Getting French (+33) verification codes into your QA and launch workflow

We're launching in France next quarter. How do we test the phone step?

A French launch usually comes with a long localisation checklist: translated copy, euro formatting, a new consent banner, and an onboarding flow that now expects a +33 number. The phone step is the one that tends to break quietly. Validators written for another market reject the leading 0, the SMS template is still in English, or the resend button behaves differently once a real French carrier route is involved.

A France verification number from the OTP Gateway lets the team exercise that step before customers do. Order a +33 line for the service under test, run the flow, read the code, move on. It works equally well for a growth team checking a referral funnel and for an agency validating a client's app before handover; see the agencies and resellers page for that use case.

How does the France OTP API flow look in practice?

Use the country id fr with the standard endpoints under https://otproute.com/api/v1:

• GET /api/v1/countries and GET /api/v1/services return the ids you can combine.
• GET /api/v1/prices?country=fr&service=<id> tells you the current price for that pair.
• POST /api/v1/activations with {"service": "<id>", "country": "fr"} reserves a +33 number and returns an activation id.
• GET /api/v1/activations/{id} reports status and the code once it lands; POST /api/v1/activations/{id}/cancel stops an order you no longer need.

Most CI pipelines prefer the signed webhook over polling. Register an endpoint, listen for activation.sms_received, activation.expired and activation.cancelled, verify the X-OTPRoute-Signature HMAC against your endpoint secret, and reject anything with an old timestamp. Keys use the or_live_ prefix, and each account gets up to 10 of them with a ceiling of 300 requests per minute. The CI/CD solution page shows how teams wire this into nightly runs.

What services can deliver codes to French numbers?

The live list for fr includes more than 2,300 services. Teams localising for France typically start with WhatsApp, Google (Gmail & YouTube), Uber, Airbnb, Amazon, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Telegram, Microsoft & Outlook, Netflix, eBay and ChatGPT (OpenAI). Because our carrier partners refresh inventory throughout the day, check availability through the API at order time instead of hard-coding assumptions.

Which French number details trip up validators?

France uses +33 and a trunk prefix of 0. A mobile number written locally as 06 12 34 56 78 or 07 12 34 56 78 becomes +33 6 12 34 56 78 internationally, so the national significant number is nine digits after the zero is dropped. Store E.164 (+336... or +337...), display it grouped in pairs for French users, and strip the 0 when someone types the domestic form after selecting +33.

Overseas departments such as Guadeloupe, Martinique and Réunion have their own country codes (+590, +596 and +262), so a form that assumes "French customer equals +33" will mis-handle them. Verification texts to French numbers often arrive in French when the service localises by number or account language, which makes these routes a good check that your own SMS templates and in-app copy match.

Can a non-technical teammate do this from the browser?

Yes. After you create an account with an email code or Google sign-in, open the OTP Gateway in the dashboard, pick France and the service, review the price, and confirm. The +33 number shows up immediately, and the code appears beside the order as soon as the SMS lands. Product managers doing a quick acceptance check on staging rarely need anything more.

What if the SMS never reaches the +33 number?

Every activation stays open for 20 minutes, and you only pay if the code actually arrives. When it doesn't:

1. Give the window a chance to run instead of cancelling after a minute.
2. Confirm the service is willing to send to virtual numbers; some decline them by design.
3. Order again a bit later or try another route, for example the same service on a Belgium number if the test case allows it.
4. Avoid re-ordering in a tight loop; spaced retries are kinder to the rate limit and to the target service.

Expired and cancelled activations refund automatically to the wallet.

Is there a long-term French line, and how does payment work?

There is no self-serve long-term French line. Dedicated Numbers, which you keep while they renew and which support inbound SMS, outbound SMS and browser calling, exist only for the US and Canada, from $1.95/month. If you need a lasting +33 line for operations, email [email protected]; availability depends on French rules and is not assured.

All OTP Gateway spending comes from a prepaid USD wallet. There is no monthly fee or plan, you top up by card or USDT/USDC, and each top-up generates a PDF invoice by email, which keeps expense reporting simple for EU entities. A development account can also be moved to sandbox on request so the integration runs against simulated numbers. Details are on the pricing page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I test my app's French sign-up flow without a French SIM card?

Yes. Order a +33 number from the OTP Gateway for the service you are testing and read the code in the dashboard or via the API.

What country id does OTP Route use for France?

France is fr in every API call, including price lookups and activation requests.

How much does a France verification number cost?

OTP Route charges from $0.20 per code; the exact price varies by service and is shown before you order.

Do French OTP numbers cover Guadeloupe or Réunion?

No, overseas departments have their own country codes and appear as separate countries in the live list.

Will I be billed if the code expires?

No. When an activation passes the 20-minute window without an SMS, or you cancel it, the full amount returns to your wallet.

Are there rules on how I can use these numbers?

Use them only for your own legitimate accounts and products, follow each service's terms, and respect the OTP Route Acceptable Use Policy.

Service names are trademarks of their respective owners. OTP Route is not affiliated with them. Use numbers lawfully, follow each service's terms and our Acceptable Use Policy.