By Youssef Hassan · E-commerce · 2026-09-10 · 6 min read
Every seller I talk to in Cairo eventually asks me the same thing: "Youssef, where do I get a cheap US number?" Usually it's for one of three reasons. They want WhatsApp Business on a number that isn't their personal line. They're dealing with clients in the States and a +1 number makes them look like a real shop, not a guy running things off his phone. Or they need to receive an OTP from a US service that won't send a code to an Egyptian number.
So they go hunting for something free, spend an evening on it, and get nowhere. Let me walk you through what I've actually seen work, and what's a waste of your time.
Here's the thing nobody warns you about before you download them. The popular free number apps were built for people living in North America. From an Egyptian connection, they just won't let you in.
I've watched sellers burn two or three evenings on VPN tricks trying to trick these apps. Even when a number appears, it often can't receive the WhatsApp code, or the account gets flagged and wiped a week later. That's a bad foundation for a business.
People fixate on the word "free." But a free number you can't actually get is more expensive than a paid one — it costs you your time and, if you're depending on it for orders, your reputation. So the real question isn't "what's free?" It's "what's the cheapest number that works from Egypt and does the job?"
For me, that answer is a G100 US number at a flat $1.95 a month. Less than a cup of decent coffee, and it actually turns on.
| G100 | Google Voice | TextNow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works from Egypt? | Yes — sign up from anywhere | No — US-only setup | No — US/Canada sign-up only |
| Price | $1.95/month, no contract | Free (but not reachable here) | Free (but not reachable here) |
| WhatsApp-ready? | Yes — dedicated US/Canada number | N/A — no number to use | N/A — no number to use |
| Receive OTP? | Yes — SMS/OTP lands in your inbox | N/A — no number to use | N/A — no number to use |
The two "free" columns are empty for a reason. You can't compare features on a number you're never allowed to create.
G100 is a US-registered app that sells you a dedicated US, Canada or Puerto Rico number. Let me be plain about what you get for the $1.95:
If you grow into a team all answering the same number, or you want to send broadcasts to your customer list, there's an optional WhatsApp Business Cloud API add-on at $10/month. Skip it at the start — begin with the phone app and add it only when you really need it.
I'm not going to oversell this, because you'll find out anyway. Two things you should know before you buy:
Sending outbound SMS isn't live yet. Right now the number receives SMS and OTP codes, takes calls, and works with WhatsApp — which covers what most Egyptian sellers actually need. But sending your own text messages from the number is still switched off; it's coming once the 10DLC registration clears. If you specifically need to blast plain SMS out, know that piece isn't ready today.
It's a US/Canada/PR number, not an Egyptian one. G100 sells North American numbers. If what you want is a local Egyptian line, this isn't that. And for WhatsApp, remember Meta does the actual verification — the number's job is just to catch the code it sends, which a G100 number does.
That's it. You've got a WhatsApp Business account on a proper US number, and your personal line stays private.
A G100 US or Canada number at a flat $1.95 per month is the cheapest option that genuinely works from Egypt. You sign up from anywhere, pay in USD through Stripe on a pay-as-you-go wallet, and there's no contract. The apps advertising "free" numbers, like Google Voice and TextNow, can't be set up from Egypt at all — so the real cheapest working number is the G100 one.
Yes. A G100 US number receives SMS and OTP codes right in your inbox, whether you're in Cairo, Alexandria, or anywhere in Egypt. That covers WhatsApp Business verification and most services that send a one-time code. Meta itself does the WhatsApp verification; the number just has to catch the code, and G100 numbers do.
Google Voice can only be set up from inside the United States, so you can't get a number from Egypt. TextNow only allows sign-ups from the United States and Canada. Both check where you're connecting from and block registration, which is why people waste days on VPN tricks that don't hold up.
Right now G100 numbers receive SMS and OTP codes, and handle voice calls and WhatsApp — which covers what most sellers need. Sending your own outbound SMS from the number isn't switched on yet; it's coming after the 10DLC registration clears. Also note G100 sells US, Canada, and Puerto Rico numbers, not Egyptian numbers.
Stop wrestling with apps that were never built to let you in. Grab a US number that works from Egypt at app.g100.us, and see the full breakdown on the pricing page.
Works from Cairo, Alexandria, anywhere. No contract, no KYC. Receives your WhatsApp code and OTP straight to your inbox.
Get your number →