WhatsApp Marketing in the UK: PECR, GDPR and B2B Explained

WhatsApp marketing in the UK is allowed when you follow two sets of rules: PECR (the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) and UK GDPR. Which rules apply depends on who you are writing to: a consumer, a sole trader or a limited company. This guide explains how PECR treats WhatsApp messages, when B2B messages need no prior consent, how the soft opt-in works, what UK GDPR adds, and how to run B2B outreach from London, Manchester or anywhere in the UK the right way.

The short answer

• PECR treats WhatsApp messages as electronic mail, the same family as e-mail and SMS.
• Individuals and sole traders need to have given consent, or you need a valid soft opt-in (existing customers, similar products, a chance to opt out).
• Corporate subscribers (limited companies, LLPs, government bodies) can receive B2B marketing without prior consent, but every message must identify you and carry a working opt-out.
• UK GDPR still applies when the message goes to a named person.
• Good practice goes further than the law: message people who expect to hear from you.

How PECR treats WhatsApp marketing in the UK

PECR sets the rules for electronic marketing in the UK, and the ICO enforces them. It does not list every app by name. It covers "electronic mail", which includes any text, voice, sound or image message sent over a public network and stored until the recipient collects it. At the time of writing (October 2026), that is how WhatsApp messages are treated.

So a WhatsApp offer to a customer follows the same rules as a marketing SMS or e-mail. The channel feels more personal, but the rules do not relax because of that.

Who needs consent: the table

The last row matters on WhatsApp more than anywhere else. WhatsApp numbers are mobiles, and many belong to a person rather than the company. If the managing director of a Manchester firm gave you her personal mobile, treat her as an individual and get consent.

The soft opt-in, explained

The soft opt-in lets you market to existing customers without fresh consent, when all of these are true:

1. You got their details during a sale, or during talks about a sale.
2. You are marketing your own similar products or services.
3. You gave them a simple way to refuse when you collected the details.
4. You give them a simple way to opt out in every message.

Say you run a florist in Islington. A customer bought a birthday bouquet online, and the checkout had a clear box to say no to offers. You can message them about Mother's Day flowers. You cannot pass their number to a partner's wine club, and you cannot use it for something unrelated to flowers.

UK GDPR: the part people forget

PECR decides whether you may send the message. UK GDPR decides how you handle the data behind it.

• A name and a mobile number are personal data, even when the person is a buyer at a company.
• You need a lawful basis. For B2B marketing to named people, many businesses rely on legitimate interests and record a short assessment: the purpose, why WhatsApp is needed, and why the person would reasonably expect it.
• Tell people where you got their details and how to object, in your first message at the latest.
• The right to object to direct marketing is absolute. When someone says stop, you stop, on every channel.
• Keep only what you need, keep it secure, and delete it when it is no longer useful.

B2B WhatsApp outreach in the UK, step by step

PECR may allow a message to a limited company without consent, but good practice asks for more. WhatsApp is built for conversations people welcome, and it can limit accounts that many people block or report, so message people who know your business and expect to hear from you. For new prospects, start with e-mail or a call, or one personal message to a WhatsApp line the business publishes for enquiries, and keep campaigns for people who replied or expect you.

1. Check the recipient type. Look the company up on Companies House. Limited company or LLP: corporate subscriber. Sole trader: individual.
2. Check the number. A WhatsApp line the business lists for enquiries is different from someone's private mobile.
3. Write a short legitimate interests note for your file before you start.
4. Write a personal first message: who you are, why you are writing to this business, and how to say no.
5. Keep a suppression list across e-mail, phone and WhatsApp, and check it before every send.
6. Move people into campaigns only when they reply or agree to hear more.

An example first message to a company that lists a WhatsApp number for enquiries:

Hello, this is Tom from Northside Office Supplies in Salford.
We deliver printer paper and toner to offices in Greater Manchester, next day.
Would a price list be useful? If not, reply STOP and I will not message again.

Timing and tone for London and the rest of the UK

Most UK offices work Monday to Friday, roughly 09:00 to 17:30. B2B messages do best in working hours; consumer messages can go in the early evening. Avoid early mornings, late nights, Sundays for B2B, and bank holidays. The UK moves between GMT and BST, so schedule by the contact's local time if you send from Dubai or Riyadh. Keep the tone plain and polite and the message short, without hard selling or rows of exclamation marks. A London buyer gets many messages a day; the ones that get answered are short, specific and clearly from a real person.

This is general information, not legal advice; check the current rules for the country you send to.

Where Nitro fits

Nitro is WhatsApp campaign software for Windows that sends through your own WhatsApp numbers, linked with Linked devices the same way WhatsApp Web works. It helps with the parts of the rules that are about treating people well.

• Opt-outs: people can reply STOP (or UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END, QUIT) and Nitro adds them to the opt-out list with a short confirmation; START adds them back. Opted-out contacts are never messaged again, and an unsubscribe line can go at the end of every message.
• Fewer repeat messages: you can skip people who got a campaign in the last few days.
• A natural pace: random pauses between messages, a short break every 25, and daily limits per number by default.
• Local data: contacts, messages and media stay on your PC. The LEADS ADD servers see only your sign-in, the app version, the PC's name and the day's message count for your plan.

You remain responsible for having a lawful reason to message each contact.

Frequently asked questions

Can I send WhatsApp marketing to UK businesses without consent?

Under PECR, limited companies, LLPs and government bodies can receive B2B marketing without prior consent, as long as every message identifies you and has a working opt-out. Sole traders and some partnerships need consent or a soft opt-in, and good practice is to message people who expect to hear from you.

Does GDPR apply to WhatsApp business messages?

Yes, whenever the message goes to a named person or their mobile number. You need a lawful basis, must tell people where you got their details, and must stop marketing to anyone who objects.

Do I need consent to message a sole trader on WhatsApp?

Yes. PECR treats sole traders like individuals, so you need their consent or a valid soft opt-in from a previous sale or negotiation.

Who enforces WhatsApp marketing rules in the UK?

The ICO. It handles complaints about unwanted marketing messages and can take enforcement action against businesses that break PECR. Check the ICO website for current guidance before you plan a campaign.

Next step

Sort your list into individuals and companies, and keep campaigns for people who expect you. For first contact with new businesses, read our guide to WhatsApp for sales. To run campaigns with opt-outs handled for you, see how Nitro works and get started and compare the Nitro plans.