Looking to create an eBay account without having to use your own phone number? Maybe you don’t want to hand over your personal info, your phone number is already tied to another account, or you don’t have the right number to create an account to sell in a particular country.
Whatever your reason, you might be wondering whether it’s possible to register on eBay without this data—and the good news is, there is. Here, we’ll be sharing the exact process for creating an account on eBay without a phone number.
Can You Still Create an eBay Account With Just an Email Address?
First thing’s first: is it still possible to create an email account with just an email address?
It’s a valid question, since this would save you the hassle of having to deal with a phone number in the first place. But while you can still sign up with an email address on eBay, it’ll often ask you to share your phone number during the process.
To get started, go to eBay’s website and click on the “create an account” button. You’ll then be prompted to enter your email, name, and password, and then click next.
If You Need a Phone Number, Use An Online SMS Verification Service
If eBay does ask you to share a phone number, there’s an alternative solution to simply using your own: using an online service that provides temporary phone numbers for receiving SMS verifications.
You can use services like https://www.smspool.net/ to quickly complete your eBay sign-up process. This usually just involves receiving the text message through the number (accessed via the service online), so you can input the code when you’re logging in. Just make sure the provider you go for offers numbers accepted by eBay.
How to Verify Your Account with an Alternative Method
If you have no luck using a number from an online service (eBay may block it, for example), you can either try using another service or see if you can bypass phone verification by choosing an alternative method.
Depending on where you’re located, you might be able to verify your account through your email address or by answering security questions (you’ll be asked to set these when you create the account).
How to Avoid Using a Phone Number to Link a PayPal or Bank Account
Once you’ve created your account, you’re not guaranteed to be out of the woods yet. You might still need to enter your phone number when you try to buy or sell on the marketplace.
To reduce the chances of this happening, you’ll want to link a verified PayPal or bank account to your profile, showing eBay that you’re a trustworthy user.
Final Word
So, that’s everything you should know about getting onto eBay even if you don’t want to use your own phone number.
One final thing to note is that if you used a temporary number, you may have trouble recovering your account later if eBay asks for verification again. You’ll need to set up a backup email and enable any alternative security features eBay offers to avoid losing access to your account in this situation.