To start sending one-time passwords (OTPs) via SMS or text-to-speech (TTS), you need to own a number.
Number types
MessageBird provides the following types of numbers for Verify:
- Mobile
- Local
- Business Voice
- Short Codes
- 10DLC
You can search for and buy numbers directly from your MessageBird Dashboard. Read more about the types of numbers that we provide, and find up-to-date number pricing.
NOTE: Toll-free numbers are normally used for contact center/support use cases. Because of this, country-specific local regulations and restrictions apply to toll-free numbers, making them unsuitable for use with Verify.
How to get a number
There are four ways that you can get a number for use with Verify:
- Buying a number from MessageBird
- Back-ordering a number from MessageBird
- Requesting a number from our Support team
- Porting a number that you already own
Buying a number from MessageBird
You can purchase a number directly from your MessageBird dashboard.
- Log in to your MessageBird Dashboard.
- Select the Numbers icon from the toolbar on the left-hand side of your screen.
- Click on Buy a number.
- Select the number that you want to purchase and follow the instructions on your screen.
For more detailed instructions, take a look at our guide to purchasing numbers.
Back-ordering a number from MessageBird
If you’ve tried to purchase a number from your MessageBird Dashboard, but it isn’t available for the destination you need, you can place a request with us to backorder a number for you. Once we’ve received the number from our provider, we’ll automatically add it to your Dashboard.
NOTE: The back-ordering system only applies to Voice numbers.
Requesting a number from our Support team
If the number you need isn’t available on your MessageBird Dashboard, and we can’t back-order it, you can place a request with us. Once we’ve received the number from our provider, we’ll automatically add it to your Dashboard.
Porting a number that you already own
If you already own a number from a different provider, you can contact the Support team with your porting request details to get your number ported to MessageBird.
Number registration
Once you have a number, you’ll need to register it for Verify use. Different destinations have different registration restrictions, processes, and lead times.