Long-term virtual number for SMS: keep it 30 to 90 days, then renew
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Quick answer
What is a long-term virtual number?
A long-term virtual number is a phone number you rent for weeks or months instead of minutes, so you can receive SMS on it again later. KeepANumber rents them for 7, 30 or 90 days in 14 countries, from $13.50 for 30 days in the US (October 2026), renewable before the end date.
One-time number or long-term number: what is the difference?
| One-time number | Long-term rental | |
|---|---|---|
| How long it is yours | Minutes: 5SIM states 10 to 20 minutes | 7, 30 or 90 days at KeepANumber; renewable |
| Later SMS (new login, password reset) | Lost: the number is gone | Received while the rental is active |
| Typical price | Cents to about $1.50 per code | $13.50 for 30 days (US) at KeepANumber |
| Best for | An account you will never open again | An account or contact you want to keep |
One-time numbers are cheap because the same number serves many people, one after the other. That is fine for a code you need once. For anything you keep, the account stores the number, and the next text it sends goes to whoever has that number then.
Can a virtual number be permanent?
Not with a rental. No rental site sells a number forever: you keep it as long as you renew it. Some sites say you can "own it forever" by extending, which means the same thing. Even ordinary SIM numbers are reclaimed after a long period without use; OnlineSIM notes that operators can reissue a number two to three months after it becomes inactive.
If you need a number for years, two options fit better than any rental: a SIM or eSIM from a local operator (an ID is required in many countries, see the second phone number guide), or an app subscription such as MySudo, Hushed or Burner, which also make calls. A rental fits the months in between.
How long should I rent for?
- 7 days (from $8.50): a trip, a test, a short listing.
- 30 days (from $13.50): a move, a project, a month of selling.
- 90 days (from $29): an account you keep, or anything where a missed renewal would hurt. It also costs less per day.
How do I keep a long-term number working?
- Write down the end date shown on the rental page, or choose 90 days.
- Renew before the end date: renewal keeps the same number.
- On every account that uses the number, add a second way to log in, such as an authenticator app or backup codes.
- If you stop renewing, replace the number on those accounts first.
Which services accept long-term virtual numbers?
It depends on the service and changes over time. Some refuse all virtual numbers, others refuse certain number ranges. We do not publish an acceptance list, because we cannot guarantee it. The guide on refused numbers explains how services decide.
Questions about long-term numbers
What is the longest rental?
90 days per payment. You can renew as many times as you want before each end date.
Can I renew an expired number?
Not reliably. Once the end date has passed, the number is no longer reserved for you. Renew before the end date.
Is a long-term number the same as a non-VoIP number?
No. "Long-term" is about how long you keep it; "VoIP" or "non-VoIP" is about the kind of line. The two are separate questions.
- 5SIM FAQ: long-term use of a number, read 2026-10-18
- OnlineSIM FAQ, read 2026-10-18
- Quackr rentals, read 2026-10-18
- MySudo plans, read 2026-10-18
- Hushed pricing, read 2026-10-18
- Burner pricing, read 2026-10-18