# How do phone and email verification work, and what do they cost?

Source: https://help.didit.me/workflows/phone-and-email-verification
Updated: 2026-11-12

Phone and email verification send a one-time code the person types back. Channels, retries, your own SMS name and WhatsApp number, delivery problems and prices.

Phone and email verification each send a one-time code to the person, who types it back to prove they control the number or the address.
A code is valid for 5 minutes.
Email verification costs $0.02 per check.
Phone verification costs $0.02 plus the carrier's or WhatsApp's price for the message, and the Free plan's monthly credit does not pay for it.

## Phone: channels and fallback

Add **Phone Verification** to a workflow. The person enters their number and receives a code.
The code is sent by WhatsApp (the default), SMS, Telegram or a voice call, and the channels available depend on the country.
The person can change the channel on the screen ("Send the code by"), and delivery falls back to SMS when the preferred channel is unavailable.

The number is also checked: temporary numbers and internet (VoIP) numbers can be flagged, and you choose in the step's settings whether a flag declines the session or sends it to review.

## Codes, retries and attempts

| Setting | Default |
| --- | --- |
| How long a code is valid | 5 minutes from the first send. A resend does not extend it. |
| Wrong code entries | 2 before the step ends as declined |
| Sends | 2 in total: the first plus one resend |

Both attempt limits are tunable per workflow step, for phone and for email.

## Your own name, text and number

- **SMS sender name.** Set it in the workflow's **Phone Verification → Settings** or under **Identity verification → Customization → Channels**. Codes then read "123456 is your verification code for Your Brand". The name is 1 to 30 characters. It is free, and it applies to every SMS code the application sends. Each application can start using up to two new names per day.
- **Your own SMS text and sender ID.** Under **Identity verification → Customization → Channels** you can write the text per language. It must contain `{code}` once, contain no links and fit in one SMS. The sender ID (3 to 11 characters) is used only in the countries where Didit enables custom sender IDs. Everywhere else, codes go out under Didit's sender.
- **Your own WhatsApp Business number.** In **Phone Verification → Settings → WhatsApp number**, select **Connect WhatsApp number** and sign in to the business account that manages the number. The new message needs approval, usually within a few minutes, and codes keep coming from Didit's number until then. If a code cannot be delivered on WhatsApp, it is sent by SMS.

Delivery always comes first: if your branding cannot be applied, the code is still sent with Didit's defaults.

## What the person sees when a code does not arrive

- On the phone screen they can resend after a countdown, **Change number**, or **Use a different number**.
- If a code could not be sent, they see "Check the number, then try again", with an option to get the code on another channel, or a call.
- For a voice call that fails they see "We called but nobody answered" with **Call me again**, or "We couldn't reach this number".
- For email they see "Email could not be delivered. Try another email address."

## Email

Add **Email Verification**. The person enters their address, receives a code (valid 5 minutes) and types it back.
Didit also checks whether the address is disposable, undeliverable or has appeared in known data breaches, and you choose the action for each.

## What they cost

| Check | Price |
| --- | --- |
| Email verification | $0.02 per check |
| Phone verification | $0.02 plus the carrier's or WhatsApp's price |

- Phone is charged per message sent. The price depends on the country and channel and is passed on at cost. Your plan discount applies to the $0.02 Didit fee only. See [Didit pricing](https://didit.me/pricing).
- A blocked send and a person who leaves before a code is sent are not charged.
- With your own WhatsApp Business number, Didit charges only the $0.02 fee; WhatsApp bills the message to your own account.
- The Free plan's monthly credit does not pay for phone verification. Growth and Scale credit and top-ups do. See [what counts as a billable check](https://help.didit.me/billing-credits/what-counts-as-billable).

## Related

- [Build a verification workflow](https://help.didit.me/workflows/build-a-verification-workflow)
- [E-signatures](https://help.didit.me/workflows/e-signatures)
- [Phone verification in the Didit docs](https://docs.didit.me/core-technology/phone-verification/overview)
- [Email verification in the Didit docs](https://docs.didit.me/core-technology/email-verification/overview)