PhonePe SMS Verification

You can receive the PhonePe SMS verification code on a virtual number to explore India's UPI payments app, but sending money needs your bank-registered number.

PhonePe is an Indian digital payments company founded in Bengaluru in 2015 and majority-owned by Walmart. Launched in 2016 on the government-backed UPI rails, the app handles money transfers, mobile and DTH recharges, bill payments and in-store QR payments. Because the account is matched to the mobile number linked to your bank account, sign-up starts with SMS verification.

A virtual number can at most cover the app's sign-up code; to pay via UPI, the number has to be KYC-registered with your Indian bank account. That makes a virtual number a limited option, mainly for people who want to look around the app. Non-resident Indians, meanwhile, have been able since April 2023 to use their own international numbers registered to NRE/NRO accounts in some countries.

Do not tie a payment account to a temporary number: your UPI ID and transfers depend on the number registered with your bank, and losing it makes access harder. Never share your UPI PIN or SMS codes; you never need to enter a PIN to receive money, so requests asking for one are a red flag for fraud.