How to get a US phone number

• By Admin
• 2022-12-09 14:58:55

There are a few reasons why you might need a US phone number. For example, if you are a US resident traveling abroad, having a US phone number can make it easier and cheaper for people in the US to reach you; there'd be fewer fees than if they called you on an overseas phone number. It can also be useful for verifying your identity when signing up for online accounts or services that require a US phone number. 

Additionally, if you are a non-US resident who is doing business with people in the US, having a US phone number can make it easier for them to contact you and can give the impression that you are based in the US. This helps with looking more trustworthy, especially when you're doing business that can be done worldwide.

Different ways of getting a US phone number

There are many different ways of getting a US phone number, but the amount of ways depends on whether you're a US citizen or not. In this article, we will be covering all methods on how you can get a US phone number without even being a US resident; all methods have their benefits and disadvantages, so pick the method that works out the best for you.

Registering with a US-based carrier

If you're a US resident, you should be able to sign up with a US-based carrier that can provide you with a US phone number. The benefit of registering with a real US-based carrier is that your phone number can work anywhere without the disadvantages of VoIP. However, the disadvantages of registering with a US-based carrier are:

1. You have to pass ID verification before being able to register with a carrier
2. You need to be a US resident to register with a US-based carrier
3. Carriers usually try to get you into a contract which you're bound to for at least a year
4. It can get quite expensive for a monthly subscription

Registering a virtual phone number with a VoIP carrier

Instead of a real US-based carrier, you could also choose to register with a VoIP carrier; some VoIP carriers require technical knowledge, but there are plenty of services out there that don't require any technical knowledge, and it takes less than 5 minutes to register. A great example of such as service is Google Voice, which provides virtual phone numbers that you can use at any time, although there are some downsides to using Google Voice, such as:

1. You need a non-VoIP phone number before being able to register on Google Voice.
2. Many sites will not work with your VoIP phone number as they block them.
3. You have to be in the US to register for Google Voice
4. You need a Google account to use Google Voice

But compared to the downsides, there are some very useful benefits that you get from using a Google Voice phone number:

1. You can keep your private phone number hidden
2. You can choose a custom area
3. It's completely free without any monthly charges attached
4. You can access your online phone number anywhere

Using an SMS verification service

An alternative to registering with a carrier or signing up for a virtual phone number with Google Voice is using an SMS verification service. An SMS verification service is a third-party service that acts as your temporary carrier to receive your SMS verifications to their phone number. SMS verification services have broad pricing and can range from 5 cents for a one-time verification to 20 dollars for a virtual phone number per month. Still, many benefits come with using an online SMS verification service:

1. You will never sacrifice your identity for a phone number.
2. Most numbers provided by online SMS verification services are non-VoIP, meaning they work anywhere.
3. There's no contract that you have to be bound to before purchasing.
4. You can cancel your monthly subscription at any time.
5. You don't have to spend more than a dollar in case you only need to verify once with a phone number.
6. You don't need to be a US resident to get a US phone number.
7. You can access your phone number everywhere, whether it's through the website or mobile app.

But next to benefits, there will always be disadvantages to each method.

1. The phone number is not fully in your ownership.
2. It can get expensive sometimes for a monthly subscription.
3. They only offer to receive SMS, so you cannot send SMS from it.
4. You cannot call from an SMS verification service.

Conclusion

There are many methods to get a US phone number as a non-US resident, although some are better than others. It all depends on your situation and whether you would prefer privacy over security. Our personal choice would always be to use an online SMS verification service or a virtual phone number like Google Voice, as we don't trust websites with our own phone numbers and would rather use a disposable phone number.