Australia’s New SMS Sender ID Rules: What You Need to Know

Scam texts are nothing new but the scale definitely is. In the first seven months of 2025, Australians reported losing more than 11.5 million dollars to fake SMS messages. Most of these scams rely on impersonating trusted sender names such as AusPost, myGov or your bank so the text appears inside a legitimate conversation thread.

This is why Australia is introducing major changes to how SMS sender names work. If your business sends texts using an alphanumeric sender ID such as a brand name or product name, these changes will affect you.

Here is everything you need to know.

What Is the Australian SMS Sender ID Register

The Australian SMS Sender ID Register is a new national system designed to stop scammers from pretending to be legitimate brands. A sender ID is the name that appears at the top of an SMS message. Right now, it is easy for scammers to spoof these names. The new register is designed to stop that.

Every alphanumeric sender ID will need to be officially registered before it can be used. If it is not registered, carriers will not accept it. Starting July 2026, if a sender ID is not registered, it will appear as “Unverified” instead of your brand name.

The idea is simple. A registered sender ID is trusted. An unregistered sender ID is not.

The register is managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Only approved telecommunications providers can register and validate sender IDs on behalf of businesses. This creates a clear chain of trust from the provider to the register to the end customer.

Why the Change

Scammers have become too good at making fake messages look real. When a fraudulent SMS appears in the same message thread as legitimate updates such as a genuine tracking alert from AusPost, it becomes extremely difficult for people to tell the difference.

These scam messages usually contain links designed to steal passwords, banking information or other sensitive details. With millions already lost this year, the government is stepping in to protect consumers.

What Is the Impact on Messaging Providers and Telcos

The new rules will change how telecommunications providers and messaging platforms operate, especially for businesses that send SMS at scale. The rollout will occur in stages and the key dates are already confirmed.

Communication Service Providers (CSPs) will be able to register to participate with the Australian Communications and Media Authority(ACMA) from 30th November 2025.

As of 1st July 2026, unregistered alphanumeric sender IDs will be replaced with the word “Unverified” in the message heading. 

Messages from numeric sender IDs (Virtual Mobile Numbers / Long Number sender IDs) will not be impacted.

Next Steps

CSPs are required to register as a participating telco with the ACMA. Only organisations (or subsidiaries) with an Australian Business Number (ABN) can apply.

CSPs without an ABN, such as international businesses, will need to partner with a local 'Certified Telco'. Please let us know if this will be a requirement for your business.

You can start registering alpha sender IDs from the 30th of November 2025 and must have registered by 1st of July 2026.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us to discuss.