The complete guide to number rentals

What a rental gives you

A rental keeps a phone number available in your SMS.Red account for the term you buy. During that term you can receive supported incoming SMS, read the messages on the site and manage the number. A rental is useful when you need access beyond a single verification session. A one-time verification is a separate product with a shorter, order-specific lifecycle.

The Rentals page is your working area for both a single important number and a collection of hundreds. It combines the number's service, country, status, remaining time, incoming messages and management controls. Account records let you keep the associated service login, password, notes and supporting files with the number, so a later transfer includes the information needed for a handover.

Start in Rentals. If you are new to SMS.Red, first read Getting started and Wallet and payments. You need enough confirmed wallet balance before making a paid purchase. Browse current stock and terms rather than assuming that a country, service or price you saw earlier is still available.

Choose the right product and rental scope

Decide whether you need a single verification or a number kept for an extended period. Use Verifications for the first case and Rentals for the second. Buying an eSIM for mobile data is another separate workflow; it does not create a number in your Rentals list.

Within rental checkout, select the service you intend to use or the general/Unlimited rental option where offered. A service-specific order and a general rental can have different availability, prices and supported terms. The service label tells you what was purchased; it is not a list of every account you have created using the number. Save those accounts as separate account records.

For example, a general rental might have records for two services. Those records describe your own accounts; adding a record does not purchase another service, register an external account or change the supplier's SMS support. The Add service button in Workspace is a shortcut to creating an account record for the selected number; it does not buy another service.

Buy your first rental

Open New rental from the Rentals page. Search for a service, optionally use its category, and select a country. The form loads the supported durations and prices for that combination. Wait for the quote to finish loading before deciding. Changing service, country or duration can change the price and stock.

1. Select the service or general rental option.
2. Select the country you actually need.
3. Choose one of the offered rental durations.
4. Set the quantity, currently from 1 to 5 in a checkout.
5. Review the unit price, total and wallet balance.
6. Submit once and wait for the purchase result.
7. Return to Rentals and locate the new number.

Carrier and area may appear as Any in the form. Those displayed fields do not currently let you pick a particular carrier or area code. Do not assume a preferred city from the country selection. The number itself is assigned through the purchase workflow.

A quantity purchase is handled per number. Review the actual results and your number list after checkout; do not infer that every requested number was issued just because one succeeded. If the response is unclear, refresh the list and transaction history before submitting another purchase. A second click can represent a second paid order.

If stock disappears, the quote cannot load or the balance is insufficient, resolve the displayed condition before trying again. A deposit invoice that is still waiting for payment is not spendable balance. The focused Buying a rental guide explains checkout checks in more detail.

Understand the number summary

Each rental has a phone number, service, country, status, time remaining and price. Copy the phone number using its dedicated copy control so you do not accidentally include the service label or surrounding text. Check the international format expected by the service where you will use it.

An active, usable rental is still within its term and has an eligible status. A successful SMS can change the order status without ending the rental. The word Successful therefore does not mean that the number is now archived. Remaining time is the useful indicator of how long the current rental access lasts.

The price shown with the rental describes the purchase. It is not your remaining wallet balance or a promise about every future renewal. Check the renewal state and the current conditions separately. Read a disabled action's explanation: an unavailable cancel button, for example, often means that a message has arrived or that the cancellation window has closed.

Active and Archived are different list scopes. If a number is missing from Active, check Archived, clear search and filters, and confirm that you are signed into the account that currently owns it. Completed transfers remove the number from the sender's ownership. A number may also have expired while a page was open; refresh to get its latest state.

Switch between Fleet and Workspace

The view switch changes how you work with the same rentals. Fleet is the compact list for finding numbers, reviewing status and managing selections. Workspace opens a focused number with records, messages and management actions together. Switching views does not buy, cancel or transfer anything.

On your first visit, a short tutorial introduces the switch and explains the two views. You can skip it and use the tour control to replay it later. The remembered tutorial and view preference belong to the current account in that browser; a new browser or cleared local storage may show the introduction again.

Use Fleet when you are deciding which numbers need attention. Use Workspace once you know which number you want to work on. Open a number from Fleet to inspect it in Workspace, then return to Fleet for the next batch. On a narrow screen, sections stack vertically; scroll within the selected number rather than assuming an action has disappeared.

Work on one number in Workspace

Choose a number from the number list. The selected number's summary establishes what you are working on, and its account records, SMS and number management remain on the same page. This makes it easier to match an incoming code to the correct account and to finish a handover without opening several menus.

The number list helps you move between rentals; the main area is the selected rental. Check the number before copying a code, editing a record or transferring ownership. If you have unsaved record changes, finish saving or deliberately discard them before switching numbers or views. The interface protects drafts, but a draft is not the same as a saved record.

Use the direct management controls for Add service, Transfer, History, the number note and other available actions. Open number shows number details; it does not sign into a third-party account. History opens the SMS timeline. The note at number level is a general handover note, while an account record holds structured details for a particular service.

An empty account-record section is normal for a new number. Create only the records you need. An empty SMS section means no messages are displayed for that rental yet; it does not mean that an external verification request has definitely been sent. Check the service's own screen and the rental's active state.

Find and manage a large fleet

Fleet presents numbers as rows so you can compare them without expanding a large message panel for each one. Search looks across the rentals owned by your account, not just the visible page. It can match the number, rental service, number description and account-record service name. It does not search saved passwords, login values or file contents.

Use Active or Archived first, then narrow the result with country and attention filters. Has SMS helps find numbers with received messages. Expiring identifies numbers due within the next seven days. Auto-renew off helps identify rentals where you may need to make a renewal decision. Clear filters if a known number seems missing.

Sort by nearest expiry when planning continuity, by newest when checking a purchase, or by number when matching an external list. Page sizes of 25, 50 and 100 let you choose between a short review list and a broader working page. Summary counters describe the account's totals; they should not be mistaken for the number of rows matching your current filters.

A practical routine for 100 or more numbers is to inspect Expiring, decide which numbers need continued access, check renewal eligibility and wallet balance, then open unusual cases in Workspace. Give numbers meaningful notes and records early. Searching a service name is much easier when its account record has a consistent name.

Select rows, perform batch actions and export

Tick individual rows or use the header checkbox to select the current page. The header checkbox does not select every matching number across every page. Changing search, filters or page clears the current selection, so always review the selected count and rows before a batch action.

Bulk auto-renew on, auto-renew off and transfer apply per rental. The review step checks eligibility and explains unavailable entries. After submitting, examine the result for updated, failed and unsupported numbers. A partial result is possible: one eligible rental can update while another cannot. Failed items remain selected so you can resolve them deliberately.

For bulk transfer, verify the recipient once and inspect every number in the review. An existing recipient can receive ownership immediately. Pending transfers may produce separate claim links for individual numbers. Save and send the right links to the intended person; do not treat one link as a claim for the entire selection.

Export creates a CSV for the current visible page. It includes operational columns such as service, number, country, status and expiry. It does not export the complete fleet automatically, saved passwords or attached document contents. If you need a broad inventory, increase the page size and work through pages consciously. Keep exported phone-number lists private.

Receive, read and copy SMS

After buying an active number, enter it in the service where you need a verification message. Request the SMS there and return to the rental's messages. SMS.Red displays messages it receives for the order; pressing a copy control does not request a new SMS from the external service.

Read the full message before using a code. Some messages contain a verification code, others confirm an account change and contain no code at all. Where the interface detects a code, its dedicated button copies that code. Copy full SMS copies the message text. Copy number copies the phone number. These controls serve different tasks.

Workspace shows the message timeline with timestamps and newest messages first. Use the most recent relevant message rather than a previous code for another request. If you need older messages, use the timeline/history controls and allow the page to load. A successful SMS may affect cancellation eligibility, even when you have not yet used the code.

If nothing arrives, confirm the selected number, service, country and remaining time. Check that the external service actually accepted the number and sent a message. Try refreshing the SMS view, then use SMS troubleshooting and Support with the rental identifier and timestamp. Do not repeatedly buy replacements before checking the existing order.

Organize accounts attached to a number

An account record is structured information you save for a service used with the number. For example, you might create a Revolut record containing a login, password, handover notes and supporting documents. SMS.Red stores the record; it does not create, verify or operate that third-party account for you.

Create a record from the Account records section. Give the service a clear name, add the login and password if needed, then write any context that a future owner should know. Save the record before uploading files. In Workspace, choose the relevant record when there is more than one. Saved values remain separate from SMS message text.

Passwords are masked until you explicitly reveal them. Copy controls help transfer the exact saved value into the service's own login screen. Masking hides the text on the page; it does not remove a copied password from your clipboard. Use a private screen when revealing sensitive details, and check which number and record are selected.

A number-level note is useful for a short purpose or handover summary. Record notes are better for service-specific details. Use consistent service names across a fleet. Never place a password in the service name just to make it searchable. The Account records guide covers editing, deletion and transfer preparation.

Attach identity documents, PDFs and archives

After saving a record, upload its supporting files. Images and PDFs can be previewed through the record's file controls. Archives are supported for storage, download and transfer as complete files; they are not unpacked into a browsable folder on the site.

Supported formats include JPG/JPEG, PNG and PDF, plus ZIP, RAR, 7z, TAR, GZIP/TGZ, BZIP2/TBZ2, XZ/TXZ and Zstandard/ZST/TZST archives. File content must match a supported format. Renaming a file's extension does not convert it. Each file must fit the 5 MiB limit, and a record can contain at most ten files.

Give files descriptive names so a recipient can understand their purpose. If an archive has its own password, store the necessary handover instructions in the appropriate private record rather than in a public note or guide. Check downloads before deleting your original copy, particularly when an archive combines several documents.

Only the current rental owner can access private records and attachments. They follow the number when a transfer completes. A pending transfer freezes record and file changes so that the handover contents cannot silently change while someone is claiming it. Finish uploads and edits before initiating a transfer. Deleting a record also deletes its attached files; it does not cancel the rental or close the third-party account.

Transfer a number and its saved information

Transfer changes who owns the rental in SMS.Red. It includes the number's saved account records, documents and number note. It does not transfer a wallet balance, extend the rental period or automatically change ownership inside Revolut or any other external service. Complete the external service's own handover requirements separately.

1. Open the correct number in Workspace, or select the intended rows in Fleet.
2. Save record edits and finish uploading the handover documents.
3. Check the expiry and any pending operations.
4. Choose Transfer and enter the intended recipient's email or supported Telegram username.
5. Review the number and recipient carefully, then submit.
6. Check whether ownership completed immediately or an invitation is pending.

An existing matching customer account in the same store can receive the number immediately. Otherwise, the workflow creates a claim invitation with a link and expiry. Share it privately with the intended recipient. The recipient must use the matching identity: the intended email, or the matching Telegram identity for a username invitation.

While an invitation is pending, the sender still owns the number but edits to its private handover content are frozen. Cancel an unclaimed invitation if you need to correct the recipient or update the records, then start again. The invitation expires no later than the rental itself; use the expiry shown by the transfer result.

After completion, the sender loses access to the number's private records and files. Auto-renew is switched off as part of the ownership change, so the new owner must review and enable it if desired. Completed transfers have no Undo button. If a return is needed, the new owner must initiate an eligible transfer back. See Number transfers before a large handover.

Keep access with auto-renew

Auto-renew is available only for eligible rentals. An unavailable switch is meaningful: not every supplier or order supports extending the same number. Where available, enabling it requires enough wallet balance for the original rental price. Keeping the switch on is not a substitute for checking the wallet and expiry.

The automatic renewal process starts near expiry, approximately fifteen minutes before the term ends. It tries to retain the number for the original duration within the original purchase-price ceiling. A higher supplier price, insufficient balance, unsupported renewal or an unresolved operation can prevent renewal or turn it off.

Review expiring numbers well before their last few minutes. Fund the wallet early enough for payment confirmation, then verify the current auto-renew state. Turning auto-renew off stops future automatic attempts; it does not cancel the existing term, refund the purchase or undo a renewal already sent for processing.

A transfer resets auto-renew to off. This makes the new owner's consent and wallet relevant to future spending. After receiving numbers, check each eligible rental and enable renewal deliberately. The Fleet Auto-renew off and Expiring filters are useful for that review.

Understand cancellation and refunds

Rental cancellation has a narrow eligibility window: from five to 120 minutes after purchase, with no SMS received and no conflicting operation. Before five minutes the rental is too new; after 120 minutes the window is closed. Receiving an SMS makes cancellation unavailable even if you have not used its code.

The page shows the current reason when cancellation cannot be used. Follow that explanation rather than trying to bypass it by moving the number or deleting records. A pending transfer or renewal can also block an operation. Cancellation and disabling auto-renew are separate actions with separate outcomes.

A cancellation request is not yet a confirmed refund. The supplier must confirm cancellation before the refund is completed. Inspect the resulting rental status, wallet and transaction history. If confirmation remains pending or the result is unclear, contact Support with the order and time rather than sending repeated requests.

Never plan on cancellation as a free trial of a third-party verification. Check product scope and price before purchase. The Cancellation guide explains the common disabled-button cases and the evidence to include in a support ticket.

Review archived rentals and account continuity

When a term expires, the number is no longer an active rental. Archived helps you find past rentals and their available history. It is not a promise that you can keep receiving messages or recover the same number later. If continued access matters, handle renewal while the rental is still eligible and active.

Treat external accounts as a separate responsibility. An account can still expect codes on a number after your rental has ended. Before expiry, review the external service's recovery and phone-change options using that service's own interface. A saved login or document does not restore ownership of an expired number.

If you expected renewal but the rental archived, inspect the switch state, balance, expiry and any error shown. Tell Support which number and time you are reviewing. Do not assume that buying a new rental returns the exact same phone number or preserves access to all previous external accounts.

A reliable daily and handover routine

For a small collection, start in Workspace, confirm the selected number, read the latest relevant SMS and keep the account records current. For a large collection, start in Fleet, review Expiring and Auto-renew off, then open exceptions individually. Consistent records and notes reduce time spent guessing what a number is used for.

Before a handover, review every service record, reveal only the credentials you need to check, download a sample attachment, remove obsolete files and save changes. Tell the recipient the remaining rental time and that renewal will need review. After transfer, the recipient should confirm ownership, inspect the records and files, and check future SMS delivery settings.

Keep a separate record of operational decisions if your team needs one. The SMS History action is a message timeline, not a complete audit log of every edit or transfer. A CSV export is an inventory of the current page, not a backup of private account records and documents.

Use Support for unresolved order or payment states. Include the rental identifier, approximate time, the action attempted and the exact error. Avoid posting passwords, identity documents or claim links in public channels. These Guides explain the controls; the account page's current eligibility and quote determine what can be done with a particular rental.

Common questions while working with rentals

Does Add service buy a second rental?

In Workspace, Add service opens the account-record creation form for the selected number. It is a shortcut for describing another service you use with that number. Save its login, password, notes and files as needed. It does not debit the wallet, register that external account or change the purchased supplier product.

Why can I read SMS but cannot cancel?

An active rental can remain usable after a successful SMS. Cancellation has stricter conditions, including no received SMS and the five-to-120-minute window. Continued message access and cancellation eligibility describe different things. Read the specific disabled reason instead of using the overall Successful status as a cancellation rule.

Why are record edits unavailable during a transfer?

An unclaimed invitation needs a stable handover bundle. Freezing records and files ensures the recipient receives the contents reviewed for the transfer. If you need to change a password or replace a document, cancel the pending invitation, edit and save, then create a fresh invitation and send its new link. A completed transfer requires the current owner to make edits.

Does exporting Fleet back up my documents?

No. The export is the current page's operational inventory. It contains neither private record passwords nor document bytes. Download files through their record controls if you need a copy, and verify which number owns them. Do not expect a CSV import to recreate records; the page does not provide that workflow.

Can I leave renewal until the final minute?

That is unreliable. Automatic processing starts near expiry and requires confirmed funds and eligibility. Deposit confirmation, a supplier quote change or a pending operation can consume the remaining time. Review the next seven days regularly rather than treating the last minute as a guaranteed recovery window.