Virtual Numbers Policy

This policy covers the virtual phone numbers ThirdSIM rents in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. It forms part of our Terms of Service and should be read with the Acceptable Use Policy.

Read the two limitations first. They are the reason most people who are unhappy with a virtual number were the wrong customer for it.

Two limitations, stated plainly

1. Verification codes often do not arrive. WhatsApp, Telegram, banks, social networks and marketplaces detect virtual numbers and block them. A code that does not arrive is not a fault we can fix, and it is not refundable. Using our numbers to receive third-party verification codes is also a breach of our Acceptable Use Policy and will get the number suspended. If a verification code is what you need, a virtual number is the wrong tool — we would rather say so before you pay.

2. Emergency calls do not work. The number runs over an internet connection, it is not tied to your address, and an emergency operator cannot locate you from it. Do not rely on it in an emergency. Keep a working local line.

What you get

• A number in the country and area you chose, for your exclusive use while you rent it.
• Incoming and outgoing calls, and SMS in and out, from inside the ThirdSIM app, over data or Wi-Fi.
• A separate inbox and call history per number.
• Voicemail: when a caller leaves a message, the recording appears against that call in your history and you can play it in the app. We do not transcribe voicemail.
• Text messages are SMS only. We do not send or receive picture or video messages (MMS).

Feature availability differs by country; the number’s page in the app lists what that number actually supports before you buy.

Rental, renewal and billing

• A number is rented monthly, charged in advance, and renews automatically on the same day each month.
• Renewal is taken from your wallet balance. Keep enough credit in it.
• Calls and messages are billed per use from your wallet, at the rates shown in the app before you dial or send. Outbound SMS is charged per segment; a long message is several segments. Inbound SMS is free. Call rates depend on the destination and are shown when you dial.
• A message the carrier rejects is refunded automatically.
• We never let a call or message overdraw your wallet. If your balance is too low, the action is refused rather than put you into debt.

When renewal fails

If there is not enough credit on the renewal date, this happens:

Day	What happens
0	Renewal fails. The number stays active. We notify you once, by push and email, and the number’s page in the app shows its state from then on.
3	The number is suspended: calls and messages stop, but the number is still yours. Top up and it resumes.
10	The number is released. It leaves your account and cannot be recovered.
+30	The released number sits in quarantine for 30 days before it can be issued to anyone.

We send that warning once per renewal cycle rather than every day, so check the app if you are not sure where a number stands. You are not warned again at suspension or at release.

The quarantine exists so a stranger does not immediately start receiving messages meant for you. It also means a number you released cannot be handed back to you during that period, even if you ask the same day.

You can cancel a number yourself at any time from the app. Cancelling stops the next renewal; it does not refund the current month, and the number is released at the end of the period you have paid for.

Suspension for abuse

We suspend a number immediately, without notice, when:

• it receives repeated third-party verification-code messages — several within an hour triggers an automatic suspension, a flag on the account and an alert to our team;
• it is used for bulk or unsolicited messaging, robocalls or auto-dialling;
• a carrier or regulator instructs us to;
• it is used for fraud, harassment or anything unlawful.

An automatic suspension is reviewed by a person as soon as you ask. Open a ticket and tell us what the number was being used for. If the suspension was wrong, we restore the number at once. If it was right, the number is released and your account may be closed.

Porting

We do not currently support porting a number in from another provider, or porting a ThirdSIM number out. Treat a ThirdSIM number as rented, not owned: do not use it as the only contact for something you cannot afford to lose.

Privacy of your calls and messages

• Message contents are encrypted at rest with AES-GCM, under a key held outside the database.
• Call detail records — who called whom, when, for how long and at what price — are kept for billing and for dispute resolution.
• Message contents are removed automatically after 90 days. Call detail records are kept for about 13 months, because they are billing records.
• We disclose contents only where the law requires it, and we tell you when we are allowed to.
• A voicemail recording is held by the carrier that took the call. We store the link to it on the call record, so it goes when the call record goes, not on the ninety-day message schedule.

Full detail is in the Privacy Policy.

Identity checks

Some countries and carriers require an identity or address check before a number can be issued, and some number types are only available with one. We will tell you before you pay if a check is needed. We may hold or refuse an order while a check is outstanding, and we refund anything we cannot deliver.

We do not issue numbers to people or organisations subject to applicable sanctions.

Limits

• Up to 3 numbers per account by default. Ask support if you need more for legitimate work use.
• Your account’s phone number must be verified before you can buy a number.
• Fair use applies to calling: sustained volumes that look like a call centre are not what this product is for.

If something goes wrong

Open a ticket in the app with the number and the time of the call or message. We can check the carrier’s record of what happened. Where the fault is ours or the carrier’s, we refund the month. Where a service simply refused a virtual number, we cannot fix it and it is not refundable — see the first limitation at the top of this page.