Australia's SMS regulations are changing, and for businesses using SMS to reach customers, it's a genuinely positive development.
From 1 July 2026, all alphanumeric Sender IDs (the business name that appears at the top of an SMS, like "Glider" or "AusPost") must be registered with the ACMA's new SMS Sender ID Register. Any message sent from an unregistered Sender ID will be automatically labelled Unverified and grouped in a separate inbox on customers' phones. This is a clear signal to recipients that something may be off.
Why this change matters
SMS remains one of the most effective channels for time-sensitive communications like payment reminders. But rising scam volumes have made customers more cautious: less likely to click links, less willing to act on messages from unfamiliar senders.
The new register directly addresses this. By ensuring only verified, legitimate businesses can use branded Sender IDs, it makes it significantly harder for scammers to impersonate trusted brands. For businesses, that means:
- Customers can trust that a message from your brand name is genuinely from you
- Higher confidence in SMS leads to better engagement and action rates
- Payment requests sent via SMS carry more weight, with less hesitation and more conversions
What's changing
From 1 July 2026, the register is mandatory and unregistered Sender IDs will no longer be delivered as branded messages. The register requires each Sender ID to be clearly linked to the registering organisation, matching a business name, trademark, or domain. This makes it much harder for bad actors to impersonate trusted brands.
What businesses need to do
Any organisation using an alphanumeric Sender ID to communicate with customers needs to register that ID before 1 July 2026. Registration is done through your telco or message service provider, not directly with the ACMA.
As part of the registration process, organisations are typically required to demonstrate:
- That they are authorised to use the Sender ID (e.g. it matches a registered business name, trademark, or domain)
- That there is a legitimate use case for the Sender ID, such as sending payment reminders, notifications, or alerts to customers who have consented to receive them
For most businesses already using branded SMS, this is standard practice. The register formalises what should already be in place.
What Glider is doing
Glider already supports branded, personalised payment messaging experiences. We're managing the registration process on behalf of our customers, documenting Sender IDs, aligning our processes with the new requirements, and ensuring all messaging sent via Glider meets the ACMA's standards. The goal is full compliance with zero disruption to your experience.
Questions about how these changes affect your Glider setup? Get in touch at support@gliderpay.com.
