We want to update you about the changes to how SMS messages are sent in Australia that may impact your communications with clients, including via NowInfinity.
From 1 July 2026, new government regulations will require businesses using alphanumeric Sender IDs (like your firm’s name) to register these IDs through a national SMS Sender ID Register. This is part of a broader initiative to reduce SMS impersonation scams and improve message security.
What this means for you
If you're currently using an alphanumeric Sender ID:
- There will be a requirement to register your Sender ID with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) before 30 June 2026.
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After 30 June 2026, unregistered ID’s may be flagged as unverified, treated as spam or fail to reach your clients.
Check your NowInfinity Settings
Go to Menu > Portal > Portal Settings > Text Messages. If there is any text in the Sender ID field, you’re using an alphanumeric Sender ID.
Our options
Option 1: Keep your alphanumeric Sender ID.
You’ll need to prepare for registration and ensure your Sender ID is approved under the new rules. We’ll provide guidance as the process becomes clearer but, in the meantime, customers are being asked to prepare the below information in readiness for the opening of the register:
- Full entity name and Australian Business Number (ABN) (or other accredited business register, in the country in which the entity is based).
- Contact information of an authorised representative (legal name and business email) for the entity on the Australian Business Register — this is critical for ACMA’s verification process.
To be registered with the ACMA, a valid Sender ID (Alpha Tag) must:
- Be 2 to 11 characters long.
- Include only characters 32–126 from the ASCII decimal code.
- Not solely consist of “restricted” words published on the ACMA’s website. Examples of restricted words are “verify”, “notice”, “important”, “banking”, “alert", or anything that can be interpreted as impersonation of trusted entities. You can find the complete list of words here.
- Consist of letters, numbers, and symbols (standard ASCII), but cannot be only numbers.
- Not contain a space or underscore at the beginning or end.
- Not contain the word ‘Unverified’.
- Not be offensive, deceptive, or misleading.
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Have a valid use case. To have a Sender ID match, the sender identification must be the same as, a contraction or abbreviation of or an acronym of:
- the registered business name;
- the company name;
- the registered trademark; or
- the domain name.
In addition, sender identification may also include another word or other words associated with the entity’s functions. e.g., for 'TS Pty Ltd' with a business name "Telservice", trademark "TelService", and domain "Zrates.com.au", valid Sender IDs could include "Telservice", "TelServs", "Telser", "TS", "TS_Track", "TelServSale", and "Zrates".
Note: Sender IDs (Alpha Tags) are case-insensitive (e.g. "NowInfinity" is the same as "nowinfinity").
Option 2: Switch to a dedicated mobile number
This option offers reliable delivery and removes the need for registration. This will allow your clients to save your number and is more likely to safeguard from further legislation changes and stricter controls.
Next steps
We are actively monitoring updates from the government and ACAMA. The requirements for registering alphanumeric Sender IDs (alpha tags) are subject to ongoing changes. While we aim to share accurate and up-to-date information, we recommend visiting the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website for the latest guidance. The details provided here reflect information available from ACMA at the time of publication and may not yet include specifics on the registration process, access to the register, or its administration.
If you have any questions or would like to explore switching to a mobile number now, our team is here to help.
Click here to contact our support team.