SMS Sender ID Requirements for Australia and New Zealand
Content
New Zealand SMS Short Code Migration
What is changing?
Who is affected?
What happens if you do not migrate to an SMS Short Code?
What do you need to do?
Important information
Australian SMS Dedicated Alpha Tag
What is changing?
Who is affected?
What happens if you do not register for an Alpha Tag?
What do you need to do?
Important Limitation
New Zealand and Australia SMS Requirements
| New Zealand | Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement | Dedicated New Zealand Short Code | Dedicated Alpha Tag |
| Effective date | 1 November 2026 | 1 July 2026 |
| Lead time | 4–6 weeks | Already Available |
| Sender ID | Dedicated New Zealand Short Code | Registered business name |
| Contact | Xeople Support Team (support@xeople.com) |
Xeople Accounts Team |
New Zealand SMS Short Code Migration
What is changing?
New Zealand telecommunications providers are introducing new regulatory requirements for business messaging to strengthen security, reduce spam, and improve trust in SMS communications.
From 1 November 2026, SMS messages sent to New Zealand mobile numbers using existing low-volume short codes will no longer be supported.
To continue sending SMS messages to New Zealand recipients, you must use a dedicated New Zealand short code as the Sender ID.
Who is affected?
This change applies to all clients sending SMS messages to New Zealand mobile numbers, regardless of where the client is based.
The application supports operational and transactional SMS messages only, not marketing messages.
What happens if you do not migrate to an SMS Short Code?
If you do not complete the migration by 1 November 2026, SMS messages sent to New Zealand mobile numbers may no longer be delivered. This may disrupt SMS communications with your New Zealand-based recipients.
What do you need to do?
If you send SMS messages to New Zealand mobile numbers:
- Register for a dedicated New Zealand short code.
- Complete the migration before 1 November 2026 to avoid disruption to SMS delivery.
Short code allocation can take approximately 4–6 weeks after registration is submitted. We recommend completing the registration as early as possible.
Important information
- Australian numbers cannot be used as the Sender ID for SMS messages sent to New Zealand recipients.
- Contact the Xeople Support Team at support@xeople.com to request the registration form and any further information.
Australian SMS Dedicated Alpha Tag
What is changing?
From 1 July 2026, clients who want their registered business name displayed as the Sender ID for SMS messages sent to Australian mobile numbers must register a dedicated Alpha Tag.
When a dedicated Alpha Tag is registered and configured, it must be used in the From field and takes precedence over any default or generated From value, irrespective of the SMS provider. The Alpha Tag displays the business name as the Sender ID. For example, instead of displaying a phone number, the Sender ID may display a business name such as “ENTIREONHIRE”.
The Alpha Tag contains:
- Alphabetic characters (text), or
- Alphanumeric characters (a combination of letters and numbers).
Who is affected?
This change applies to clients who have registered or need to register a dedicated Alpha Tag for SMS messages sent to Australian mobile numbers.
What happens if you do not register for an Alpha Tag?
An Alpha Tag provides a customised sender identity for your business. This means recipients see your registered business name as the Sender ID when they receive an SMS. For example, instead of displaying the phone number +61 340 625 117, the Sender ID for Entire OnHire is displayed as EntireOnHire.
If you do not register for an Alpha Tag, your business name will not be displayed as the Sender ID. Depending on the configured SMS sending method, your SMS may be sent using a dedicated number or another available number.
What do you need to do?
- If you have already registered a dedicated Alpha Tag, no further action is required.
- If you need to register a dedicated Alpha Tag, contact the Xeople Accounts team (email: accounts@entiresoftware.com) to complete the registration.
- Once registered and configured, the Alpha Tag will be used as the From value for applicable SMS messages.
Important limitation
- An Alpha Tag (Sender ID) is one-way SMS functionality. Recipients cannot reply to SMS messages sent using the Alpha Tag/Sender ID.