UK consumer ADR is getting a new rulebook operator. Regulations made on 9 March 2026 under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 give the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) responsibility for accrediting, monitoring and reporting on dispute resolution providers. The instrument applies across the UK and comes into force on 6 April 2026, according to legislation.gov.uk.

CTSI’s remit spans approvals to charge consumers, the running of the accreditation and variation process, determinations on applications, suspensions and revocations, receipt of statutory fees from accredited providers, enforcement notices, directions to supply information and disclosure of ADR data. In practical terms, the Institute becomes the operational centre of the DMCC ADR regime.

Where a provider hopes to charge consumers, CTSI must sign off the proposal. Providers will need to set out the fee level, why charging is necessary, how revenue will be used, and what safeguards ensure access is not deterred while availability improves. Decisions, with reasons, must be issued to providers on a durable medium such as paper or email, defined as a format that can be stored and reproduced unchanged for future reference.

Accreditation now hinges on comprehensive disclosure. Applications must explain who the provider is and how to contact them, the kinds of ADR offered and potential outcomes, the dispute types and sectors covered, the rules and time limits, any pre‑conditions, whether ADR runs orally or in writing, any fees payable by either party, supported languages, whether outcomes are binding, refusal grounds and the complaints process. CTSI must also publish the procedures for accreditation and for any later variation on its website.

When an accreditation is at risk, continuity for users is built in. Before a revocation or suspension, providers must list open cases, say how long they will take to complete or transfer, identify any receiving ADR provider and give a forwarding address for CTSI invoices. Where statutory conditions that could justify intervention appear to be met, CTSI must inform the Secretary of State.

Transparency is central. Before publishing information about enforcement notices, CTSI must consider the benefit of highlighting systemic problems or other matters of public interest. Separately, it must publish a consumer‑facing register carrying the Schedule 2 information for every accredited and exempt provider, so firms and households can see scope, time limits, fees and whether outcomes are binding.

The reporting timetable is tight. A quarterly report, due within two weeks of each calendar quarter end, must go to the Secretary of State; an end‑of‑year report, due within four weeks of the financial year end, must also be published on CTSI’s website. With commencement on 6 April 2026, the first quarter to be reported runs from 1 April to 30 June 2026 and is due by 14 July 2026. The first end‑year report, covering 6 April 2026 to 31 March 2027, is due by 28 April 2027.

What will be measured is detailed. Reports must show requests to approve consumer fee provisions and how many were approved or rejected (with the reasons considered), outcomes of accreditation and variation applications, average decision times, average fees paid for accreditation and variations and by accredited providers under section 299, the number of revocations and which statutory conditions applied, plus CTSI’s evaluation of the accreditation system and the quality of ADR provision in the UK.

For ADR providers, the immediate task is operational readiness. Map your service against the Schedule 2 disclosures and refresh website copy accordingly. Assemble a clear case if proposing consumer fees, ensure record‑keeping supports sending and storing notices on a durable medium, and budget for accreditation, variation and ongoing provider fees. Put in place data capture now to feed quarterly and year‑end metrics.

For businesses that signpost ADR-retailers, home improvement firms, travel agents and digital platforms-expect clearer registers and more consistent scheme information. Update customer‑facing signposts once CTSI publishes its listings, confirm your chosen scheme is accredited under the new regime, and brief service teams on where ADR outcomes are binding or where consumer fees might apply.

Two quick examples show the shift. A sector scheme handling used‑car disputes that plans a small application fee will need to evidence how the income supports capacity without deterring genuine complaints, and should surface time limits and refusal grounds prominently. An online marketplace operating its own ADR should state the languages supported, whether outcomes bind the parties, and maintain a plan to transfer open cases swiftly if accreditation is suspended.

The Department for Business and Trade flags no, or no significant, economic impact and has published an Explanatory Memorandum alongside the Regulations. Even so, providers should plan for one‑off compliance work this month and recurring reporting effort each quarter.

Formally titled the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (Alternative Dispute Resolution) (Conferral of Functions) Regulations 2026, the instrument was signed by Parliamentary Under‑Secretary of State Kate Dearden on 9 March 2026. Source: legislation.gov.uk.