Free number for Onfido: free vs paid
Free Onfido numbers exist, but they are shared: the number is published on a public page, every visitor reads the same inbox, and Onfido has usually seen it many times before. Below is when a free number is good enough, when it isn't, and the cheapest private number that works instead.
Private Onfido numbers from $0.01 · refunded in full if no code arrives
Why free Onfido numbers usually fail
A public number is used by thousands of visitors. By the time you find it, it is almost always tied to someone else's Onfido account.
Numbers that receive codes for many different accounts get flagged, and popular free numbers are the first to be refused — often the code is simply never sent.
The inbox is a public web page. Whoever loads it after you can read the code and finish the signup — or reset the account later.
Free inboxes have no support and no refund, because nothing was paid. If the code doesn't come, you have only lost the time.
Free, one-off or rented: which Onfido number?
| Feature | Free public | One-off (temporary) | Rented |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Nothing | From $0.01 | Per day |
| Who can read the code | Anyone who opens the page | Only you | Only you |
| Accepted by Onfido | Rarely — public lines are usually already taken or banned | Yes, on the countries in stock that day | Yes |
| How long it is yours | Never yours — shared from the start | One code (20 minutes) | Days to weeks |
| More than one code | Yes, and so does everyone else | No | Yes, unlimited |
| If no code arrives | Nothing to refund | Automatic refund | The number stays yours for the rental period |
Verifying once? A temporary Onfido number is the cheapest private option. Expecting Onfido to text you again for logins or resets? Rent one so the number stays yours.
Receiving a Onfido code on a private number
- 1Create an account
An email address is enough. No phone number and no ID are asked for.
- 2Add a small balance
Numbers start from $0.01, so a minimal top-up covers it. Unused balance stays on your account.
- 3Order and paste the number into Onfido
Pick a country, copy the number that appears, and request the code in Onfido.
- 4Watch the code arrive
It shows up on your dashboard as it lands. If Onfido never sends it, the charge is returned to your balance by itself.
Free Onfido number questions
Is there a free phone number that works for Onfido?
Occasionally, but you should not count on one. Public receive-SMS websites publish a handful of numbers for everyone to share, and Onfido sees the same numbers being used again and again. Most of them are already tied to an existing Onfido account or have been refused as virtual, so the code never arrives.
Does SMSPin give out free numbers for Onfido?
No. We don't run a public inbox, because a number anyone can read is a number anyone can use to take over the account you create with it. What we sell instead is the cheapest private option: a number only you can see, from $0.01, refunded automatically if Onfido never sends the code.
Why is a shared number risky for a Onfido account?
Every code sent to it is visible to every visitor of the page it is published on. Whoever reads your code can finish your signup, and later, whoever asks Onfido for a password reset on that number receives the reset code too. The account is only as private as the inbox.
When is a free public number good enough for Onfido?
When nothing about the account matters: testing that your own app sends an SMS, checking what a message looks like, or a throwaway sign-up you will never log back into. Never for anything holding money, messages, contacts or your identity.
What is the cheapest paid alternative for Onfido?
From $0.01, depending on the country. That buys one private number for one Onfido code; nothing is charged if the code doesn't arrive.
Do I need a subscription to get a private Onfido number?
No. You add a balance and pay per number. There is no monthly plan and nothing to cancel afterwards.
What if I need to receive Onfido codes again later?
Then neither a free number nor a one-code number is right — rent one instead. A rented number stays assigned to you for the whole rental and receives every SMS sent to it, so logins and resets keep working.
Why does a private Onfido number cost more in some countries?
The price follows supply. Countries with plenty of numbers that Onfido accepts are cheap; countries with few are dearer. Checkout always shows the live price before you pay.