How Just Eat uses your phone number
Just Eat keeps a phone number on your account and on each order. It can be used to confirm the account with a code, and it is passed on so the restaurant or the courier can reach you about a delivery.
That second use is easy to overlook. Some orders on Just Eat are delivered by the restaurant's own drivers rather than couriers working through the app, so the person calling you may be the takeaway itself. Either way, they use the number on the order.
The verification SMS is short: the Just Eat name and a code that expires within a few minutes. If you ask for another, the newest code is the one that counts.
Why a UK number for Just Eat
Just Eat is a UK-centred service, and the app generally expects a UK number for a UK account. That is why the United Kingdom pool, which sells real UK mobile numbers, is the first suggestion here.
If you would rather try the cheapest option, VoIP High Quality starts from $0.50 per code. It is a US pool, so a UK-focused app may not accept it. A failed per-code order is refunded automatically, so trying costs nothing if it does not work.
If you order in another country where Just Eat runs, the app may prefer a local number. Check the country code the phone field shows.
Just Eat verification code not arriving
If the Just Eat verification code does not arrive, check the format. A UK number should be entered with +44 and without the leading zero. Then wait a few minutes before requesting another code.
Some numbers are declined, such as certain VoIP ranges or numbers already linked to an account. If one number gets nothing, change to a different type of number rather than retrying.
With a private ASMS.ai number, the code appears in your web inbox, so look there rather than on your phone.
The restaurant may call: use a number you can check
If the takeaway cannot find your address or has run out of something, it will try the number on the order. A per-code number is meant for the sign-up code, not for staying reachable afterwards, so it is not the right number for a live delivery.
For an account you order with, rent a private number from $4.99. It runs from 1 day up to 12 months depending on the country, with unlimited SMS, and you can keep its inbox open while the food is on its way.
Keeping your own number off takeaway lists
Your number on a takeaway order can travel further than you think: the app, the restaurant's system, the driver's phone. A separate number keeps all of that on one line you can stop using.
It also keeps offer texts off your main phone. Do not use a free shared number for this. Its inbox is public, and order messages can include your address.
Protect the account and your card
A Just Eat account often holds a saved card. Whoever controls the phone number can often receive a login or reset code, so 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.