The SMS Sender ID features are only available to Australian PracSuite users. These features are not available to international PracSuite users.

By default, PracSuite sends SMS using a shared pool of mobile numbers. A "sticky number" system ensures that messages to your patients are always sent from the same number within that pool, though that number is shared across other PracSuite practices. So while your patients will always hear from the same number, that number isn't unique to your practice.

If you'd prefer a number reserved exclusively for your practice, you can set up a dedicated sender number instead.

With either option, replies from patients are returned directly to PracSuite.

For advanced users, you can also send SMS messages using a Sender ID.

Two types of Sender IDs can be configured in PracSuite:

1. Custom Mobile Number

SMS from PracSuite will be sent from the desired mobile number.

⚠️ When using this type of Sender ID, replies from patients will only be delivered to this number and will not be returned to PracSuite ⚠️

Enabling Custom Mobile Number Sender ID

To enable this feature, go to Settings > PracSuite Accounts > SMS.

Configure the following settings:

Use Sender ID By Default - Whether the sender ID should be enabled by default when manually composing SMS
Show Sender ID When Sending SMS - This will provide the opportunity to toggle the Sender ID on/off when manually composing SMS
ID Type - Select Number
Sender ID - Enter the mobile number you would like the SMS sent from.

You will need to verify the number you have entered. An SMS will be sent with a verification code that you will need to enter back into PracSuite. The number must be verified every 12 months to continue sending messages from PracSuite with this number. You will receive an email in the weeks before your number needs to be re-verified with the steps required to complete this process.

2. Alphanumeric

Rather than sending SMS messages from a mobile number, alphanumeric sender IDs allow you to send messages from a business name, making it easier for recipients to recognise the SMS as coming from your business.

⚠️ Please note: Patients cannot reply to an SMS sent using an alphanumeric Sender ID. This feature is intended for one-way, no-reply advisory messages to your patients appearing from your business name.

From 1 July 2026, all alphanumeric sender IDs used for sending messages to Australian mobile numbers must be registered and approved by the ACMA. Attempts to send SMS with unregistered alphanumeric sender ID messages will lead to the message being sent from a generic 'Unverified' label instead of your business name.

A sender ID is considered a valid match if it:

is the same as your organisation’s name, or a shortened version (e.g., ’Australian
Taxation Office‘ → ’ATO’)
is an acronym, contraction, abbreviation or initialism of your name (e.g.,
‘Australian Communications and Media Authority‘ → ’ACMA’)
includes extra words that relate to your organisation’s function, location, or the
purpose of the message (e.g., ‘ACMA-Alerts’).

Your alphanumeric sender ID will be validated against your ABR details to confirm you have a legitimate and appropriate use case for the alphanumeric sender ID you’re applying for. Your alphanumeric sender ID will need to match up with one or more of your registered business name, company name, registered trademark or website domain.

As of May 2026, the ACMA permits the registration of alphanumeric sender IDs only if they adhere to the following guidelines:

They must be 2-11 characters long.
They can only include characters 32–126 from the ASCII decimal codes
They cannot solely consist of “restricted” words published on the ACMA’s website.
Examples of restricted words are “verify”, “notice”, “important”, “banking”, “alert",
or anything that can be interpreted as impersonation of trusted entities. You can
find the complete list of words here.
They can consist of letters, numbers, and symbols (standard ASCII), but cannot be only numbers.
They cannot contain a space or underscore at the beginning or end.
They cannot contain the word ‘Unverified’.
They cannot be offensive, deceptive, or misleading.
They must have a valid use case (e.g. your registered business name, company name, trademark, or domain name).

If you'd like to use the alphanumeric Sender ID function and understand that patients cannot reply to these messages, please view the following instructions on how to apply for a sender ID with the ACMA.

Applying for a Sender ID with the ACMA

Enabling Alphanumeric Sender ID

Once you have received confirmation from Smartsoft that your Sender ID has been approved with the ACMA, you can enable this feature in Settings > PracSuite Accounts > SMS.

Configure the following settings:

Use Sender ID By Default - Whether the sender ID should be enabled by default when manually composing SMS
Show Sender ID When Sending SMS - This will provide the opportunity to toggle the Sender ID on/off when manually composing SMS
ID Type - Select Alphanumeric

Choosing when to use a SMS Sender ID

As outlined above, using a Sender ID means that SMS replies will not be delivered back to PracSuite. For SMS sent with a custom mobile number, replies will be sent back directly to the custom number. For SMS sent with an alphanumeric sender, patients cannot reply at all.

Due to these limitations, you can be selective with which types of PracSuite SMS you want to use a Sender ID with.

Manual SMS

With 'show sender ID when sending SMS' enabled, as described above, you can manually toggle on the Sender ID as required.

Using a Sender ID in Automatic Confirmations, Reminders and Follow Ups

By default, a sender ID will not be used for the automatic SMS Confirmations, Reminders and/or Follow Up features.

If you wish to use your SMS Sender ID for the automatic SMS Confirmations, Reminders and/or Follow Up features, you must enable this option separately on the relevant settings pages in: