The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has introduced new rules for registering branded Sender IDs (alpha tags). If you are an Electronic Messaging Service Provider (EMSP) that resells SMS services to customers who send messages to Australia, these changes affect you directly.
From 1 July 2026, any Sender ID that has not been registered will be automatically changed to "Unverified" when sent to Australian recipients. Under the new rules, all EMSPs are defined as telecommunications providers (telcos). This includes:
SMS aggregators
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform providers
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers
Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) providers
Automated marketing platform providers
Two-factor authentication (2FA) providers
Crucially, your first step, regardless of how you choose to proceed, is to register with the ACMA to become a participating telco.
Once registered, you have two options for managing your customers' Sender ID registrations:
The Indirect Model (partnering with ClickSend) or
The Direct Model (managing it yourself).
Option 1: The Indirect Model (Partnering with ClickSend)
In this model, you partner with ClickSend to manage your Sender ID compliance. You maintain the relationship with your end customers, while we handle the technical submission, vetting, and monitoring process with the ACMA on your behalf.
How it Works:
You (EMSP): Apply to the ACMA for participating telco status.
You (EMSP): Sign a partnership addendum with ClickSend.
You (EMSP): Contact your end customers to gather the required business and Sender ID information. Your customers will submit their application data back to you.
You (EMSP): Perform a quality check on the data and submit it to ClickSend. We will share some options for you include sharing spreadsheets for bulk submissions, or an online form for individual submissions.
ClickSend: We vet each submission, submit it to the ACMA, and monitor its status.
Your Customer (End User): The ACMA will email your customer, asking them to log in to the ACMA Assist portal to authorize the registration.
Get notified of approval: The ACMA will notify ClickSend a Sender ID has been approved for use.
ClickSend: Once approved and authorized, we enable the Sender ID on our platform and notify you that it's ready for use.
With this model, ClickSend acts as the 'Originating Telco' and takes on the responsibility of enforcing Sender ID compliance, ensuring only verified Sender IDs can be used to send messages in Australia.
Option 2: The Direct Model (Managing Your Own Compliance)
In this model, you take full ownership of the end-to-end registration process. You are responsible for vetting and submitting all applications directly to the ACMA and enforcing the rules. ClickSend's role is limited to being the 'Transiting Telco' that passes the messages.
How it Works:
You (EMSP): Apply to the ACMA for participating telco status.
You (EMSP): Notify ClickSend of your status as a Participating Telco, which ClickSend will verify with the ACMA.
You (EMSP): Contact your end customers to gather the required business and Sender ID information.
You (EMSP): Vet the data and submit the Sender ID application directly to the ACMA.
Your Customer (End User): The ACMA will email your customer, asking them to log in to the ACMA Assist portal to authorize the registration.
Get notified of approval: The ACMA will notify you that a Sender ID has been approved for use
You (EMSP): Once approved, you are responsible for monitoring the status and enabling the Sender ID for your customer. You must also enforce the "Unverified" sender for any unregistered traffic.
With this model, you act as the 'Originating Telco' and take on the responsibility for Sender ID compliance.
Summary of Responsibilities
Task | Direct Model | Indirect Model |
Communication with businesses | EMSP | EMSP |
Gather and input business information | EMSP | EMSP |
Vet submissions and submit to ACMA | EMSP | ClickSend |
Monitor submissions and enable Sender IDs | EMSP | ClickSend |
Enforce Sender ID compliance | EMSP | ClickSend |
Key Dates
March 2026: Register with the ACMA as a Participating Telco, and advise ClickSend whether we need to act as a Direct or Indirect Partner.
April-June 2026: Register all your existing Sender IDs.
1 July 2026: The deadline. Unregistered Sender IDs will be replaced with "Unverified".
If you have any questions or are ready to discuss which partnership model is right for you, please contact your Account Manager or our support team.