By Linh Nguyen · E-commerce · 2026-09-10 · 6 min read
I sell online out of Ho Chi Minh City, and I get the same question in my DMs almost every week. A shop owner wants a US number — not to show off, but for real reasons. They talk to overseas clients on WhatsApp Business, they want to look like a serious international shop, and they need a number that can catch OTP codes from foreign services. Then they go hunting for a free one, and the trouble starts.
So let me be the friend who already made the mistakes. Here is what does not work from Vietnam, what does, and roughly what it costs. No fluff.
The famous free number apps were built for people already living in North America. From a Vietnamese connection, they just shut the door.
I know sellers who spent a whole weekend on VPN tricks trying to fool these apps. Sometimes a number appears, then it cannot receive the WhatsApp verification SMS, or the account gets flagged and wiped a week later — usually right when a customer is mid-conversation. That is not a risk worth taking with your shop's reputation.
| G100 | Google Voice | TextNow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works from Vietnam? | Yes — buy from anywhere | No — not available | 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 land in your inbox | N/A — no number to use | N/A — no number to use |
The honest math: a "free" number you cannot reach costs you time, not money. A number that actually works for under $2 a month beats a free one that does not exist.
I moved my overseas-client line to G100, a US-registered app, and it does the job without drama. It gives you a dedicated US or Canada number that is WhatsApp-ready, and the number receives SMS and OTP codes right in your inbox. The cost is a flat $1.95 per month per number, no contract. You top up a pay-as-you-go wallet in USD through Stripe, and calls run $0.03 per minute if you make them. There is no KYC and no paperwork, so you can buy it sitting in Vietnam in a few minutes.
One thing I want to be straight about, because I hate surprises: right now G100 numbers receive SMS and OTP — which is exactly what you need for WhatsApp verification and for catching codes from overseas services — and calls and WhatsApp work today. Sending your own outbound SMS from the number is not switched on yet; it is coming after the 10DLC registration clears. So if plain outbound texting is the one feature you must have this week, know that piece is still on the way. For receiving OTP, WhatsApp, and calls, you are covered.
Also worth knowing: G100 sells US, Canada, and Puerto Rico numbers. When you set up WhatsApp Business, Meta is the one doing the verification — the G100 number just catches the code Meta sends.
That is the whole thing. You end up with WhatsApp Business on a real US number, and your personal Vietnamese line stays private.
Do not leave the profile blank after verifying. Add your business name, a category, your logo, your hours, and a short greeting so a first-time buyer gets a reply even while you sleep across time zones. A US number attached to a filled-out, professional profile is what turns a curious overseas visitor into a paying client.
If you later grow into a team answering the same number, or you want to broadcast to a customer list, G100 offers the official WhatsApp Business Cloud API as a $10/month add-on. Start with the phone app, and only upgrade when you actually feel the need — no point paying for it early.
A G100 US number costs a flat $1.95 per month, with no contract, and you can buy it from Vietnam. It is a dedicated US or Canada number that is WhatsApp-ready and receives SMS and OTP codes. You pay pay-as-you-go in USD through Stripe, and calls are $0.03 per minute.
Google Voice is not available in Vietnam — you cannot get a number here. TextNow only allows sign-ups from the United States and Canada, so registration is blocked from a Vietnamese connection. Both leave sellers stuck, which is why people waste days trying VPN tricks that get flagged later.
Yes. G100 numbers receive SMS and OTP codes in your inbox, which is exactly what you need to verify WhatsApp Business and receive codes from overseas services. Meta handles the WhatsApp verification; the number just has to catch the code. Note that outbound SMS sending from the number is not live yet — receiving OTP and SMS, plus calls and WhatsApp, all work today.
No. G100 does not ask for KYC or documents to get a US, Canada, or Puerto Rico number. You sign up, pick a number, fund your wallet, and activate it — that is all it takes, from anywhere including Vietnam.
Stop fighting apps that were never built for us. Buy a number that works from Vietnam at app.g100.us, and see the full breakdown on the pricing page.
Works from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, anywhere. No contract, no KYC. Receives your WhatsApp code and OTP straight to your inbox.
Get your number →