VerifyMeld: Number Verification Confirmed by Call to a Free City Number

For a long time, phone verification for me was associated with one scenario: entering the number, waiting for an SMS, copying the code, and hoping the message actually arrives.

While exploring VerifyMeld, I saw another approach. It doesn’t use SMS at all. The user calls the provided free city number, and the system verifies the fact of the call itself.

Instead of SMS — a short call

The user enters their number in the app. Then they are shown a free city number to call from their phone.

The system detects the call and immediately ends it without answering. To the user, it looks like a missed call: no conversation happens, but the app receives confirmation.

No need to wait for an SMS, search for a message among notifications, or transcribe digits from a code. A single short call is enough for the system to verify the number’s availability.

Why this interests app owners

From the user’s perspective, SMS is almost an invisible part of registration. But each message costs the owner money. With a large number of users, expenses quickly become a significant budget item.

This is particularly noticeable for international services. SMS costs vary across countries, messages can be delayed, and if an error occurs, the user has to resend the code.

VerifyMeld doesn’t send SMS. Its pricing model isn’t tied to the number of verification calls: the cost doesn’t increase with each attempt.

If compared to plans where each SMS is paid for, the total cost can be several times lower. This isn’t about making the platform completely free; the savings come from eliminating the separate payment for SMS delivery.

The call is not answered

It is crucial to understand what happens after the call.

VerifyMeld doesn’t pick up the phone or accept the call like a normal conversation. The system detects an incoming call, records it, and immediately disconnects without answering.

No connection is established; the call is not held, and no conversation begins. To the phone, it remains an unanswered call.

This is why there’s no paid incoming connection. Practically, there are almost no operators charging for calls that are not answered.

It doesn’t matter which country the call comes from: VerifyMeld does not create a paid incoming call nor charges for the call itself.

Confirmed is the actual number

Rejecting SMS codes doesn’t mean the verification becomes less reliable.

The system matches the number from which the call was made, the issued free city number, and the time of the verification. If everything matches, the app gets confirmation that the user was able to use the specified phone.

A call from another number, a call to a wrong destination, or an attempt after the verification period isn’t counted.

Old requests also don’t stay active indefinitely. When a new verification starts, the previous one is closed, and the temporary number is released after the process completes.

It’s impossible to intercept the code because there is none

In traditional SMS schemes, an attacker might try to intercept the message, access notifications, or trick the user into revealing the code.

VerifyMeld has no one-time code at all. It can’t be forwarded or stolen because verification is based solely on the phone call itself.

The only thing that can be faked is the call itself or the number it appears to come from. But if such a scenario becomes possible, it indicates a compromise in the phone network or operator, not a breach of VerifyMeld’s logic.

VerifyMeld contains no SMS secrets that could be intercepted.

What an average user sees

VerifyMeld itself doesn’t look like a separate calling app. An average person encounters it inside another service — during registration, login, or re-verification.

The application displays instructions and a free city number. The user calls, the system detects the missed call, and the app receives the result.

The service owner doesn’t need to send SMS manually, maintain voice systems, or handle each incoming call. The telephony part remains within VerifyMeld, and the connected project only receives the verification result.

If verification fails

VerifyMeld does not consider any random call successful.

If the caller’s number doesn’t match the expected, if a different city number was dialed, or if the verification time has expired, the number isn’t confirmed.

Repeated errors are also taken into account. If there are many unsuccessful attempts, future verifications for that number or device may be temporarily restricted.

For the user, it looks simple: the number is either confirmed or the process needs to be repeated later.

This is not passport identification

The project sets clear boundaries.

A successful verification proves that the person was able to make a call from the specified number during the verification window. But it doesn’t prove their name, citizenship, ownership of the SIM card, or compliance with passport data.

VerifyMeld confirms control over the phone number, not the individual. For registration, this result is often sufficient, but full identification requires other tools.

My conclusion

After exploring VerifyMeld, I would describe it not as a call service but as an alternative to SMS verification.

The user calls the provided free city number. The system detects and immediately terminates the call without answering. No conversation begins, no paid incoming connection is established, and the number is confirmed afterward.

For businesses, the need to pay for each SMS disappears, and the pricing plan is not based on verification calls. Compared to classic SMS plans, this model can be several times cheaper.

The main idea of VerifyMeld is simple: verify the same phone number without an SMS code, voice robots, or payment per message delivered.

More about the project: verifymeld.de