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Glossary

PECR

PECR, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, is the UK law that governs unsolicited electronic marketing, including email.

Updated · By Otman Ounana · How we research

Why it matters when you send from your own Gmail

The UK regulator says you can email any corporate body, meaning a company, Scottish partnership, limited liability partnership or government body.[1] Individuals are treated differently: sole traders and some partnerships are individuals, so you can only email them with consent or on a similar-product basis.[2] Every message must also identify you and give a valid contact address for opting out. The regulator's guidance is under review, so check it before relying on it.

Example

An email to jane@bakerylimited.co.uk, the director of a limited company, can rely on the corporate rule. The same email to a self-employed photographer trading under their own name cannot.

What to do

For a UK recipient, work out whether the organisation is a company or a person before you write. Keep a note of how you decided, so you can answer if the recipient asks.

Related terms

All terms are on the glossary.

Read next

  • UK: is it a sole trader?Under PECR you may email UK companies and LLPs, but sole traders and some partnerships count as individuals. How to check a business in three minutes, with a decision table.
  • "Where did you get my email?"What GDPR requires when someone asks where you got their email address after a cold email, with three replies you can send and what to do if they object.
  • CASLCASL is Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, a consent-based law that prohibits sending a commercial electronic message unless the recipient has consented, expressly or by implication.
  • Cold email to accountantsSample first emails to accounting firms in the UK, the US and Ireland: one observation from the firm's own site, who you are, and a short outline offer, with the rules for each country.

Sources

  1. UK Information Commissioner's Office, Guide to PECR: electronic mail marketing. “You can email or text any corporate body (a company, Scottish partnership, limited liability partnership or government body).” Read on 1 October 2026.
  2. UK Information Commissioner's Office, Guide to PECR: electronic mail marketing. “Sole traders and some partnerships are treated as individuals – so you can only email or text them if they have specifically consented, or if they bought a similar product from you in the past and didn’t opt out from marketing messages when you gave them that chance.” Read on 1 October 2026.