You ordered a number, entered it in the app, hit "send code", and nothing shows up. It happens, and most of the time the fix is quick. This guide walks through the usual causes, what V SIM does automatically when an SMS never arrives, and how to retry without wasting money.
SMS delivery is not instant everywhere. A code has to travel from the app's sending gateway, across one or more carriers, to the number you ordered. Keep the Activations page open; it refreshes itself and the message will appear the moment it lands. Do not request a second code from the app in the first few seconds, because some services throttle repeated requests.
This is more common than people think. The request may have failed silently on the app's side, a captcha may be waiting, or the "send code" button may need a second tap. Go back to the app and check whether it confirms that a message was sent. Some apps also default to a voice call instead of SMS; choose the SMS option where you can.
A single wrong digit, a missing country code, or the wrong country chosen in the app's dropdown sends the SMS somewhere else. Compare the number on your Activations page with what you entered, character by character. Copy and paste rather than typing by hand.
Apps keep their own rules about which number ranges they accept, and those rules change without notice. If a service has decided not to send codes to a particular range in a particular country, no amount of waiting will help. This is outside V SIM's control, and it is exactly why the refund rule exists.
Occasionally a carrier along the path is slow or drops messages. The code may still arrive late, or it may not arrive at all. Either way you are covered: the number stays active for the time shown on your order, and if nothing arrives by then, your money comes back.
Each number is active for a limited window shown on the order. If you ordered the number and then spent time setting up the app, the window may have closed. Order the number only when you are already at the verification screen.
You do not need to contact anyone or file a claim. Two things are handled automatically:
The refund goes to your V SIM balance in USD, ready for the next attempt. The only case with no refund is when an SMS has actually arrived, because at that point the number has done what you paid for.
If you suspect the specific number is the problem (blocked range, already flagged by the app), use Replace. It gives you a new number for the same service and country. Enter the new number in the app and request the code again. This is usually faster than cancelling and re-ordering from scratch.
When Replace does not help, the country itself is often the issue for that service on that day. A sensible retry sequence:
Because silent numbers are refunded, trying two or three countries costs you only the price of the one that finally works. Cheaper services such as Discord or Steam (from $0.0166) make this especially painless.
If you receive OTP online programmatically, the same logic applies: poll status for the activation, and if no SMS is returned before expiry, call cancel to trigger the refund, then place a new order with a different country. Mind the per-minute rate limit when polling. Details are on the API page.
Check the FAQ for payment and account questions, or use the WhatsApp chat button on the site. And if you have not tried a virtual number for SMS verification yet, create a free account; the refund rule means a failed attempt never costs you anything.