How to sign up for OLX without your own number

OLX is an online classifieds marketplace used in countries such as Poland, Portugal, Romania and Brazil. People use it to sell and buy second-hand items, cars, flats and services.

OLX may ask for a phone number to confirm your account, often before you post your first ad. This helps it fight spam and scam listings, and it gives buyers more trust in the people they deal with. Many sellers prefer not to tie their personal number to public ads, and a separate number for the verification keeps it private.

OLX runs a separate site for each country, so decide first which one you will use. Then have these ready:

• A kartesim account with a little balance, topped up by card or crypto.
• The OLX app or website for your country.
• A few minutes, and an email address for your OLX account.

It takes only a few minutes. Start the verification when you are ready to wait for the code, and keep your order page open.

• On kartesim, choose OLX and, where possible, the same country as your OLX site, then buy a number.
• In OLX, open the phone verification step and select the same country code.
• Enter the number exactly as shown, without an extra 0 at the start.
• Request the code and wait. It appears on the kartesim page as soon as the SMS arrives.
• Type the code into OLX, then finish your profile or your first ad.

OLX decides whether to send a code to a number. When nothing comes, the reason is usually one of the points below.

In every case, your money is safe. If no code arrives, cancel the order or let it end, and the amount goes back to your wallet automatically. You can then try another number.

• Use a number from the same country as your OLX site. A local OLX site may accept only local numbers.
• Check that the number is not already confirmed on another OLX account. If it is, cancel and buy a new one.
• Don't request many codes in a row. OLX may make you wait before it sends another.

The number is for this one verification and is not rented to you long term. Don't show it in your ads: buyers would call or text a number you no longer use, and it receives SMS only, not calls. Talk to buyers through OLX messages instead.

Add a recovery email, use a strong password and turn on any extra login protection OLX offers. OLX may ask for a code again on a new device. If the settings let you change or hide the phone number, update it to one you will keep.