Alphanumeric Sender ID for 2-Way SMS

An Alphanumeric Sender ID lets outbound SMS display your business name in place of a phone number when using the 2-Way SMS module.

Overview

An Alphanumeric Sender ID is a short business name, up to 11 characters, that replaces the phone number shown as the sender on outbound SMS. Instead of an unfamiliar number, the guest sees your business name, for example, "Lake House".

Properties use an Alphanumeric Sender ID so guests can recognise who a message is from at a glance, which makes booking confirmations, reminders, and account updates more likely to be read and trusted.

The 2-Way SMS module sends SMS messages from your property and receives guest replies in the Message Centre using a virtual mobile number assigned to your property. An Alphanumeric Sender ID changes how the sender appears on those outbound messages.

What you are allowed to use as a Sender ID, and whether you must register it first, depends on the country your property operates in. Select your country in the Availability by region section below.

Important! A name is not a number, so guests cannot reply to a message sent from an Alphanumeric Sender ID. A Sender ID is one-way and is best suited to notifications such as booking confirmations, reminders, and account updates. If you need guests to reply, send from your property's virtual mobile number instead so the conversation returns to the Message Centre. See Switch between your Sender ID and your virtual mobile number.

Please Note! RMS is highly configurable. Some Terminology, User Access & Permissions, Images, Labels, and Functions used in these articles may differ from your setup. CLICK HERE to find out more.

How an Alphanumeric Sender ID works

An Alphanumeric Sender ID is between 3 and 11 characters and must contain at least one letter. It should clearly identify your business, so it is usually based on your registered business name, trading name, trademark, or domain.

Once set, the Sender ID is applied to outbound SMS for the selected property, including messages sent from the Correspondence tab, In/Out Movements, and Triggered Correspondence. You can review messages that have been sent using the SMS History report.

Availability by region

Select the country your property operates in. Each tab covers what you are allowed to use as a sender, whether registration is required before you send, and whether guests can reply.

Australia

What is allowed: Send messages showing your business name (for example, "ACME-CO") instead of a phone number.
Registration: Required. Your Sender ID must be registered with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) before use. RMS submits the registration on your behalf once you supply your business details. See Register your SMS Sender ID with ACMA (Australia).
Character count: 3 to 11 characters.
Rules: Must contain at least one letter and must clearly identify your business.
Replies allowed: No. A Sender ID is one-way, so guests cannot reply.

Important! From 1 July 2026, SMS sent in Australia using an unregistered Sender ID is labelled "Unverified" in place of your business name, and is grouped into a single thread with other unverified and suspected scam messages. Messages are still delivered, and your RMS configuration is unchanged. To restore your business name, complete the ACMA registration. See Register your SMS Sender ID with ACMA (Australia).

United Kingdom

What is allowed: Send messages showing your business name (for example, "ACME-CO") instead of a phone number.
Registration: Not required. There is no formal upfront registration on most networks, so you can configure and send messages straight away.
Character count: Up to 11 characters.
Rules: Must contain at least one letter and cannot use generic terms such as "ALERT" or "INFO".
Replies allowed: No. A Sender ID is one-way, so guests cannot reply.

United States

What is allowed: Alphanumeric Sender IDs are not supported. All business messages must be sent from a standard phone number.
Registration: Required. Register a numeric sender by submitting your company tax ID (EIN) and getting approved for either a 10DLC (10-Digit Long Code) or a Verified Toll-Free Number. Toll-free registration typically takes 7 days. To begin, submit a support ticket.
Character count: Not applicable. Messages are sent from a numeric phone number rather than an alphanumeric name.
Rules: The numeric sender (10DLC or Verified Toll-Free Number) must be registered and approved before use.
Replies allowed: Yes. A numeric sender supports two-way messaging, so guests can reply.
Keyword handling: Required. United States carriers require every business sending SMS to support the HELP and STOP keywords. A guest who replies HELP must receive a response identifying your business and how to contact you. A guest who replies STOP is opting out entirely and must not be messaged again.

Important! Toll-free verification also requires you to supply evidence of how your property collects a guest's consent to receive SMS. Contact the RMS Support Team before you begin the verification so you know what to prepare.

Singapore

What is allowed: Alphanumeric Sender ID availability for Singapore properties has not been confirmed. Contact the RMS Support Team before you set a Sender ID on a Singapore property.
What to do in the meantime: Send SMS from the virtual mobile number assigned to your property when you activate the 2-Way SMS module. Messages are delivered as normal.
Replies allowed: Yes, when you send from your virtual mobile number. Guest replies arrive in the Message Centre.

Please Note! Singapore operates its own SMS Sender ID registry. Registration requirements are different from Australia, so do not assume the Australian process applies. Contact the RMS Support Team for the current position before making any commitment to a guest-facing sender name.

Hong Kong

What is allowed: Alphanumeric Sender ID availability for Hong Kong properties has not been confirmed. Contact the RMS Support Team before you set a Sender ID on a Hong Kong property.
What to do in the meantime: Send SMS from the virtual mobile number assigned to your property when you activate the 2-Way SMS module. Messages are delivered as normal.
Replies allowed: Yes, when you send from your virtual mobile number. Guest replies arrive in the Message Centre.

Please Note! Hong Kong operates its own sender registration scheme. Registration requirements are different from Australia, so do not assume the Australian process applies. Contact the RMS Support Team for the current position before making any commitment to a guest-facing sender name.

Please Note! If your property operates outside these regions, contact the RMS Support Team for further information.

How to set up an Alphanumeric Sender ID

The setup steps below apply to every region that permits an Alphanumeric Sender ID. Check your country in the Availability by region section above first, because some countries require registration before you enter the Sender ID in RMS.

Before you start, confirm your Sender ID meets these requirements:

3 to 11 characters long.
Contains at least one letter, not numbers only.
Latin/ASCII characters only.
Letters, numbers, and the symbols + - & _ only.
No spaces anywhere.
Does not start or end with a space or underscore.
No generic terms such as SMS, INFO, or OTP.
Closely aligns with your business name, brand, trademark, or website domain.

Guide

Activate the 2-Way SMS module from the Module Market.
Once registration is confirmed, go to Setup > Property Options > Property Information. Australian properties: see Register your SMS Sender ID with ACMA (Australia).
Select Edit on the Property.
Navigate to the Features tab.
Enter your Sender ID in the SMS From Name field. RMS displays a reminder beside this field confirming that using a name will prevent customers from being able to reply to your SMS.
Select Save/Exit.

Important! An Alphanumeric Sender ID must be registered before it is used in any country that requires registration. Sending with an unregistered Sender ID can cause messages to fail without an error being shown. Wait for confirmation that registration is complete before entering your Sender ID in RMS.

Switch between your Sender ID and your virtual mobile number

There is no option to choose the sender on an individual message, an SMS template, or a Triggered Correspondence setup. The SMS From Name field controls this for the whole property, so it applies to every outbound SMS that property sends.

SMS From Name completed: guests see your Sender ID. Messages are one-way, so guests cannot reply.
SMS From Name empty: guests see your property's virtual mobile number. Guests can reply, and replies arrive in the Message Centre.

To move between the two, go to Setup > Property Options > Property Information, edit the Property, open the Features tab, then enter or clear the SMS From Name field and select Save/Exit.

Please Note! Because this is a property-level setting, you cannot use a Sender ID for some messages and the virtual mobile number for others at the same time. Choose the option that suits the messages your property sends most often.

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