Pānui
4notify Aotearoa New Zealand · New Zealand Gazette
OFFICIAL · Commerce Commission · TCF
Pānui No
PAN-NZ-002
Date
2026-05-27
Status
In force
Category
Telecommunications

Numbering plan, alphanumeric Sender ID and consent: a Pānui for SMS A2P traffic into New Zealand

The Commerce Commission (Te Komihana Tauhokohoko) oversees telecommunications regulation, and the Telecommunications Forum (TCF) coordinates industry codes including the SMS sender-identity and short-code arrangements. Commercial messaging consent is governed by the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007. 4notify routes over tier-1 direct connections to all three networks and verifies consent at the API edge before despatch.

SMSVoice
Preamble

Section 1 — Pursuant to the Telecommunications Act 2001 and the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007, this Pānui is issued concerning the delivery of SMS A2P traffic into New Zealand, sender-identity registration and consent handling.

Legislative basis
Telecommunications Act 2001

Provides the Commerce Commission's authority over the numbering plan and network-access arrangements.

Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007

Requires consent for commercial electronic messages, accurate sender information and a functional unsubscribe; administered by the Department of Internal Affairs.

TCF SMS / Short Code Code of Practice

Industry code governing alphanumeric Sender ID, short-code allocation and message-content standards across Spark, One NZ and 2degrees.

Implementation
01

Network agreements + numbering compliance

4notify holds carrier agreements with Spark, One NZ and 2degrees and routes within the New Zealand numbering plan administered under the Telecommunications Act.

02

Alphanumeric Sender ID registration

Brands register Sender IDs (e.g. "NZ-POST", "KIWIBANK") with the networks. Required: evidence of trade-mark or trading name and a sample message. Activation: 5–10 working days.

03

Consent verification (UEM Act)

Every commercial message is checked for valid consent before despatch; numbers without consent are rejected at the API edge, with the express/inferred basis recorded per the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act.

04

Unsubscribe keyword handling

STOP and UNSUBSCRIBE keywords are processed within the statutory window and reflected back to the brand's suppression list across all three networks.

Delivery envelope
json
{
  "event": "sms.delivery",
  "to": "+64211234567",
  "sender_id": "NZ-POST",
  "sender_token": "TM-2026-NZPOST-3001234",
  "text": "NZ Post: your parcel 481923 is out for delivery. Track: nzp.st/abc. Reply STOP to opt out.",
  "consent_check": "express",
  "carrier_route": "spark_direct"
}
Sample message
SMS

NZ Post: your parcel 481923 is out for delivery today. Track: nzp.st/abc. Reply STOP to opt out.

Compliance checklist
  • Carrier agreements held with Spark, One NZ and 2degrees
  • Alphanumeric Sender ID registered across all three networks
  • Consent verification automated at the API edge (≤5 min cache)
  • STOP / UNSUBSCRIBE processing documented within the statutory window
The 4notify difference

4notify is the only A2P provider that verifies Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act consent at the API edge while holding simultaneous Sender ID coverage across Spark, One NZ and 2degrees.

Frequently asked questions
Do I need a New Zealand entity to send SMS into New Zealand?

No. 4notify manages tier-1 connections from EU infrastructure. The brand supplies trade-mark or trading-name evidence for Sender ID, and a valid New Zealand point of contact for consent and complaint handling under the UEM Act.

What counts as consent under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act?

Either express consent (the recipient asked to receive messages) or inferred consent (an existing business relationship where the message is relevant). The basis is recorded per delivery, and every commercial message must carry a working unsubscribe.

Notified by
4notify Operations Office
2026-05-27 · PAN-NZ-002

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