Guides to renting a phone number for SMS
Last updated
Quick answer
What should I know before renting a phone number?
Four things: rent for 7, 30 or 90 days, as long as anyone may still text you; enter the number in international form; expect that some services refuse virtual numbers; and renew or move your accounts before the end date. A 90-day US rental costs $29, as of October 2026.
Every guide and its key figure
| Guide | Question it answers | Key figure |
|---|---|---|
| How long to rent a number | 7, 30 or 90 days? | 90 days costs about a quarter less per day than 30 days (US: $0.32/day against $0.45/day) |
| International number format | How do I type a foreign number? | E.164 numbers have at most 15 digits; 14 country formats listed |
| Why services reject virtual numbers | Why was my number refused? | Services check about 3 things: country, number type and history |
| When a rental expires | What happens at the end date? | Operators can reissue an inactive number after 2 to 3 months (OnlineSIM FAQ) |
| Long-term virtual numbers | One-time or rental? | One-time numbers last 10 to 20 minutes at 5SIM |
| Paying with crypto | Which coins and networks? | 6 coins on 7 networks, top-up from $10 |
A checklist before your first rental
- Decide how long anyone might text you on the number, and choose the period from that.
- Pick the country the service or the people expect, not the one you live in.
- Keep the end date somewhere you will see it, or take 90 days.
- On any account you keep, add an authenticator app or backup codes.
- Before the end date, renew, or change the number on your accounts.
Which guide should I read first?
If you have never rented a number, start with how to choose a rental period, then the international format guide so the first code arrives. If a service already refused your number, go straight to why services reject virtual numbers. If a rental ends soon, read what happens when a rental expires.
How the guides are written
Each guide answers one question in its first lines, then gives the details with sources we read: national numbering plans filed with the ITU, regulators, and the providers' own pages. Each shows the date it was last updated. We do not publish lists of services that "accept" virtual numbers, because acceptance changes without notice.
Questions about the guides
Are the guides specific to KeepANumber?
Most of what they explain applies to any rented number. Prices and rules quoted for KeepANumber are marked as ours.
How often are they updated?
When a rule or a price they quote changes. The date at the top of each guide shows the last update.
Can I suggest a guide?
Yes, write to [email protected] with the question you could not find answered.
- OnlineSIM FAQ, read 2026-10-18
- 5SIM FAQ: long-term use of a number, read 2026-10-18
- ITU national numbering plans index, read 2026-10-18