By Alex Carter, Editor at GetVerifyCode
How can you buy a phone number online? You can get one from a mobile carrier as a SIM or eSIM, from a VoIP app such as Google Voice, or from a pay-per-use service like GetVerifyCode for one-time verification codes. Choose a carrier line for banking and a temporary number for private sign-ups.
Key facts
- GetVerifyCode lists numbers in 194+ countries.
- The number is shown right after you confirm, and you can cancel early from the inbox.
- A temporary activation stays live for about 20 minutes.
- If no SMS arrives before the timeout, the hold returns to your wallet.
- Need the same number for days? Rentals keep one number for the rental period.
Where can you buy a phone number online?
There are six common places to get a number. Each one trades privacy, cost and acceptance differently:
- Mobile carrier SIM or eSIM: often registered to your ID / widely accepted / monthly plan / best for banking and accounts you keep.
- Free VoIP apps such as Google Voice or TextNow: linked to your account / some sign-ups refuse VoIP numbers / free / best for casual calls and texts.
- Paid second-line apps: separate from your main number / mixed, since many use VoIP numbers / monthly subscription / best for an ongoing second line for calls.
- Business cloud phone providers: a company line / good for calls, mixed for sign-up codes / per-user monthly fee / best for teams and support desks.
- Free receive-SMS websites: not private, anyone can read the inbox / rarely work / free / best for throwaway tests only.
- GetVerifyCode temporary number: private, only you see the inbox / often works, but each app decides / live price per service and country / best for one-time sign-up codes.
Should you buy a number from a mobile carrier?
A line from a mobile carrier is the most dependable choice for accounts you plan to keep, such as banking, government services or your main email. Many apps treat it as the strongest proof that a real person owns the account, and recovery codes keep arriving for as long as you pay the plan.
The trade-offs are cost and privacy. You pay every month, many countries require ID registration for a SIM or eSIM, and an eSIM needs a compatible phone. Using your main line for every sign-up also spreads your personal number across many databases, which is why people often keep a second number for low-stakes accounts.
Can you get a phone number from a VoIP app?
Yes. Google Voice gives you a free number, but it is mainly for users in the US and is linked to your Google account. Google explains the steps in Set up Google Voice. Ad-supported texting apps such as TextNow also hand out free numbers, which can be reclaimed if you stop using them.
The catch is acceptance. Many sign-up forms check whether a number is VoIP and refuse it, so the code never arrives. If that happens, see Google Voice alternative for SMS OTP, VoIP vs real-route numbers for OTP and which apps receive verification codes for free.
When does a pay-per-use temporary number make sense?
A pay-per-use number fits short, specific jobs:
- You need one sign-up code and do not want a monthly bill.
- You want to keep your personal number off a new app or marketplace.
- You are travelling and your home SIM cannot receive texts.
- You are testing the SMS sign-up flow of your own app.
For throwaway tests, there are free numbers, but public inboxes are not private. See our guides on second phone numbers for online sign-ups and pay-per-SMS temporary numbers vs monthly subscriptions.
How to buy a phone number on GetVerifyCode
Follow these steps to buy a phone number:
- Sign up at GetVerifyCode.
- Top up your wallet (pricing).
- Pick service + country (WhatsApp, Telegram, Google, USA, United Kingdom).
- Check live quote, confirm your choice.
- Paste the number into the app you are using.
- Read the code or cancel early if needed.
Some apps reject virtual numbers. Acceptance is decided by the app, not by us.
Is it legal to buy a phone number online?
Using a temporary number to protect your privacy, travel, or test your own app is generally lawful in many places, but laws differ by country and each app sets its own terms. Check both. Never use it for fraud, impersonation, or getting around a ban. For more details, see our guide on the legality of temporary phone numbers and our acceptable use policy.
Related guides
- How to Get an Anonymous Phone Number for SMS OTP
- Disposable Mobile Number for SMS OTP
- Didn’t Receive a Verification Code? SMS Fixes
- What is a Verification Code?
- How to get a virtual phone number (free and paid)
Ready to try it? Create a free account and check current quotes on the pricing page.
Top up your wallet from $1. Each number is priced live per service and country, and you see the quote before you confirm. If no SMS arrives in about 20 minutes, the unused credit returns to your wallet.
About the author: Alex Carter is the editor at GetVerifyCode. Alex tests SMS verification routes across services and countries and writes plain-language guides on receiving OTP codes safely.
GetVerifyCode is not affiliated with the apps named in this article. Follow each app's terms and local law.
FAQ
FAQ
Pick the kind of number you need first. A mobile carrier sells SIM or eSIM plans for long-term use, VoIP apps give you a second number for calls and texts, and pay-per-use services such as GetVerifyCode sell a number for one verification code.
Yes. VoIP apps, second-line apps and pay-per-use services all work without a SIM card. You receive the text in an app or a web inbox instead of on your phone.
Pay per use suits a single sign-up code, because the activation ends after about 20 minutes. A rental keeps one number for the rental period, which helps when an app may text you again to log in.
Yes. That is what a temporary activation is for: you pick the service and country, get the number right after you confirm, and read the code in your inbox. If no SMS arrives, the hold returns to your wallet.
Some do and some do not. Some apps reject virtual numbers. Acceptance is decided by the app, not by us, so keep your own number for banking and accounts you cannot afford to lose.
Only for throwaway tests. Free receive-SMS sites show every message on a public page, so anyone can read your code, and the shared numbers are often already used on popular apps.
