Background on SMS Sender IDs in Australia, and the current state of outbound SMS branding on Qliva.
Custom per-clinic Sender IDs are not yet supported in Qliva. Every clinic's outbound SMS currently sends under the same shared sender name, Qliva — this is hardcoded in Qliva's SMS sending code and there is no per-tenant configuration for it today. The ACMA background below is accurate general context, but there's no in-app or support-mediated action you can take yet to get your own clinic name as the sender.
What is a Sender ID?
A Sender ID is the name that appears in the "From" field of an SMS message. Instead of seeing a random phone number like +61412345678, patients would see a name like BondiClinic or HelixHealth.
A branded Sender ID makes messages immediately recognisable and looks more professional than a carrier-assigned number or a shared platform name.
Australian requirements
Since late 2023, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) requires all non-registered alphanumeric sender IDs to be blocked by Australian carriers. This was introduced to combat SMS phishing and scam messages.
To use a custom sender name in Australia, an organisation must register it with ACMA via the Sender ID Registry before messages can be delivered with that name.
Qliva uses ClickSend as its SMS provider, and all outbound SMS is currently sent under the shared sender name Qliva for every clinic on the platform. Per-clinic branded Sender IDs are on our roadmap but not yet built. If branded SMS sending is important to your clinic, contact Qliva support to register your interest.
Sender ID rules
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maximum length | 11 characters |
| Allowed characters | Letters and numbers only |
| Spaces | Not allowed |
| Hyphens or special characters | Not allowed |
| Phone numbers | Cannot be used as a sender ID |
| Impersonation | Cannot resemble a government agency, bank, or known brand |
Examples of valid sender IDs: BondiClinic, HelixHealth, LongevityMD, MyClinic11
Examples of invalid sender IDs: Bondi Clinic (space), Helix-Health (hyphen), Medicare (impersonation)
Registration steps (general ACMA process)
For reference, here's how ACMA Sender ID registration works in general — this is not yet actionable for Qliva clinics since there is no configuration step on our side to connect it to:
- Go to the ACMA Sender ID Registry: senderid.acma.gov.au
- Register your organisation as an entity
- Register your desired sender name (check the rules above before choosing)
- Wait for approval — this typically takes 2–5 business days
Current state on Qliva
Every clinic's outbound SMS — appointment reminders, communication triggers, and any other SMS sent from Qliva — currently shows Qliva as the sender name, not your clinic's name. This is the same for every clinic on the platform today.
Custom per-clinic Sender IDs are on our roadmap. If branded SMS sending is important to your clinic, contact Qliva support to let us know — it helps us prioritise.
A sender ID that's clearly recognisable as your clinic tends to get better engagement than an unfamiliar or generic name — especially for appointment reminders. Keep this in mind if you're planning ahead for when per-clinic Sender IDs become available.