Businesses and individuals using regulated UK phone numbers may need to complete Know Your Customer (KYC) verification and submit an approved Regulatory Compliance bundle before purchasing or using those numbers. These requirements help UK carriers and regulators verify who is responsible for a phone number and reduce fraud, spam, and misuse. The exact information required depends on the UK number type, registrant type, and phone provider configured for the sub-account.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- What is Know Your Customer (KYC) in the United Kingdom?
- Key Benefits of UK KYC and Regulatory Compliance
- KYC Requirements in the United Kingdom
- What KYC information will be required for businesses in the UK?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What is Know Your Customer (KYC) in the United Kingdom?
KYC is the process of collecting and verifying information about the individual or business responsible for a regulated phone number. For UK long codes, KYC information is submitted as part of a Regulatory Compliance bundle so the applicable identity, address, and business information can be reviewed before the number is provisioned or used.
UK KYC requirements can apply to:
Local numbers
National numbers
Mobile numbers
Toll-free numbers
The exact information and supporting documents depend on whether the registrant is an individual or a business and on the selected number type.
Key Benefits of UK KYC and Regulatory Compliance
UK KYC requirements help establish who is responsible for a regulated phone number and support compliant voice and messaging activity.
Verified Ownership: Confirms the identity or business responsible for the phone number.
Regulatory Compliance: Helps satisfy UK carrier and regulatory requirements for eligible number types.
Reduced Service Disruption: Completing the required bundle before purchasing or using a number helps prevent compliance-related activation issues.
Clear Accountability: Connects regulated phone numbers to verified individuals or organizations.
Safer Communications: Supports carrier efforts to reduce fraud, spam, and misuse.
KYC Requirements in the United Kingdom
UK long-code requirements are already in effect. New and existing regulated UK long codes must have the applicable approved Regulatory Compliance information associated with them.
The requirements were introduced in stages:
| Date | Requirement |
|---|---|
| May 27, 2024 | New UK long-code purchases began requiring an approved Regulatory Compliance bundle. |
| July 30, 2024 | Carrier enforcement against unsupported international long-code SMS routes to the UK expanded. |
| September 30, 2024 | New and existing UK long codes were required to be connected to approved UK Regulatory Compliance information. |
These dates are historical milestones. Users setting up UK numbers today should follow the current registration workflow described below.
What KYC information will be required for businesses in the UK?
Individual: Local or National
| Information Required | Documentation Required | Acceptable Documentation One of the following |
| Name | Proof of Identity |
|
| UK Address Must be a valid United Kingdom address. | Proof Of Address |
|
UK Emergency Address
| No documentation required | |
| Date of Birth | No documentation required | |
| Phone Number This must be a valid mobile number only where the customer can be reached. This cannot be a number which you've acquired from a CPaaS provider. | No documentation required | |
| No documentation required | ||
| Comments (optional) | No documentation required |
Individual: Mobile or Toll Free
| Information Required | Documentation Required | Acceptable Documentation One of the following |
| Name | Proof Of Identity |
|
Address | No documentation Required | |
Emergency Address | No documentation Required | |
Date of Birth | No documentation required | |
Phone Number | No documentation required | |
| No documentation required | ||
Comments (optional) | No documentation required |
Business: Local or National
| Information Required | Required Documentation | Acceptable Documentation |
| Business Name | Proof of Identity |
|
Registration Authority
|
Proof of Identity (Documentation is required for businesses not using a UK Companies House Registration Number)
|
|
| Business Registration Number | Proof of Identity(Documentation is required for businesses not using a UK Companies House Registration Number) |
|
| Website Address | No documentation required | |
| UK Business Address Must be a valid United Kingdom address | No documentation required | |
UK Emergency Address (If different from UK Business address) Must be a valid United Kingdom address | No documentation required | |
| Authorized Representative's* Name This must be a valid mobile number only where the customer can be reached. This cannot be a number which you've acquired from a CPaaS provider. | No documentation required | |
| Authorized Representative's Work Email | No documentation required | |
Business Classification | No documentation required | |
| If you are an Independent Software Vendor (ISV), will you assign the GHL phone number(s) to your end customers? (Yes/No) | No documentation required | |
| Comments (optional) | No documentation required |
*Authorized representative should be a senior person in the company who is responsible for Phone Numbers.
Business: Mobile or Toll Free
| Information Required | Required Documentation | Acceptable Documentation |
| Business Name |
|
|
Registration Authority | Proof of Identity (Documentation is required for businesses not using a UK Companies House Registration Number) |
|
| Business Registration Number | Proof of Identity (Documentation is required for businesses not using a UK Companies House Registration Number) |
|
| Website address | No documentation required | |
| Business Address Must be a valid address. May be anywhere in the world | No documentation required | |
| Emergency Address (if different from business address) May be a valid address. May be anywhere in the world | No documentation required | |
| Authorized Representative's* Name | No documentation required | |
| Authorized Representative Phone Number This must be a valid mobile number only where the customer can be reached. This cannot be a number which you've acquired from a CPaaS provider. | No documentation required | |
| Authorized Representative's Work Email | No documentation required | |
Business Classification:
| No documentation required | |
| If you are an Independent Software Vendor (ISV), will you assign the GHL phone number(s) to your end customer(s)? (Yes/No) | No documentation required | |
Comments (optional) |
*Authorized representative should be a senior manager in the company who is responsible for phone numbers.
What you need to do?
Follow these steps if you're a console user:
1. Prepare for the change in requirements and start collecting the required information and documents on your end.
2. Start submitting the KYC information through the GHL console.
3. Once you submit the RC bundles, GHL will review the details and approve or reject the bundles.
4. If your bundle is rejected, GHL will share reject reason, please understand the reason and resubmit with the appropriate information and get your bundle approved.
5. If you have any new UK long code purchases coming up after May 27, 2024, please get your RC bundle approved proactively to avoid disruption to your services.
6. After May 27, 2024, if you buy a new UK long code, you will be required to connect an approved bundle before buying.
7. All UK long codes which were purchased before May 27, 2024 will need to be attached to an approved RC bundle by September 30, 2024 to avoid service interruptions, we would encourage you to proactively connect all your long codes to approved RC bundles after May 27, 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Will there be any fees for registering my UK long codes?
No, there is no fees to register UK long codes
Q. I am an individual customer and I don’t have the required identity or address document, what do I do?
Unfortunately, you will not be able to use GHL’s UK long codes without proper documentation
Q. I am a business customer and I don’t have the company documents, what do I do?
If your business is registered in the UK house register, then you don’t need to upload your documentation, just provide the information which we will verify. If you are not registered in the UK then please reach out to us.
Q. What do you mean by emergency address?
Physical address of the actual user of the GHL Phone Number where emergency services can send help in case of an emergency
Q. My business is not registered in the UK, which long codes am I eligible to use?
You should use UK Mobile or UK Toll Free numbers
Q. My business is not registered, what do i do?
We encourage you to register your business.
Q.I have multiple RC bundles and many numbers, what logic should I use to assign phone numbers to RC bundles?
You should not have duplicate RC bundles, each RC bundle should have unique details. Assign the RC bundles to the Phone number that align with the bundle details. Ex: a phone number used from the London office, so the appropriate RC bundle should be assigned.
Q. What happens to my messaging or voice solutions if I do not submit my KYC information?
Unfortunately GHL customers will not be able to buy new UK Longcodes without an approved UK RC bundle after May 27, 2024,. Existing numbers purchased before 27 May which do not have a KYC bundle by 30th September will have all traffic blocked.
Q. Are the Ofcom regulatory guidelines open to the public?
Absolutely, Ofcom released the guidelines to the public on November 15, 2022. You can access them by clicking on this link.
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