561422 Telemarketing Bureaus and Other Contact Centers

Official definition

This U.S. industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in operating call centers that initiate or receive communications via telephone, facsimile, email, or other communication modes for purposes such as: (1) promoting products or services, (2) taking orders, (3) soliciting contributions, and (4) providing information or assistance regarding products or services. Telemarketing bureaus and other contact centers provide these services on behalf of clients and do not own the products or provide the services that they are representing, or they serve other establishments of the same enterprise.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS descriptions.

When to use a different code

Census classifies these close-sounding activities somewhere else. Businesses mainly engaged in:

• Answering telephone calls and relaying messages are classified in U.S. Industry 561421, Telephone Answering Services.
• Wholesale or retail sales are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade.
• Providing automated data processing services and computing infrastructure for call centers are classified in Industry 518210, Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services.
• Providing restaurant meal and grocery order and delivery services (i.e., independent order and delivery services) are classified in Industry 492210, Local Messengers and Local Delivery.
• Organizing and conducting charitable fundraising campaigns on a contract or fee basis, that may include telephone solicitation services are classified in U.S. Industry 561499, All Other Business Support Services.
• Gathering, recording, tabulating, and presenting marketing and public opinion data, that may include telephone canvassing services are classified in Industry 541910, Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling.

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS cross-references.

Businesses that use this code

• Call center

Activities listed under 561422

The Census index assigns these 8 activities to this code. If your business matches one, this is your code.

• Customer service call centers
• Floral wire services (i.e., telemarketing services)
• Online customer service centers
• Telemarketing bureaus
• Telemarketing services on a contract or fee basis
• Telephone call centers (e.g., customer service centers, telemarketing services)
• Telephone solicitation services on a contract or fee basis
• Wire services (i.e., telemarketing services), floral

Source: US Census Bureau, 2022 NAICS index file.

SBA size standard for 561422

To count as a small business for SBA loans and federal contracts under NAICS 561422, your business (including affiliates) must not exceed $25.5 million in average annual receipts. Check your business.

Source: SBA table of size standards, effective March 17, 2023.

Closest UK SIC 2007 codes

There is no official one-to-one link between NAICS and UK SIC. These codes share the same international class (ISIC Rev. 4: 8220), so treat them as a starting point and check the definition.

• 82200Activities of call centresUK SIC

Built from Census concordances 2022→2017 NAICS and 2017 NAICS→ISIC Rev. 4.

Similar codes to compare

• 561421Telephone Answering Services