Bulk SMS to Irish mobile numbers
Ireland is the market where an unregistered sender name does not fail quietly. Since 3 July 2025, messages sent from names that are not in the ComReg sender ID registry are shown to the recipient labelled Likely Scam, and blocking has been announced as the next step.
That changes the order of work. In most markets you write the campaign and then sort out the sender; here the registry entry comes first, because a delivered message carrying a fraud warning does more damage to a brand than a message that never arrives.
The ComReg register, and what happens without it
Sender names used for messages to Irish numbers must be entered in the register kept by ComReg. The consequence of not doing so is visible to the recipient rather than to the sender: the message arrives with a Likely Scam label attached to it.
Registration is not instant. According to the provider documentation we have read, alphanumeric senders are accepted only after registration, which takes roughly two weeks. A campaign planned for next week therefore has a sender problem, not a scheduling problem.
Consent under S.I. 336/2011, and the timing rule
The ePrivacy Regulations require prior consent for marketing messages sent to individuals. The soft opt-in for existing customers exists, but the Data Protection Commission has stated in its own guidance that it works only if the contact details were collected in the course of a sale, and only for similar products.
The timing part is the one that catches people. A contact collected years ago at an event, or bought from a list broker, is not an existing customer relationship, and treating it as one is the most common way an Irish campaign turns into a complaint to the Commission.
Every message needs a working way out
The Data Protection Commission is explicit that each marketing message must carry an opt-out route, and it gives a short code that removes the recipient automatically as an example of one that works.
The design consequence in Ireland is specific: since local numbers and short codes are not available according to the documentation we have read, an opt-out that relies on replying to the message needs to be checked against the sender setup you actually have. If replies cannot arrive, the message must offer a link or a phone number instead, and it must be one that works on the day.
Which networks the campaign actually reaches
Three, Vodafone and eir run their own networks, and the ComReg quarterly report also lists virtual operators including Tesco Mobile, Lyca, Virgin Mobile, Sky Mobile and An Post Mobile. A campaign to a national list therefore crosses several commercial arrangements riding on those three networks.
For the sender this mostly matters in one way: the registry is national and applies regardless of which brand the recipient buys from, so there is no operator for which the Likely Scam labelling can be avoided by routing differently.
Sources, by topic
| Sender registration | www.comreg.ie2026-09-22 |
| Consent for marketing | www.irishstatutebook.ie2026-09-22 |
| When the exemption applies | dataprotection.ie2026-09-23 |
| Opt-out requirement | dataprotection.ie2026-09-23 |
| Mobile networks | www.comreg.ie2026-09-22 |
| Numeric sender | www.twilio.com2026-09-22 |
Use cases
Retailer with a seasonal offer
Messages to customers who bought a similar item, sent from a registered brand name. The soft opt-in covers the similar product, not the whole catalogue.
Clinic confirming appointments
Date, time and a way to cancel. A confirmation of an appointment the recipient made is not marketing, so the consent rule in the ePrivacy Regulations does not apply to it.
Service business announcing a change of hours
A factual notice to existing customers about opening hours. Registering the sender name is still worth doing, because the Likely Scam label applies to the name, not to the purpose of the message.
- Sender names must be entered in the ComReg register; unregistered names are shown to recipients as Likely Scam since 3 July 2025.
- S.I. 336/2011 requires prior consent for marketing messages to individuals.
- The Data Protection Commission limits the existing-customer exception to details collected during a sale, for similar products.
- Every marketing message must contain a working opt-out route.
FAQ
Do I have to register a sender name to text Irish numbers?
In practice yes. Sender names must be in the ComReg register, and since 3 July 2025 messages from unregistered names are displayed to the recipient as Likely Scam, with blocking announced as the next step. Registration takes around two weeks according to the provider documentation we have read.
What does the Likely Scam label mean for my campaign?
The message is delivered, but the recipient sees a fraud warning next to it. For a brand that is worse than non-delivery, because the warning is attached to the name the customer is supposed to trust, and it appears on every message sent from that name.
Can I text customers who bought from me years ago?
Only with care. The Data Protection Commission states that the existing-customer exception applies where the contact details were collected in the course of a sale and the marketing is for similar products. A contact from an old event list or a purchased list does not meet that, and needs prior consent.
Are short codes available in Ireland for replies and opt-outs?
According to the documentation we have read, local numbers and short codes are not available, and international numbers may be replaced by a name. An opt-out that depends on the recipient replying therefore needs to be verified against the sender setup in use, with a link or a phone number as the alternative.
Which mobile networks does a national Irish list reach?
Three, Vodafone and eir operate the networks, and ComReg also lists virtual operators such as Tesco Mobile, Lyca, Virgin Mobile, Sky Mobile and An Post Mobile. The sender registry is national, so no routing choice avoids it.
Account and configuration are open. Commercial activation per market is checked at payment.
SMSPro · 5 sources · 2026-09-25