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Registering your company's SMS Sender ID

Further information on the SMS Sender ID Registration process for Enterprise Plan customers (Australia only)

Australian Enterprise Plan customers can register an SMS Sender ID through Coviu as part of the enterprise onboarding and implementation process. This means that when a patient/client receives an SMS from your Coviu Platform, it shows on their phone as the registered Sender ID rather than a phone number, or 'unverified'.

Note that customers on other Plan types (e.g. Individual, Clinic, Essentials, Standard) are unable to select a custom SMS Sender ID. On these plans, the Sender ID is registered as Coviu. This means that SMS sent from your account will appear as from Coviu for your patients/ clients.

What is the SMS Sender ID Register?

The SMS Sender ID Register is a new national register run by ACMA to reduce SMS scams and impersonation. From 1 July 2026, any SMS sent to an Australian mobile number using a custom Sender ID — for example, a clinic or business name shown in place of a phone number — must be registered against the business it represents.

If a Sender ID isn't registered, the message will still go through, but the recipient will see the message labelled "Unverified" on their phone. The intent is simple: registered Sender IDs are trusted; unregistered ones are flagged so patients can be cautious.

More information about the ACMA register is available at: https://www.acma.gov.au/sms-sender-id-register 

What does this mean for your patient SMS?

If you use Coviu to send appointment confirmations, reminders, telehealth join links, or reschedule notifications to your patients, those messages typically display a Sender ID linked to your clinic or service. Under the new rules, that Sender ID needs to be registered against your business.

From 1 July 2026:

  • Patient SMS sent using a registered Sender ID will display normally — your clinic name appears as the sender.
  • Patient SMS sent using a Sender ID that has not been registered will be over-stamped "Unverified" by the carrier before the patient sees it. The message still delivers; it just looks less trustworthy to your patient.
  • Generic numeric Sender IDs (a long phone number, with no clinic name) are not affected by the Register, but patients are far more likely to ignore or distrust them.

What Coviu is doing on your behalf

Coviu is registered with ACMA as an Electronic Messaging Service Provider (EMSP) under the SMS Sender ID Register regime. We have partnered with our telco provider, Twilio, who is an approved originating telecommunications provider. Together, we manage the registration of Sender IDs on behalf of our healthcare customers.

In practical terms:

  • You don't need to apply to ACMA directly. Coviu will register the Sender ID on your behalf.
  • We verify each Sender ID — that it matches your registered business name, trading name or trademark, and that the person requesting it has authority to act for your organisation. This is an ACMA requirement, not just an internal check.
  • We will keep your Sender ID registered for as long as you remain a Coviu customer using that ID. If you change clinic name, trade name, or Sender ID format, let us know so we can update the register.

What we need from you

If you're already using a custom Sender ID on Coviu (for example, your clinic name appears as the sender on patient SMS), we will be in touch directly to confirm the details we need to register that Sender ID against your ABN, well ahead of the 1 July 2026 deadline.

If you're not sure what Sender ID your patients currently see, or you'd like to set one up, you can reach out to our team and we'll walk you through it. The information we'll need is straightforward:

  • Your ABN and the legal entity name registered against it.
  • The Sender ID you'd like to use — typically your clinic, service or program name as patients already recognise it.
  • Confirmation that the person making the request has authority to act for the organisation.

Questions? Email our team at support@coviu.com


Frequently asked questions

Do my patients need to do anything?

No. The Register is between businesses, telcos and ACMA. Patients don't need to take any action — the change only affects how SMS appears on their phone (registered Sender IDs display normally; unregistered ones get an "Unverified" label).

Will my patient SMS keep working after 1 July 2026?

Yes. Messages still deliver either way. The only difference is whether the Sender ID shows as trusted or as "Unverified". Coviu is registering Sender IDs on behalf of our customers so your patient SMS continues to look trusted.

Why is the Sender ID registered against my ABN, not against Coviu?

Under the ACMA rules, Sender IDs must be registered against the business they represent — usually because the Sender ID matches that business's name or trademark. Coviu's role is to verify and lodge the registration on your behalf, but the Sender ID belongs to your organisation.

What if our clinic name changes, or we want to change our Sender ID?

Get in touch and we'll work with you and ACMA to update the register

What if we send our own patient SMS outside Coviu?

Coviu can only register Sender IDs for messages sent through our platform. If your clinic also sends patient SMS via another tool, you'll need to make sure that tool's provider is also a participating telco under the Register.