Pay the ICO data protection fee
If you hold any personal information electronically — a booking system, a till with customer accounts, a mailing list, CCTV, staff records, a Wi-Fi sign-up form — you almost certainly need to pay the ICO's annual data protection fee and appear on their public register.
If you hold any personal information electronically — a booking system, a till with customer accounts, a mailing list, CCTV, staff records, a Wi-Fi sign-up form — you almost certainly need to pay the ICO's annual data protection fee and appear on their public register. Run the self-assessment tool first; it takes a few minutes and tells you which tier applies and whether you're exempt.
Trading without paying the fee when you're required to is a criminal offence the ICO can and does pursue, including issuing penalty notices well above the fee itself. It also signals to customers and partners that you take data protection seriously.
Free to check, then pay online if you're required to register. Most hospitality venues fall in the £52–£78 band.
Who this is for
Almost every venue — anyone processing customer or staff personal data electronically, including CCTV, bookings, loyalty schemes or a simple email list.
A small number of businesses are exempt (e.g. purely paper-based records with no electronic processing) — the self-assessment tool tells you which tier or exemption applies.
What you’ll hold
- ICO registration confirmation and reference number
Watch out for
- Assuming CCTV alone doesn't count as "processing personal data" — it does, and it's one of the most common reasons hospitality venues need to register.
- Letting the annual renewal lapse — the fee is payable every year, not a one-off, and the ICO does check its register against active businesses.
- Skipping the self-assessment and assuming you're exempt without actually checking — most venues with any electronic booking, till or staff system are not exempt.
Sources
- ICO — Data protection fee self-assessment checked 2026-09-02
- ICO — Guide to the data protection fee checked 2026-09-02
See also
This is item 41 of 66 in the free UK Launch Checklist. See the whole list →