Get a US or Canada Phone Number From Anywhere in the World
Last updated: July 29, 2026
In short:Petitext gives you a dedicated US or Canada phone number that works entirely through email. Texts sent to your number arrive in your inbox, and you reply from your inbox — no app, no local SIM card, no North American phone required. You can also start conversations yourself by putting the recipient’s number in the email subject line. Plans start at a $1.99 day pass, or $10.99/month to keep the same number ongoing. Important: these numbers are VoIP-classified and are not reliable for one-time verification codes from banks or apps.
Why can’t I just use Google Voice?
Google Voice is the usual first suggestion, and for many people outside the United States it simply isn’t an option. The free personal version requires a US phone number to verify your account during signup, which is the thing you don’t have yet. That leaves a lot of people abroad searching for an alternative.
Petitext takes a different approach: there’s nothing to verify with a mobile number, because everything runs through your email. If you can receive email, you can use a Petitext number — from Amsterdam, Ho Chi Minh City, Singapore, Tokyo, or anywhere else.
To be fair about the trade-off: Google Voice does voice calls, and Petitext does not. Petitext is text only — SMS and photos, sent and received through your inbox. If making calls is essential for you, Petitext isn’t the right tool. If what you need is a North American number that people can text and that you can text from, it works from anywhere.
How does a Petitext number work from abroad?
There’s no app and no SIM card involved, which is why distance doesn’t matter.
- 1. Choose your number. Pick a US or Canada area code. It activates immediately.
- 2. Someone texts it — you get an email. Any text sent to your number is forwarded to your inbox, wherever you are.
- 3. You reply from your inbox. Your email reply is delivered to them as a text from your number. Your own local number is never shown.
Because the whole thing runs on email, time zones and borders are irrelevant. There’s nothing to keep running on your phone, nothing to reinstall when you change countries, and no roaming involved.
Can I text someone first, or only reply?
You can start conversations yourself. To text someone first, send an email to your Petitext address and put their phone number in the subject line, including the country code:
To: messages@petitext.com
Subject: +1 604 555 0148
Hi! Just checking you got my message about Saturday.
Whatever you write in the email body is what they receive as a text. The subject line is only used to address the message — it is never sent to them, so put your actual message in the body.
Spaces, hyphens, and brackets inside the number are all fine (+1 604 555 0148, +1-604-555-0148, +1 (604) 555-0148). You can add words around the number if it helps you keep track. Just don’t break up the number itself, and always include the country code.
Once they reply, their text lands in your inbox and you simply hit reply — no subject-line number needed after that. There’s a full walkthrough of texting first by email if you want the details.
Will it work for verification codes? (Read this before you buy)
Usually not, and we’d rather tell you up front.
Petitext numbers are virtual (VoIP-classified). Many services — banks, government portals, WhatsApp, and a number of popular apps — detect and block virtual numbers for verification. Codes sometimes arrive and sometimes don’t, and we can’t control which. If your main reason for wanting a number is to receive a one-time passcode, please don’t buy Petitext for that; you’ll probably be disappointed and we don’t want your money for something that may not work.
What Petitext is genuinely good at is real conversations: someone texts your number and you reply, or you text them first. That works reliably.
Which countries can I use it from?
Any country where you can receive email and pay by card. The number itself is always a US or Canada number — Petitext doesn’t provide local numbers in other countries — but where you happen to be sitting makes no difference to how it works.
What you can and can’t do with it
You can
- Receive texts from anyone in the US or Canada, forwarded to your email
- Reply to them from your inbox, delivered as a text from your number
- Start a conversation yourself using the subject-line method
- Send and receive photos (best-effort; plain text is always the reliable path)
- Keep the same number month after month on the monthly plan
- Cancel whenever you like
You can’t
- Make or receive voice calls — Petitext is text only
- Rely on it for one-time verification codes (see above)
- Use it for bulk, automated, broadcast, or promotional messaging — Petitext is strictly person-to-person, and this is enforced
- Get a local number in your own country — numbers are US and Canada only
How much does it cost?
If you need a North American number on an ongoing basis, the monthly plan is the one to pick — you keep the same number for as long as you want it.
- 1 dedicated virtual number
- Unlimited inbound messages
- Up to 1,000 outgoing messages per month
- Full two-way texting from your inbox
- Keep the same number while your plan is active
- Photos supported (best-effort)
- Cancel anytime
Short on time instead of ongoing? Day, 3-day, and week passes are also available — the number is released automatically when the pass ends. See plans and pricing.
Set up in about a minute. No app to install. Cancel anytime.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a US or Canadian phone number to sign up?
No. You need an email address, and that's it. There's no phone verification step.
Do I need to install an app?
No. Everything happens in the email inbox you already use — receiving texts, replying, and photos.
Can people text me normally, or do they need something special?
They text your Petitext number from their normal phone, like any other number. They don't need an app or an account, and nothing looks unusual on their end.
Will my real local number be visible?
No. The person only ever sees your Petitext number. Your own number is never attached to any message.
Can I keep the same number long-term?
Yes — that's what the monthly plan is for. Your number stays yours month after month, and you can cancel anytime. Day, 3-day, and week passes release the number automatically when they expire.
Can I text someone in a country other than the US or Canada?
Yes. Your US or Canada number can text contacts internationally as well as within North America.
Can I use it to receive a bank or app verification code?
Usually not — our numbers are VoIP-classified and many services block virtual numbers for verification. Codes occasionally arrive, but we don't recommend buying Petitext for that purpose.
Can I make phone calls?
No. Petitext is text only — SMS and photos through your email.
Do you track me or sell my data?
No. We don't build a profile on you or sell your data, and we don't keep your messages longer than we need to.
What happens if I cancel?
Your subscription stops at the end of the current billing period and the number is released. There's no contract and no cancellation fee.
A North American number, wherever you are
No app, no SIM, no phone verification. Set it up in about a minute and cancel whenever you like.
Staying in touch across borders is one of many reasons people rent a Petitext number. Selling something while you’re away? See Petitext for Facebook Marketplace and Petitext for Craigslist, or compare Petitext with Google Voice, Hushed, and Burner.