Plain English answers on emailing UK businesses under PECR and UK GDPR, with links to the ICO guidance (the ICO is now the Information Commission) and the legislation behind them. General information, not legal advice.
Yes, if the recipient is a corporate subscriber and you identify yourself and offer an opt-out. How PECR and UK GDPR apply to business email in 2026.
Which email recipients count as corporate subscribers under PECR, which count as individuals, and what to do when you cannot tell.
From 5 February 2026 the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 raised the maximum PECR fine from £500,000 to £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide turnover. What changed and what did not.
If your app or website encourages users to email their contacts, you are probably the instigator under PECR. The compliant pattern for invites and referrals.
Sole traders and most partnerships are individual subscribers under PECR, so B2B email to them needs consent or the soft opt-in. How to spot them.
The records worth keeping when you decide an email address belongs to a corporate subscriber, so you can show your working if the regulator asks.