Emailing and calling businesses in Australia

Can I email businesses from a list in Australia?

The ACMA says you must have consent from each person before you send marketing emails or messages, even if you bought or rented the list. Each message must identify you, give your contact details and make it easy to unsubscribe. Business phone numbers cannot be listed on the Do Not Call Register.

Main rules: Spam Act 2003, Spam Regulations and the Do Not Call Register rules. A summary of the official guidance linked below, checked 2026-11-11; not legal advice.

Email

  • Consent can be express or inferred from an ongoing relationship. The ACMA says you cannot send an electronic message to ask for consent.
  • Keep a record of who consented, when and how. It is up to you to prove consent.
  • Identify yourself by your correct legal business name, or your name and ABN, with contact details that stay correct for at least 30 days.
  • The unsubscribe option must be clear and free, work for at least 30 days, and be honoured within 5 working days.
  • Do not use lists made with address-harvesting software.

Phone calls

  • The Do Not Call Register site says business telephone numbers are not eligible for registration. Numbers shown on a company website or in a business directory are less likely to be eligible.
  • Both the telemarketer and the business that asks for the calls must comply with the Do Not Call Register legislation.

Sources

Other countries: outreach rules by country.