Do I need written consent before texting a customer?

No. Consent can be inferred from the relationship, because the customer gave you their number to arrange or pay for a job. Keep a note of who you messaged, which job it was, and when. That record is your protection if anyone ever asks.

What happens if I break the Spam Act?

ACMA investigates complaints about commercial messages and can issue substantial fines. The businesses that get caught out are almost never the ones texting their own recent customers. It’s bought lists and scraped numbers that do the damage.

Can I message customers from years ago?

Stick to recent jobs. The longer ago the work, the shakier the consent looks, and the less the person remembers you. A text about a fence you built years ago reads as spam no matter how good the fence was. A good line to hold: only message people you’ve done work for in the last few months.

Does the Spam Act apply even though I’m not selling anything in the text?

Yes. A Google review request is still a commercial electronic message because it promotes your business, so the same consent, identification and opt-out rules apply whether you’re offering a discount or asking for a review.

Guides

Is it legal to text customers asking for Google reviews in Australia?

Yes. Texting your own customers to ask for a Google review is legal in Australia, as long as you do it the right way. The right way is set out in the Spam Act 2003, and it comes down to three things: consent, identifying yourself, and a working opt-out.

This is general information, not legal advice. If your situation is unusual, check with ACMA or a lawyer. For the ordinary run of a local business, though, the rules are simpler than most people expect.

The short answer

Legal: texting a customer who gave you their number when they booked or paid you, telling them who you are, and letting them opt out with a simple reply. Not legal: buying lists, scraping numbers, or texting strangers who’ve never dealt with you.

A review request counts as a commercial message even though you’re not selling anything in the text, because it promotes your business. So the Spam Act applies to it the same way it applies to a special-offer email.

The Spam Act 2003 in plain English

The Spam Act covers commercial electronic messages sent to Australian devices, SMS included. For a message to be above board it needs three things.

Consent: the recipient agreed, or the message falls out of an existing relationship with them. Identify: the message says clearly who it’s from. Opt-out: the recipient can unsubscribe, and it actually works. ACMA is the regulator, and they do investigate and fine businesses that get it wrong.

What consent looks like for a local business

You don’t need a signed form. When a customer hands over their number to book a job, confirm a quote or pay an invoice, that’s an existing relationship, and the law treats it as consent to message them about it.

A review request is about exactly that, the job you just did for them. That’s what puts it on the right side of the line, and it’s what separates it from cold marketing. Where businesses come unstuck is numbers they have no real relationship with: bought marketing lists, scraped directories, a spreadsheet of people who enquired once years ago. Don’t message those.

The habits that keep you safe

In practice, staying legal is boring and simple. Only message people you’ve recently done work for. Put your business name in the text so the sender is obvious. Offer a way out, “reply STOP to opt out”, and honour it the moment it arrives.

Keep a record of who you messaged and why. If a number came from a real job, write it down with the date. That paper trail is what turns a complaint into a non-event.

How Review Base stays on the right side

The whole model is built on the rules above. You only ever refer real customers you’ve just done a job for, you vouch for each one, and every request is logged with a timestamp. That’s the consent paper trail. Messages come from a consistent sender name tied to your business, and every message mentions you and the job.

Each customer gets a maximum of two messages: one request, one polite follow-up. Anyone can reply STOP to any message and they’re permanently suppressed across every business we run, not just yours. No customer ever gets a text before 8am or after 8pm Melbourne time. And anyone who wasn’t happy with the job never sees a review link at all, they’re sent to a private feedback form that goes to you first. The full rundown lives on our why it’s safe page.

Google’s rules are a separate matter

Legal texts and Google-compliant reviews are two different tests, and you need to pass both. Google’s policies ban fake engagement, incentivised reviews, and review gating that hides negative feedback from the public. So: genuine customers only, no discounts or gifts for reviewing, and never post your own.

If you want the asking handled on both fronts, legal and Google-clean, that’s the service in a nutshell. Or read how to ask customers for reviews if you’d rather do it yourself.

FAQs

Common questions

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