# Rent a phone number for SMS verification you can use again later > Rent a phone number for SMS verification that stays yours for 30 or 90 days, so later codes still reach you. 14 countries, from $13.50. Crypto, no ID upload. - URL: https://keepanumber.com/sms-verification-number - Last updated: 2026-10-18 - Publisher: KeepANumber (https://keepanumber.com/) **Quick answer: Should I use a one-time number or a rented number for SMS verification?** For an account you plan to keep, rent a number for 30 or 90 days instead of a one-time number that disappears after about 20 minutes. KeepANumber rents numbers in 14 countries from $13.50 for 30 days (US, October 2026); codes sent later still reach your dashboard while the rental is active. ## Why do one-time numbers cause problems later? The code you receive today is only the first text. Services send new codes when you log in from a new device, reset a password, change a setting or after a routine security check. With a one-time number those texts go to whoever has the number next, or nowhere. 5SIM, a one-time provider, states that its numbers last 10 to 20 minutes. ## How long should a verification number last? - As long as the number is the way you log in to the account. - At least until you have added another method: an authenticator app, a passkey or backup codes. - If the account matters to you, 90 days and renewals, or move it to a number you own. ## Will every service accept a rented number? No. Some services refuse virtual numbers or certain ranges, and they change their checks without notice. Some public services only text local numbers: GOV.UK One Login says it cannot send a code by text to a number registered outside the UK. We cannot promise acceptance by a third party. If a number receives nothing at all, support reviews it under the [refund policy](https://keepanumber.com/refund-policy). ## What is a rented number for, and what is it not for? It is for your own accounts: signing up without handing out your personal number, opening an account while you live abroad, testing your own product. Creating accounts in someone else's name, opening more accounts than a service allows, or getting back into a service that closed your account are against our [acceptable use policy](https://keepanumber.com/acceptable-use) and lead to the rental being closed. ## A safe set-up in four steps 1. **Rent for long enough**: Thirty days for a test, ninety days for an account you keep. 2. **Enter the number in international form**: With its country code, for example +44 for the UK. 3. **Add a second login method**: An authenticator app or backup codes, so the number is not your only way back in. 4. **Renew or replace before the end date**: Either renew the rental or change the number on the account first. ## Questions about verification numbers ### Is it legal to use a rented number for verification? Rules depend on your country and on each service's terms, and this page is not legal advice. Using a number for your own accounts is the normal use; read the terms of the service you sign up to. ### Can I receive codes from several services on one number? The number receives the SMS sent to it during the rental. Whether a given service accepts it is up to that service. ### How quickly do codes appear? Texts appear on the rental page as they reach us; the page refreshes itself while it is open. We do not control how fast a service sends its SMS. **Rent a number in a few minutes** Top up from $10 in crypto, choose a country and a period. No ID upload, no selfie. [See prices](https://keepanumber.com/pricing) ยท [How it works](https://keepanumber.com/how-it-works) - [5SIM FAQ: long-term use of a number](https://5sim.net/faq/general-questions/phone-number-with-long-term-use), read 2026-10-18 - [GOV.UK One Login: getting a security code (updated 28 July 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/getting-a-security-code-for-govuk-one-login), read 2026-10-18 --- KeepANumber: KeepANumber is a long-term rental provider of virtual phone numbers for receiving SMS, paid in crypto with no ID upload.