From 1 July, ACMA's SMS Sender ID Register means unregistered branded sender IDs will display as 'Unverified' and sit alongside scam messages. Australian businesses need to register through their telco now.
A reminder marked "Unverified" sitting next to a scam text is not a deliverability problem. It is a trust problem.
If your business sends text messages with your brand name at the top instead of a phone number, you have a deadline. From 1 July the Australian Communications and Media Authority brings in the SMS Sender ID Register, and any branded sender ID that is not on it will be replaced with the word "Unverified" in the message heading.
Worse, those unregistered messages get grouped with other unverified senders, including potential scams. So a legitimate appointment reminder or order update from your business could land next to fraud, under a label that tells the customer not to trust it.
The register exists for a good reason. Right now scammers can spoof a brand name at the top of a text with no checks. The new system stops that by requiring every branded sender ID to be registered. To get on it you need an active ABN, proof you own the brand or domain and your authorised representative's details, and you register through the telco or messaging provider you already use.
Why it matters
SMS is one of the highest-engagement channels a business has, and this rule decides whether yours still looks legitimate after 1 July. For any Australian business that texts customers, appointment reminders, delivery updates, two-factor codes, marketing, an "Unverified" label undercuts the whole point of using your name.
This is a hygiene piece, not a strategy. It costs almost nothing to fix and a lot to ignore. The businesses that miss the deadline will watch their open and trust rates fall for a reason that had nothing to do with their message.
The date unregistered branded SMS sender IDs start showing as "Unverified" to Australian customers (ACMA)
What to do about it
Check how your texts appear. If your brand name shows at the top instead of a number, you use a branded sender ID and this applies to you.
Contact your SMS provider now. Registration runs through your telco or messaging platform, not directly. Ask them today.
Get your paperwork ready. You need an active ABN, proof of brand or domain ownership and an authorised representative.
List every sender ID you use. Businesses often send from more than one. Each branded ID needs registering.
Do it before 1 July. After that date, unregistered messages carry the "Unverified" label whether you meant to opt out or not.
This is the rare deadline where the fix is simple and the cost of missing it is real. Handle it this week and move on.