SMS Sender IDs

SMS Sender IDs

New Sender ID rules

To assist identifying scam text messages, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has introduced an SMS Sender ID Register from 1st July 2026. This only affects branded SMS messages, i.e. messages sent with some text in place of the sender’s phone number.

Under the new rules, any SMS sent with an organisation’s name at the top of a message (known as a Branded Sender ID) will need to have the sender ID registered.

For example, we send our users MFA code by SMS with the Sender ID of CESOFT.


We have registered our CESOFT brand with ACMA so you can be assured that any SMS with that Sender ID is from us.
Fraudulent messages would have the Sender ID replaced with ‘Unverified’.

Do these new rules apply when sending an SMS from CESoft to a patient?

No, these rules only apply to branded SMS messages. There is no requirement to brand SMS messages. All messages sent from CESoft to patients’ phones have a phone number on them so they can reply, additionally this means that the SMS messages being sent will not show up on recipient's devices as unverified.  Branded messages (i.e. with Sender IDs) have no return number, so recipients can't reply to them. 

Can I use my own Sender ID

Sender IDs are very restricted
  1. Sender IDs are limited to 11 characters and must be a brand or business name
  2. Many words like 'BILL' or 'ACCOUNT' are prohibited unless associated with a business name, making them impractical due to the 11 character limit
  3. For messages with a Sender ID, recipients can't reply to the messages, which can also raise concerns about potential fraud.

Options to reduce concerns about fraudulent messages

  1. Clearly communicate with patients that they will receive a message with the provider's name on it, requesting payment etc.
  2. We do offer dedicated numbers, which can further allay concerns if you inform them to expect a message from that number. See https://support.cesoft.com.au/portal/en/kb/articles/sms-dedicated-fixed-phone-number for more information.