Small businesses and community organisations must act now to ensure their text messages continue reaching customers and members ahead of new anti-scam rules taking effect on 1 July 2026.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has confirmed that organisations using branded SMS sender IDs will need to register them under the new system. A sender ID is the name that appears at the top of a message, such as “AusPost”, “Med-Appt” or “myGov”.
From 1 July, any SMS or MMS sent using an unregistered sender ID will display the label “Unverified” instead of the brand name. These messages may also be grouped with unverified content, including potential scams.
What is changing from 1 July 2026
ACMA Deputy Chair Adam Suckling said some small and medium-sized businesses may not yet be aware of the changes.
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He said sender IDs are widely used across industries for marketing, appointments, and billing communications, including by dentists, GPs, schools, childcare centres, solicitors, and franchisees.
Who needs to register sender IDs
He urged organisations to check whether they use branded sender IDs and contact their telco or messaging provider to complete registration before the deadline.
What happens if you don’t register
ACMA also warned that unregistered messages risk being ignored or deleted, which could lead to missed communications and reputational damage.
What businesses and organisations should do now
Telcos and messaging providers are required to support customers through the registration process and ensure sender IDs are registered on time.
A list of participating providers is available on the ACMA website.
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