There is a phone-number wall in front of OLX, and this is the way through it. No code, no charge: a number that brings none is never billed. Rent one for the moment you need it: choose where it should come from, type it into OLX, and read the OLX code straight out of your SMS For U account. Behind that sit 1,400 services and numbers bought in markets on four continents.
How you get your code
- Start in SMS For U by looking up OLX.
- The app lists the countries open for OLX at this moment; choose one of those.
- Say yes, and a working number is on your screen immediately.
- Hand that number to OLX at the sign-up form, or the screen where you post a listing, then trigger the code.
- Watch it land in SMS For U by itself, and paste it back where OLX asked.
Why a phone number is asked for
OLX wants a phone number so buyers and sellers can be reached about an order, and so one person does not open an unlimited number of accounts. OLX asks for it the first time you actually do something with the account — post a listing or place an order. The number goes in at: the sign-up form, or the screen where you post a listing. OLX normally asks for the number once and does not come back to it afterwards.
What the code looks like
OLX sends a short numeric code by SMS. You do not have to go looking for it: the OLX code drops into your SMS For U account by itself, seconds after OLX lets it go. OLX expires its codes quickly — type it in while it is fresh. One number can usually serve more than one OLX account, although OLX may limit that.
What can go wrong
OLX accepts numbers without a physical SIM in most cases. Even so, no number works for OLX every single time. If OLX turns one down, cancel and take a different country. We do not claim OLX 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 OLX numbers in. They are examples of where we work and nothing more: a market on this list can still be empty for OLX 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 an OLX 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 an OLX verification code without my own SIM card?
Open SMS For U, search for OLX and pick a country. You get a real phone number, you enter it at OLX (the sign-up form, or the screen where you post a listing), and the code OLX sends appears in your SMS For U account by itself. No SIM card is involved, and the OLX number is not yours to keep.
How fast does the OLX code arrive?
The OLX code appears in your account within seconds of OLX sending it. How long OLX itself takes is up to OLX and to the country the number comes from, which is why nothing here is worded as a promise.
What happens if no OLX code arrives?
You do not pay for an OLX 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 OLX attempt costs nothing: no code, no charge.
Which countries can I use for OLX?
OLX numbers come from the 50 markets listed on this page. Which of them can be picked for OLX 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 OLX again later?
A used OLX number is not reserved for you indefinitely. OLX normally does not come back to it after sign-up, but if you need lasting access to the OLX account, use a number of your own.