The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has introduced a national SMS Sender ID Register as part of Australia’s broader Fighting Scams initiative. The register is designed to stop scammers impersonating well-known brands – such as banks, government agencies, and retailers – by ensuring only verified, authorised businesses can send messages under a registered sender name.
A Sender ID is the Alpha label that appears at the top of an SMS in place of a phone number – for example, “ATO”, “myGov”, or your own brand name. This register ensures that label can be trusted.
Unregistered Sender IDs will be flagged as “Unverified” and grouped into a separate message thread on recipients’ phones – a clear signal it may be a scam.
Registered businesses enjoy continued brand recognition. Your customers will see your actual sender name, not a generic warning label.
The register is a legal requirement under the Telecommunications (SMS Sender ID Register) Industry Standard 2025, backed by the Telecommunications Act.
These rules apply only to SMS and MMS sent to Australian mobile numbers using Alpha Sender IDs. Long code (numeric) senders are unaffected.
The register applies to any individual, company, trust, partnership, or government entity that uses an Alpha Sender ID to send SMS or MMS to Australian mobile numbers.
Businesses with an ABN – can register Sender IDs directly through a participating telco or message provider, or directly with the ACMA.
Organisations without an ABN – must work through a certified telco or approved provider (such as touchSMS) to have Sender IDs registered on their behalf.
Government agencies & non-profits – any entity sending branded SMS to Australian numbers must comply, regardless of structure.
International businesses – companies without an Australian presence must work through a certified Australian telco or authorised partner to register.
Not affected: Businesses sending messages from long code (numeric) phone numbers, or those messaging recipients outside of Australia, are not required to register.
From 1 July 2026, messages sent using an unregistered Sender ID will no longer display your brand name. Instead, recipients will see the word “Unverified” – a built-in warning that the message could be a scam.
All “Unverified” messages are grouped into a single separate inbox on the customer’s device, completely separate from your legitimate message history. The impact on customer trust, open rates, and conversions can be significant.
Without registration, your brand becomes invisible – replaced by a scam warning.
Registering through touchSMS is quick and straightforward – here’s how it works:
Note on Sender ID naming rules: Your Sender ID must be clearly linked to your organisation – matching your business name, a registered trademark, or your domain name. Generic terms (e.g. “Alerts”, “Info”, “Update”) will not be approved, nor will IDs that could mislead consumers or impersonate other brands. IDs must use standard ASCII characters and cannot start or end with a space or underscore.
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The touchSMS Sender ID Registry is live. Log in to your account, head to Settings > Sender IDs, and manage your Alpha Sender ID registrations directly – no back-and-forth, no waiting.
This is one of the most common questions we get – so let’s clear it up. The ACMA registration requirement only applies to Alpha Sender IDs. If you’re sending from a Virtual Number, you’re not affected.
A Virtual Number is a purchased Australian mobile or long code number. Messages appear to come from a real phone number. Recipients can reply, and the number is unique to your account.
No ACMA registration required. No action needed.
An Alpha Sender ID is a custom text label – typically your brand name – that appears instead of a number. Recipients cannot reply to these messages, and the name is not unique by default.
ACMA registration required by 1 July 2026.
Not sure which one you’re using? Log in to touchSMS and go to Settings > Profile & Settings > SMS Settings. Your default “From” name is shown there – if it’s a word or phrase, it’s an Alpha Sender ID. If it’s a number, it’s a Virtual Number and no registration is needed.
Protect your brand name in every SMS you send. Get in touch with the touchSMS team and we’ll guide you through the process.