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From 1 July 2026, the way branded text messages are sent in Australia is changing. If your business sends SMS using a name instead of a phone number (for example "WildJar" rather than a mobile number), that name now needs to be registered with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
This is a government anti-scam measure, and it affects almost every business that uses SMS for appointment reminders, security codes, delivery updates, or marketing. The good news is that getting ready is straightforward, and as a telco registered with the ACMA, WildJar can handle most of the heavy lifting for you.
Here is what is happening, why, and the steps to take before the deadline.
A quick note: the rules around the register can change as the ACMA finalises detail. We keep this guide current, but for the definitive position always refer to the ACMA website and the Federal Register of Legislation.
A sender ID is the name or number that appears in the "from" field when someone receives your text message. It is how your customer recognises who the message is from before they even open it.
A sender ID can be:
When a sender ID uses letters (or letters and numbers) rather than a plain phone number, it is called an alphanumeric or branded sender ID. These are the IDs the new rules apply to. Plain numeric sender IDs are not affected in the same way.
The SMS Sender ID Register is a national register run by the ACMA as part of the Federal Government's wider effort to fight scams. It exists to stop scammers impersonating trusted brands and government agencies in text messages, the practice known as "spoofing".
Under the new rules, branded sender IDs sent to Australian mobile numbers must be registered. Only verified sender IDs will be allowed to display the brand name. Anything that is not registered will be over-stamped with the word "Unverified" before it reaches the recipient.
The rules sit under the Telecommunications (SMS Sender ID Register) Industry Standard 2025, and the obligation to act falls on telcos and messaging providers as well as the businesses sending the messages.
SMS scams have cost Australians hundreds of millions of dollars in recent years. Fake delivery notices, bogus tax office messages, and phishing links that copy familiar names like "AusPost", "myGov", and "ATO" have eroded trust in SMS as a channel.
For a long time the SMS network had a basic weakness: almost anyone could put a trusted name in the "from" field. The register closes that gap by building identity verification into the network itself, so impersonation is blocked at scale rather than chased after the fact.
For legitimate businesses the upside is real. A registered sender ID is a clear signal to your customers that the message genuinely came from you, which helps protect both your brand and your delivery rates. Thousands of organisations have already registered, including Coles, Australia Post, AAMI, StarTrack, EnergyAustralia, and the Australian Taxation Office.
The register has been open for registrations since late 2025, with telcos and messaging providers submitting sender IDs on behalf of their customers. The hard date to remember is 1 July 2026, when enforcement begins.
From that day:
In short, if your sender ID is not registered by 1 July 2026, your customers will not see your name on your messages, and your messages will sit alongside the scams the register is designed to stop.
This is where being a WildJar customer matters. WildJar is registered with the ACMA as an originating and transiting telco. That means we are an approved participant in the register, and we are responsible for registering and verifying sender IDs for our clients, submitting those registrations to the ACMA, and over-stamping any unregistered IDs with "Unverified" once enforcement begins.
In practical terms, you do not need to navigate the register on your own. We collect the required details from you, submit your sender ID to the ACMA on your behalf, and guide you through the verification step. Your job is to make sure the right information and the right authorised person are ready to go.
Here is what to have in place before the deadline.
List every branded sender ID you send from, including any short forms and alerts. Each one needs to be registered separately, so it helps to know exactly what is in use before you start.
The ACMA requires your sender ID to clearly represent who you are. Your sender ID must be either the same as, or a contraction, abbreviation, acronym, or initialism of, one of the following:
If your sender ID does not map cleanly to one of these, sort that out first. It is the most common reason an application is delayed.
Your business needs to nominate an authorised person, sometimes called a Business Administrator, who can act on the organisation's behalf. This person confirms legal ownership of the sender ID, manages access, and validates the request with the ACMA.
This is usually a director, owner, or someone in a senior role such as a compliance, legal, IT, or operations lead. The key point is that the person must have the authority to act for the business and should match the authorised contact details held on the Australian Business Register (ABR).
Make sure your registered business details on the ABR are accurate and align with the sender name you want. Your authorised contact will also need a myID to verify their identity when the application reaches the ACMA, so it is worth setting that up early.
The ACMA has repeatedly warned businesses not to leave this to the last minute. Verification takes time, and any mismatch in your details can hold things up. Applying close to the deadline risks your messages being over-stamped as "Unverified" while the paperwork catches up.
This step catches a lot of businesses out, so it is worth flagging clearly. After we submit your sender ID, your authorised contact will receive an email from the ACMA (from an @acma.gov.au address) inviting them to create an account in the ACMA Assist portal using their myID. They then need to select WildJar as the telco, review the sender IDs, and confirm the registration. If this confirmation step is not completed, the application is not finalised and the sender ID will still show as "Unverified".
If your sender ID is not on the register by 1 July 2026, the consequences are practical and immediate:
There is also a quieter risk. If you do not claim your sender name, you leave a gap that makes it easier for someone else to misuse it. Registering is the cleanest way to protect both your customers and your brand.
The rules apply based on where the message is going, not where your business is based. If you send branded SMS to Australian mobile numbers, you need to comply regardless of your location. International businesses and entities without an Australian Business Number register through a certified telco and will need to nominate a representative for identity verification. If this applies to your organisation, get in touch with us and we will walk you through the path that fits your structure.
As a telco registered with the ACMA, WildJar is set up to make this as painless as possible. We help you audit your current sender IDs, confirm your use case meets the requirements, collect the evidence the ACMA needs, submit your registration on your behalf, and guide your authorised contact through the ACMA Assist confirmation. We also stay across regulatory changes so you do not have to.
The deadline is fixed and the verification process takes time, so the best move is to start now rather than in late June.
If you send branded SMS through WildJar, or you are planning to, reach out to your WildJar contact and we will get your sender IDs registered well ahead of 1 July 2026.
