What changed for branded text messages on 1 July 2026?
A sender ID is the name shown at the top of a text message from a business or organisation, in place of a phone number. The ACMA's SMS Sender ID Register is part of the government's Fighting Scams work and is designed to stop scammers using branded texts to impersonate known organisations.
- Registration deadline. The ACMA asked organisations to register their sender IDs before 1 July 2026.
- Unregistered names are replaced. From 1 July 2026, a message sent under an unregistered sender ID has the name replaced with the word Unverified, and these messages are grouped in a single thread on the recipient's phone. The ACMA notes this signals the message may be a scam.
- Telcos must take part. The ACMA states that from 1 July 2026, Australian telcos must participate in the register to send messages with sender IDs.
- The format is fixed. The ACMA user guide states that sender IDs must be 2 to 11 characters long, using standard ASCII characters.
The ACMA user guide refers to the Telecommunications (SMS Sender ID Register) Industry Standard 2025. This article is general information for event organisers and is not legal advice.
Which event messages are affected?
Many events rely on text messages at exactly the moments when people need to act quickly. Common examples include:
- Registration and ticket confirmations, including links to e-tickets or QR codes used at the entry.
- Check-in and badge collection codes sent on the morning of a conference.
- Guest WiFi one-time codes sent by a login page that asks for a mobile number.
- Crew and volunteer messages, such as shift reminders, call times and meeting points.
- Program changes and weather updates for outdoor events, festivals and sporting days.
- Post-event messages, such as survey links or photo gallery links.
If any of these are sent under a branded name that is not registered, attendees now see Unverified instead. Some will ignore the message or delete it, and the ACMA has said messages in the unverified thread are likely to be treated with suspicion. For a ticket link or an entry code, that means slower queues and more questions at the help desk. The ACMA user guide covers sender IDs; it does not address texts sent from an ordinary mobile number.
Who registers when several organisations send texts for one event?
Event messages often come from more than one system, and each sender ID belongs to an organisation. The ACMA user guide says a sender ID must match the applicant's business name, company name, trademark or domain. It also describes entity associates: other organisations that the sender ID owner authorises to send under its registered name.
| Message | Usually sent by | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Ticket and registration texts | Ticketing or registration platform | Whether texts go out under the platform's registered name or yours, and whether yours is registered |
| Guest WiFi login codes | The WiFi login page provider or the venue | Which name the code arrives under, and whether it is registered |
| Crew and volunteer messages | The organiser's SMS account | Whether the organiser's sender ID is registered and authorised for that provider |
| Program and weather updates | The organiser or venue | Who sends on the day, and under which name |
An event brand that is not the organiser's registered business name, company name, trademark or domain may not qualify as a sender ID on its own. Check this with your SMS provider well before tickets go on sale, not in the week of the event.
What does it mean for guest WiFi login by SMS?
Some guest WiFi login pages ask for a mobile number and send a one-time code. At a busy event, that design already has weak points: codes can arrive slowly when the mobile network is congested, and international visitors may not receive local texts at all. An Unverified label adds another reason for guests to hesitate.
- Use a login method that does not depend on SMS. A QR code on signage, printed voucher codes on lanyards or table cards, or a simple accept-the-terms page often works better for conferences and exhibitions.
- If you keep SMS codes, check the sender name. Confirm the code arrives under a registered name, and test it on several mobile networks before the doors open.
- Collect only what you need. A phone number is personal information. If the login page does not need it, do not ask for it.
- Keep guest WiFi separate. Guest access should sit on its own network, apart from payments, production and staff traffic.
Our guest WiFi service page and the guide to guest WiFi best practices cover login options in more detail.
What should event organisers check before the next event?
- List every sender ID. Include ticketing, registration, WiFi login, crew messaging and any venue systems.
- Ask each provider how they send. Confirm whether messages go out under their registered name or yours, and whether yours is registered.
- Complete the registration steps. The ACMA user guide says your telco or SMS provider applies on your behalf, you confirm the application in ACMA Assist using myID, and you then authorise each telco you send through.
- Check your ABN details. The ACMA says the authorised contact or service of notice email address in the Australian Business Register must be current before you can register.
- Send test messages. Text a few phones on different networks and check the sender name that appears.
- Tell attendees what to expect. In confirmation emails, name the sender ID they will see on event day.
- Plan a fallback. Print entry and WiFi details on signage so that a missed text does not stop anyone at the door.
For on-site networks that support check-in, ticket scanning and guest access, see ticket scanning WiFi and conference WiFi.
What does the register not change?
The register deals with the name shown on a text. It does not replace other obligations or on-site planning:
- Existing spam rules still apply. A legal commentary on the register notes that it sits alongside the Spam Act 2003, which already requires commercial messages to clearly identify the sender.
- It does not fix congestion. A registered message still has to reach a phone in a crowded venue where mobile networks may be slow.
- It does not secure the event network. Separate networks, strong passwords and current firmware still matter; see our guide to event WiFi security.
If you are planning check-in, guest WiFi and on-site messaging for an event, you can send the event details and floor plan and we will suggest a network layout that does not depend on a single text arriving on time.
Questions people ask
What happens to texts from an unregistered sender ID?
Since 1 July 2026, the ACMA says the sender ID on these messages is replaced with the word Unverified, and the messages are grouped in a single thread on the recipient's phone, which signals they may be scams.
How long can an SMS sender ID be?
The ACMA user guide states that sender IDs must be 2 to 11 characters long, using standard ASCII characters.
Who applies to register a sender ID?
According to the ACMA user guide, your telco or SMS provider submits the application, you confirm it in ACMA Assist using myID, and you then authorise each telco you send messages through.
Can an event name be used as a sender ID?
The ACMA user guide says a sender ID must match the applicant's business name, company name, trademark or domain. An event brand that does not match any of these may not qualify, so check with your SMS provider early.
Should guest WiFi at events use SMS login codes?
SMS codes can arrive slowly on congested mobile networks and may not reach international visitors. QR codes, printed voucher codes or a simple terms page are often more practical at busy events.
Sources
- ACMA: About the SMS Sender ID Register
- ACMA: Call to action for all organisations using branded SMS
- ACMA: SMS Sender ID Register user guide for businesses and organisations (December 2025)
- HWL Ebsworth: Identity crisis, new ACMA rules for SMS communications and the Sender ID Register
Event dates, prices and product details can change. Check the organiser or manufacturer before you plan around them. Planning figures are starting points; every network is confirmed against the actual site.