Australian businesses that rely on SMS messages to communicate with customers face an imminent regulatory change. From 1 July 2026, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) will enforce a new SMS Sender ID Register to combat impersonation scams. This change has direct operational and reputational consequences for organisations that send branded text messages.

What is changing?

Many businesses send SMS messages using a branded sender ID, which allows the company or agency name to appear at the top of a text message instead of a phone number. For example, SMS messages from Australia Post typically appear with ‘AusPost’ as the branded sender ID.

From 1 July 2026, branded sender IDs must be registered with the SMS Sender ID Register. Messages sent using an unregistered sender ID will no longer display the business name and will instead be labelled ‘Unverified’. Unverified messages may be grouped with other unregistered senders, including potential scam messages. This is part of a broader anti-scam initiative that seeks to avoid impersonation of trusted brands by using familiar sender names.

Practical consequences for businesses

Businesses that fail to register their sender ID risk undermining customer trust and damaging their reputation, while also reducing the effectiveness of SMS messaging as a communication channel, and potentially breaching obligations to clearly identify the sender of commercial electronic messages under the Spam Act 2003 (Cth).

ACMA has explicitly warned that this can undermine customer engagement and damage brand trust as customers may ignore or delete unverified messages due to scam concerns, and messages may be filtered or blocked by networks or devices in some cases. For businesses that rely on SMS for time critical communications, such as one-time passwords or delivery notifications, this presents a material operational risk.

The new rules apply from 1 July 2026. ACMA and industry participants have warned that registration can take time, particularly if verification issues arise. Late applications risk missing the deadline, and businesses should not assume they can complete the process at short notice.

Key registration requirements

Any organisation that uses an alphanumeric sender ID (for example, a brand name in the ‘from’ field) must ensure it is registered. Registration is completed through your telecommunications provider or SMS platform, which will submit the sender ID to the central register on your behalf.

While detailed processes sit with providers, the ACMA guidance indicates that:

• the sender ID must be clearly linked to your organisation, such as your company name, trademark or domain;
• you will need to verify your identity and authority to use the sender ID;
• registrations are tied to the relevant business entity, often via ABN details; and
• supporting information or documentation may be required to confirm legitimacy.

There are also restrictions on certain terms that could be misleading or impersonate trusted entities.

Interaction with existing SMS compliance obligations

The Sender ID Register will sit alongside existing rules under the Spam Act 2003 (Cth). Businesses must still:

• obtain consent before sending commercial SMS;
• clearly identify themselves in messages; and
• include a functional unsubscribe mechanism in each message.

Registration of a sender ID does not remove or reduce these obligations. Instead, it strengthens the identification element of compliance.

What should your organisation do now?

To prepare for 1 July 2026, organisations should:

• audit current SMS practices. Identify all systems, providers and sender IDs used across the business;
• confirm whether branded sender IDs are in use. Focus on any alphanumeric sender names appearing in outbound messages;
• engage SMS providers. Understand their registration process and required information;
• prepare verification materials. Ensure your business details, ABN, domain names and branding align with the intended sender ID;
• submit registrations early in order to avoid delays close to the deadline; and
• review customer communications strategy. Consider contingencies if SMS deliverability or trust is disrupted.

Next steps

The introduction of the Sender ID Register marks a significant shift in how SMS messages operate as a communication channel in Australia. While it is targeted at reducing scams, it imposes a practical compliance obligation on any organisation using branded SMS. Failure to act will not just create regulatory risk. It may directly affect whether your customers receive, trust, or act on your messages.

Organisations should treat this as both a compliance exercise and a customer experience priority. Early action will minimise disruption and protect the value of SMS as a trusted communication tool.

HWLE Lawyers’ intellectual property team has extensive experience in advising businesses regarding privacy and spam obligations. If you are concerned about registering your sender ID, please contact us for further information on how we can assist you.

This article was written by Luke Dale, Partner, Maximilian Soulsby, Associate, and Jasper Dowdell, Law Graduate.