Bolt wants a phone number, and it does not take no for an answer. No code, no charge: nothing is billed for a number that stays silent. So borrow one — choose a market in SMS For U, give the number to Bolt, and the Bolt code arrives in your account by itself, seconds after Bolt sends it. 1,400 services sit in the same catalogue, with numbers from markets across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa.
How you get your code
- Look Bolt up in the SMS For U catalogue.
- Take a country from the ones the app is offering for Bolt today.
- Confirm the order; the Bolt number is live from that second.
- Type it in at the phone number screen on first start on Bolt and ask to be sent the code.
- The code turns up in your SMS For U account unprompted — copy it into Bolt and you are through.
Why a phone number is asked for
Bolt needs a number that can really be reached, because the driver is meant to call it — and the account stays tied to it afterwards. Bolt asks for it on the very first screen, the moment you open the app. The number goes in at: the phone number screen on first start. Bolt can ask for the same number again later — on a new device, after a password change or during a routine check. Bear that in mind before you tie an account to a number you will not have access to in a month.
What the code looks like
Bolt sends a short numeric code by SMS. You do not have to go looking for it: the Bolt code drops into your SMS For U account by itself, seconds after Bolt lets it go. The window Bolt allows is short, so do not leave the code sitting in your account. One number normally carries one Bolt account.
What can go wrong
Bolt accepts numbers from many countries but not from all of them. Which countries work for Bolt changes over time, because Bolt adjusts its checks and because the available ranges of numbers change. That is the honest state of it — we can hand you a number, we cannot make Bolt take it. We do not claim Bolt will take any given number, and we print no percentage, since a number like that would be stale within hours of being written.
Countries we serve
The 50 markets below are the ones we buy Bolt numbers in. They are examples of where we work and nothing more: a market on this list can still be empty for Bolt by lunchtime, because ranges get used up and refilled all day. So take the list as our reach, and take the country screen in the app as the answer to "can I have a Bolt number from here right now" — only the app knows that.
- Germany
- Austria
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- France
- Spain
- Italy
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Poland
- Portugal
- Sweden
- Norway
- Denmark
- Finland
- Ireland
- Czechia
- Slovakia
- Hungary
- Romania
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Slovenia
- Greece
- Estonia
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Cyprus
- Malta
- Iceland
- USA
- Canada
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Argentina
- Colombia
- India
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- Vietnam
- Thailand
- Singapore
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Australia
- South Africa
- Nigeria
- Turkey
- Ukraine
Common questions
How do I get a Bolt verification code without my own SIM card?
Open SMS For U, search for Bolt and pick a country. You get a real phone number, you enter it at Bolt (the phone number screen on first start), and the code Bolt sends appears in your SMS For U account by itself. No SIM card is involved, and the Bolt number is not yours to keep.
How fast does the Bolt code arrive?
The Bolt code appears in your account within seconds of Bolt sending it. How long Bolt itself takes is up to Bolt and to the country the number comes from, which is why nothing here is worded as a promise.
What happens if no Bolt code arrives?
You do not pay for a Bolt number that brought no code. Cancel the order in the app and the payment is refunded as soon as the cancellation is confirmed. That is the whole rule, and it is why a failed Bolt attempt costs nothing: no code, no charge.
Which countries can I use for Bolt?
Bolt numbers come from the 50 markets listed on this page. Which of them can be picked for Bolt at this moment is on the country screen in the app: that list moves through the day, and a page in a search index cannot keep up with it.
Can I use the same number for Bolt again later?
Sometimes. Bolt can ask for the same number again on a new device, and a used Bolt number is not reserved for you indefinitely. If you need lasting access to a Bolt account, use a number of your own.