it, or texting people who never contacted you. This is general information, not legal advice.
What does the law cover?
The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) cover marketing sent by text, email and similar. For individuals you need their consent first, or an existing customer relationship (the "soft opt-in") plus a clear way to say no. For companies it is looser: the ICO says you can email or text any corporate body, meaning a company, Scottish partnership, limited liability partnership or government body. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are treated as individuals.
None of that applies to a text that is not marketing, which is why the next question matters.
Do you need consent to text someone who rang you?
No. The ICO separates marketing from service messages, which it describes as communications sent for administrative or customer service purposes only. A reply to someone's own call that asks what they need is there to answer them, not to promote you, so marketing consent does not apply.
A text like "Sorry, we're on a job and couldn't get to the phone. What do you need doing, and whereabouts are you?" answers their call. It asks for what you need to reply, and it goes to the number that rang you.
To be straight about it: I haven't found ICO guidance on missed call texts specifically. This is how the general rules apply, and it is the usual reading, but it is not a ruling.
What tips a text into marketing?
The ICO looks at the wording, tone and context, and one promotional line can turn a whole message into marketing. In one case a phone company sent notifications about its billing app, added details of phone upgrade deals, and the whole message counted as marketing.
- Offers, discounts or "book now" lines in the text.
- Links to a sales page, rather than to the information you need to reply.
- Texting numbers that never contacted you.
- Keeping the number to message them later about something else.
- Carrying on after they have told you to stop.
What does a safe missed call text look like?
- Your business name first, so they know who it is.
- One text for each missed call. Ask what they need and where.
- Reply only. No offers, no promotions.
- Stop when they say stop, or ask not to be texted.
- Keep the number out of any marketing list.
- Keep the record: they rang you, and that is where the number came from.
What about chasing quotes and asking for reviews?
This part is my reading, not ICO wording. Chasing a quote you sent is a follow-up to something they asked you for, so a short, neutral text that stops when they reply sits close to a service message. Two or three, not weekly for ever. Review requests are nearer the line, because a good review helps your business, so keep it to one text and one reminder, and stop at the first no. If you want to be safe, ask when you take the job whether they are happy to be asked.
What about their personal data?
Their name, number and job details are personal data under UK GDPR, and you are the controller. You need a lawful basis, which for replying to an enquiry is usually legitimate interests or steps they asked you to take, you need to tell them how you use it in a privacy notice, and you should keep it no longer than you need. If a service sends the texts for you, it handles your customers' numbers as your processor, so check what it does with them. How Ralphio does it is in the privacy policy.
Can you text sole traders and companies to market to them?
Companies, LLPs, Scottish partnerships and government bodies can be texted or emailed for marketing. Sole traders and ordinary partnerships are treated as individuals, so you need their consent first, or an existing customer relationship and a clear opt-out. That is marketing, so it follows different rules from the missed call text, and calls have their own rules again.
What if you get it wrong?
The ICO can fine. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 raised the maximum for these rules from £500,000 to £17.5 million or 4% of annual global turnover, whichever is higher. Check the ICO for when the new level applies. Keeping to the checklist above is the easy way to stay clear of it.
If you are unsure about your own wording, ask a solicitor or ring the ICO helpline. This guide is general information, not legal advice.