Where AliExpress asks for a phone number
In many regions you can create an AliExpress account with an email address. The phone number tends to come in at other points: as an extra sign-in or security step, when the site wants to confirm a change, or in the shipping address.
The shipping address is the one people forget. Couriers use the phone number on the parcel to text delivery notices or call about a failed drop-off. That number is printed or stored along the whole delivery chain.
So there are two separate questions. Which number receives the verification code, and which number goes on the parcel.
AliExpress verification code: what to expect
An AliExpress verification code is usually a short numeric code, sent by SMS to a phone or by email, depending on how you sign in. It is valid for a few minutes. If you ask for a second one, use the newest.
If AliExpress offers a choice between email and SMS, email may be simpler. If it insists on a phone, enter your private number with the right country code and watch your ASMS.ai inbox.
AliExpress not sending a verification code
When AliExpress is not sending a verification code, check the country code first. The site sometimes fills one in for you based on your region, and it may not match the number you are using. Then check the number has no extra leading zero.
Wait a few minutes before asking again. Several quick requests can be paused, and the code that eventually arrives may be an older one.
The site may also decline some numbers, such as certain VoIP ranges or numbers already used on another account. If one number gets nothing, change number type rather than retrying.
Using AliExpress without your personal phone number
Marketplaces collect a lot: your orders, your address, your number. A separate number keeps your personal number out of that record and off any marketing texts that follow.
For the shipping address, use a number you can actually read while a parcel is in transit. A per-code number is meant for receiving one code, not for courier messages weeks later, so a rental or your own line fits that job better.
Never use a free shared number on a delivery address. Its inbox is public, and courier texts can include your name and tracking details.
Which number to use for AliExpress
Start with VoIP High Quality on the /otp page, a US +1 pool from $0.50 per code. You see the AliExpress price and stock before you pay, and a code that never arrives is refunded automatically.
If AliExpress refuses it, try the United Kingdom pool, which sells real UK mobile numbers, or rent a private non-VoIP number from $4.99. Rentals run from 1 day up to 12 months depending on the country, with unlimited SMS.
Match the number to how long you need it. A per-code number suits a single verification step. If AliExpress will use the phone for sign-in or security checks on an account you keep, a rental means the same number is there for the next code too.
Your payment details are on that account
An AliExpress account can hold saved cards and a full order history. If the phone number is used for sign-in or recovery, whoever controls it can often receive the reset code.
Do not use a free shared number for that. Use a number you keep and only you can read. If you rent the wrong number, cancel between 5 and 120 minutes after renting, before any SMS arrives, for a refund.