Is Your Business Ready for ComReg’s Sender ID Protection Initiative?

As more businesses use SMS to reach customers quickly and securely, protecting the integrity of this channel has never been more critical. In Ireland, the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) has introduced the Sender ID Protection Initiative – a regulatory step that all organisations sending branded SMS messages must now understand and act upon.

“Trust is everything in customer communications, so enforcing a “whitelist” approach to SMS Sender IDs makes a lot of sense in order to reinforce that trust. We’re very pleased to support this initiative”.

Eileen Carroll, Púca CEO

What is the Sender ID Protection Initiative?

This initiative is designed to combat SMS fraud — specifically “smishing” attacks, where fraudsters impersonate brands to trick customers into revealing personal or financial information.

To stop this abuse, ComReg requires that all alphanumeric sender IDs (such as “YourBank” or “PharmaCo”) be officially registered. Messages using unregistered sender IDs may be blocked or filtered by Irish mobile operators to protect consumers.

Key Dates to Know:

• July 3rd, 2025:
  SMS messages with unregistered sender IDs will be delivered with a “Likely Scam” prefix to warn recipients of potential risk.
• October 3rd, 2025:
  Messages sent from unregistered sender IDs will be fully blocked from delivery on Irish networks.

Who Needs to Pay Attention?

If your business sends SMS to Irish mobile numbers using an alpha (text-based) sender name for notifications, reminders, 2FA etc – you must now register these sender IDs to ensure your messages continue to reach your customers.

This applies to companies in:

• Banking and Finance
• Retail and E-commerce
• Utilities and Telecom
• Healthcare
• Delivery and Logistics
• ..Any other sector using branded SMS

What Happens if You Don’t Register?

Messages from unregistered sender IDs risk:

• Being blocked or undelivered after October 2025.
• Being delivered with a “Likely Scam” label starting July 3rd, 2025, which could damage trust with recipients.
• Losing brand recognition if fallback to generic numeric sender IDs occurs.

What Does the Registration Process Involve?

Registering your sender ID requires:

1. Declaring your sender name (e.g., “GreenEnergy”).
2. Providing your company’s legal and contact details.
3. Describing the purpose of the messages.
4. Submitting verification as required.

This process ensures only verified, legitimate organisations use branded sender names – closing the door to SMS impersonators.

Why Act Now?

ComReg’s initiative is already in motion. Delays in registration could result in your messages being flagged or blocked — risking customer trust and disrupting essential communications.

How Can Púca Help?

As one of Ireland’s leading SMS messaging providers, Púca:

• Manages the entire registration process on behalf of our clients.
• Ensures that all businesses signing up to our platform have been fully verified.
• Provides secure, compliant SMS delivery to Irish and international audiences.
• Local support and advice.

If you’re already sending SMS messages and unsure of your compliance status, it’s time to review your approach. Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss options to use our SMS platform.

Final Thought

With SMS still boasting some of the highest open and response rates of any channel, protecting its reliability is essential. ComReg’s Sender ID Protection is a very positive development for businesses using this channel.

If you want clarity, compliance, and peace of mind with your business SMS in Ireland, Púca is here to help.