Paying a data protection fee – other service activities sector

If you do need to pay, the online form will ask for your sector. You can choose, but are not limited, to:

General Business, Supplier of Services, Other
General Business, Supplier of Services, Genealogist
General Business, Supplier of Services, Lifestyle Coach
General Business, Supplier of Services, Beauty Salon/Hairdressers
General Business, Business Advice & Consultancy, Consultant
General Business, Dating Agency, Dating Agency
Membership Association, Club, Club/Society (Charitable)
Membership Association, Club, Membership Club (Commercial)
Membership Association, Industry association, Trade Association
Membership Association, Employment & Trader Union, Trade Union
Religious, Religious Organisation, Pastoral Care
Retail & Manufacture, Manufacturing, Manufacturer
Retail & Manufacture, Supplier of Goods, Retail/Wholesale

Frequently asked questions

I have CCTV on my business premises for crime prevention reasons – do I need to pay a fee?

Yes, images of people caught on camera is their personal data. If you record these images to prevent crime, then you would be required to pay the fee.

I have a dashcam on my business vehicle – do I need to pay the fee?

If you have a dashcam that you use for work purposes on a vehicle that you use for work – even if you own the vehicle - then you will need to pay a data protection fee. Again, images of people recorded on camera – even when in their cars - will be their personal data.

We are a dating agency – do we need to pay?

If you provide a match making service and hold the personal information electronically, you are required to pay the data protection fee.

I am a hairdresser – do I need to pay the fee?

No, you would not necessarily need to pay the fee. However, if you have CCTV on your business premises for the purpose of crime prevention, you are required to pay the data protection fee.

If you hold medical information such as skin test results to allow you to provide a non-medical service for your clients, such as colouring, you will not be required to pay the data protection fee.

We are a beauty salon – do we need to pay?

Generally speaking, if you provide cosmetic treatments, you would not be required to pay the fee.

However, if you have CCTV for the purpose of crime prevention on or in your business premises this would require you to pay the fee.

If I use an online booking system – do I need to pay?

No, you will not be required to pay because you use an online booking system even if the data is stored on the cloud or on your computer.

However, if you have CCTV for the purpose of crime prevention on or in your business premises this would require you to pay the fee.

I repair equipment, such as watches, furniture, consumer electronics, computers and other household appliances – do I need to pay?

No, if you only install and repair the equipment you are not required to pay a fee.

However, if you have a dashcam or CCTV for the purpose of crime prevention on or in your business vehicle/premises this would require you to pay the fee.

I only hold names, addresses, and contact details of my customers – do I need to pay?

If the information you are holding about people is only for the purposes of keeping your own accounts and records, such as keeping records of purchases, sales, or other transactions to ensure the relevant payments, deliveries or services happen, then you are likely to be exempt from the requirement to pay.

However, this specifically excludes information processed by or obtained from credit reference agencies.

Do I have to pay if I have a website?

It depends on what’s on your website and what other personal data you hold.

If you use your website to promote another person's business activity, goods, or services, you will need to pay because you are advertising and marketing for others.

If you just have a website that advertises your own products or services, then you won’t need to pay because of your website. But you will need to use our self-assessment tool to see if there are any other activities you undertake that mean you do need to pay.

Do I have to pay because I hold customer data on a computer?

You are not usually required to pay just because you hold client details on computer, but the important point is what you do with those details. Our self-assessment tool will help you to see if any of your activities mean you need to pay.

Do I have to pay because I take card payments?

You are not required to pay just because you take card payments. However, if you do credit checks on customers via a credit reference agency, or if you process personal data for any other non-exempt reason, then you do need to pay.

If I email promotional offers to customers – do I need to pay?

There is an exemption for processing personal information for the purpose of advertising or marketing your business activity, goods or services and promoting public relations only in connection with that business activity, or those goods and services. This processing does not require you to pay the fee.

If you use your business to promote another person's business activity, goods, or services, you will need to pay because you are advertising and marketing for others, and this would require you to pay the fee.

We have a loyalty card scheme – we do need to pay?

If you have a loyalty card scheme you are not required to pay a data protection fee providing you don’t share or trade this information, i.e. within your group of companies for another purpose or carry out research on customer habits and behaviours based on what they have bought.

If you have CCTV for the purpose of crime prevention in or on your business premises you are required to pay the fee.

How do I know if my company can claim the not-for-profit exemption – we don’t make a profit?

To meet the criteria for the not-for-profit exemption the organisation must:

be established as a not-for-profit organisation, which may be stated in your constitution/articles
only process information necessary to establish or maintain membership or support
only process information necessary to provide or administer activities for people who are members of the organisation or have regular contact with it
only hold information about individuals whose data you need to process for this exempt purpose
the personal data you process is restricted to personal information that is necessary for this exempt purpose
only keep the information while the individual is a member or supporter or as long as necessary for member/supporter administration

The organisation would not be exempt:

if you are responsible for CCTV
if you provide additional services outside of the organisations aims/objectives that can’t be covered by the other exemptions
if you trade and share in personal data

My organisation holds information about our members – do we need to pay?

The administration of membership records is not an exempt purpose for processing personal data and would require a fee to be paid.

However, if you are set up as a not-for-profit organisation, please see our not-for-profit question above.

If you have CCTV for the purpose of crime prevention on or in the premises this would require your society or support group to pay the fee.

Does a trade union or students union need to pay the fee?

If you are a union and you are responsible for how the data is processed, then you would be required to pay the fee.

However, if you are set up as a not-for-profit organisation, please see our not-for-profit question above.

If you have CCTV for the purpose of crime prevention on or in the premises this would require your society or support group to pay the fee.

My organisation is a registered charity – do I need to pay?

This would depend on what personal data you were processing and why. A registered charity would only pay the lowest fee tier of £40. Our self-assessment tool will help you determine if you are required to pay a fee.

We provide pastoral care – do we need to pay?

If you provide pastoral care such as counselling, emotional, social and spiritual support and hold any these records electronically, you are required to pay a data protection fee.

We offer physical wellbeing activities – such as solariums, sauna and steam baths, Turkish baths, massage salons, slimming salons – do we need to pay?

If you are providing services which require you to record your client’s medical history and maintain a record of treatments and aftercare you would be required to pay the data protection fee.

I’m a genealogist – do I need to pay?

Yes, if you are undertaking research on living individuals and record the information about family members, you are required to pay the fee.

I am already registered – why have I received a letter?

If you are registered as a sole trader or your registration does not include your companies house number this could be the reason why you have received our letter. Please let us know.

I have a limited company but I’m a sole trader – who needs to be registered?

This depends on who the data controller is, and which entity has the relationship with the client. You will need to determine who is the legal person responsible for the personal data held.

If your limited company is set up for the sole purpose of processing your own accounts through, then this would not require a fee.

I’m unsure if I am data controller or a data processor – how do I determine this?

It is essential for organisations involved in the processing of personal data to be able to determine whether they are acting as a data controller or as a data processor in respect of the processing. This is particularly important in situations such as a data breach where it will be necessary to determine which organisation has data protection responsibility.

You may find the following guidance useful:

To determine whether you are a data controller you need to ascertain which organisation decides:

to collect the personal data in the first place and the legal basis for doing so;
which items of personal data to collect, i.e. the content of the data;
the purpose or purposes the data are to be used for;
which individuals to collect data about;
whether to disclose the data, and if so, who to;
whether subject access and other individuals’ rights apply i.e. the application of exemptions; and
how long to retain the data or whether to make non-routine amendments to the data.

We can only provide guidance and advice, ultimately it is the Data Controllers decision as to whether a registration is needed.

My company is dormant – do I need to pay?

It depends. If your business is dormant and you are not processing personal data electronically, then you’re not required to pay the fee.

However, some businesses and professionals are required to retain some personal data after they cease trading or practicing, as required by industry guidelines. If this applies to you then you probably will need to pay.

Please visit our self-assessment tool to check.

More information

There is more information about the data protection fee on our website.

There is also lots of information for sole traders and smaller businesses on our SME web hub, to help you understand data protection and how it can help you safely make the most out of the personal data you hold.