How to sign up for Alibaba without your own number

Alibaba.com is a wholesale marketplace where businesses find manufacturers and suppliers, many of them in China. Buyers search for products, ask for quotes, order samples and place bulk orders.

Alibaba may ask you to verify a phone number when you register, or later as a security check on your account. A buyer account can lead to a lot of contact with suppliers, so many people prefer to keep their personal number out of it. A separate number is also useful when you start a new project or a small business.

Get these ready before you register, ideally with your business details at hand:

• A kartesim account with a little balance in the wallet.
• The official Alibaba.com website or app, and an email address for the account.
• A few minutes to enter the code and fill in your company information.

When Alibaba asks you to verify a phone number, follow these steps.

• On kartesim, pick Alibaba and a country, then buy a number. The country where your business is based is a sensible choice.
• On the Alibaba verification screen, choose the same country code.
• Enter the number exactly as shown, without an extra 0 at the start.
• Wait for the code. It appears on the kartesim page as soon as Alibaba sends it.
• Type the code into Alibaba and finish your profile, including your company name and what you want to buy.

Alibaba decides when to send a code. Many requests in a short time can lead to a wait, and some numbers may not be accepted.

Try these checks first. If the code still doesn't come, cancel the order: the money goes back to your wallet automatically, and you can try a number from another country.

• Check that the country code you chose on Alibaba matches the number.
• Wait a minute or two before pressing resend, rather than asking several times.
• If Alibaba says the number is already bound to another account, cancel and buy a new one.

The number is for this one verification. It is not rented to you long term, so don't rely on it for more codes later. Your email address is the main way back into the account, so confirm it and protect it with a strong password.

Turn on two-step verification or any extra security option in your account settings. If you plan to trade for a long time, change the phone number to one you will keep, when the site allows it. Alibaba may ask for a code again when you log in from a new device or from another country.