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An SMS code solves a narrow problem: deliver a string the user will retype into a form. Veriqa covers the same need differently — the user confirms the sign-in or the operation with a tap in a messaging app, and your application receives a full authentication result rather than “the code matched”.

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What changes for the user

  • no retyping a code between screens — one tap in an app that is already open;
  • nothing depends on SMS delivery: carrier queues, roaming, “the message will arrive within five minutes”;
  • no phone number to hand over — the identity is confirmed through the channel.

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What changes for you

  • messages are not billed per message, unlike SMS: in WhatsApp, Veriqa replies to the user’s message without a template, and under Meta’s current pricing such replies are free. At high sign-in volumes, that means direct savings;
  • instead of a home-grown “the code in the form matches the one we sent”, you get standard OpenID Connect: tokens, claims, lifetimes, auth_time;
  • less personal data: if you do not actually need the phone number, you never store it.
This is not only about sign-in. The same mechanism covers operation confirmation — see second factor and step-up, where auth_time plays the role of “the code was fresh”.

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What to keep in mind

The scenario needs each user to have at least one supported messaging app or a mailbox. Keep SMS for the users who have neither. The full channel list and its statuses are on Supported channels; the Email channel covers “no messaging app, but there is a mailbox”.