Plivo’s Verify API is a turnkey solution designed to make it easy to send one-time passcodes to your users. Market leaders in finance, tech, and healthcare have all come to rely on Plivo’s Verify API — and it’s easy to see why. 

Plivo’s Verify API simplifies the implementation of two-factor authentication (2FA) and multifactor authentication (MFA) and offers a seamless user experience through SMS and voice OTP verification. With features designed to prevent fraud and boost conversion rates, Plivo's Verify API stands out as a comprehensive tool that meets the diverse needs of businesses in virtually every industry. 

Read on for six compelling reasons why companies of all sizes have embraced Plivo's Verify API as their go-to solution for user verification.

Best-in-class, built-in fraud protection

SMS pumping fraud is a growing problem. A recent study estimated that SMS OTP fraud made up around 5% of all SMS traffic — and that percentage is only increasing. 

Many verification platforms will charge extra for fraud protection. For instance, Twilio’s Fraud Guard starts at $2,500 for 100,000 SMS sent. Telesign Verify Plus will cost your business around $1,500 for 10,000 new customers. Plivo’s Fraud Shield is free — and comes built into Plivo’s Verify API. 

Plivo Fraud Shield is an AI-driven model that automatically detects and blocks fraudulent messages. With geo permissions and automatic responses to signs of fraud, it can prevent SMS pumping from eroding your budget. Fraud Shield’s settings allow you to customize how your system responds to signs of fraud and automate alerts to quickly take action in case of a breach. 

Geo permissions give you control over the countries to which your SMS traffic is sent. That means we’ll block any messages intended for countries not on your approved destination list free of charge. Head to our Verify landing page to see how much you could save by implementing geo permissions and switching to Verify. 

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The lowest costs per verification

Plivo’s pricing is designed to help businesses get the best value from their OTP solution. That’s why only messaging (SMS/ WhatsApp) or voice costs apply — verification is free. 

What does that mean for your business? Other verification solutions charge an additional fee when a user completes the one-time password completion process. That means your business pays twice: first to send the code and again when the customer uses the code. 

Plivo doesn’t charge you again when the customer submits their code. Nor do we charge for Fraud Shield. As the chart below demonstrates, Plivo is the most affordable solution compared to our competitors. 

Plus, save even more: 

• Plivo’s Verify API helps bypass the number/sender ID registration and template whitelisting process, reducing your overhead costs. 
• Verify API uses Plivo’s pre-approved phone numbers, meaning you don’t have to spend extra on monthly phone number rental fees. This can result in thousands of dollars in savings annually. 
• Volume discounts are also available for enterprise-level messaging needs. 

Highest OTP conversion rates 

Plivo Verify users can leverage our solution’s 95% conversion rate across multiple channels. Plivo Verify can send OTPs via WhatsApp, SMS, and voice, with email and RCS messaging coming soon. That means your customers can choose their preferred method for receiving an OTP, guaranteeing a higher likelihood of conversion. 

On the technical side, Plivo offers specialized routes from carriers that are not available via our SMS and Voice APIs. This intelligent routing system identifies the best routes and number types for conversions. We also deliver automatic load balancing and route traffic to another carrier in case of a carrier failure.

Fast, painless implementation

Plivo’s Verify API is designed to “go live in one sprint.” We manage the entire end-to-end process, from number procurement and sender ID and template registration to OTP generation, storage, and validation. With our developer-first APIs and sample code, companies can slash implementation time by 90%.

Go live in just five minutes and send OTPs to users in 220+ countries and territories. 

Compliance made easy

Plivo takes compliance seriously. We are HIPAA compliant and have earned ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type 2, and PCI DSS certifications. Plivo’s Verify API helps users bypass regulatory paperwork and go live instantly using pre-registered sender IDs (for example, PLVRFY or PLVSMS). Plus, Plivo Verify users can access pre-vetted templates to ensure spam blockers do not filter out messages. 

World-class support 

There’s a reason why Plivo is rated #1 in customer satisfaction on G2 with a score of 99/100. Plivo offers superior support, with white-glove onboarding featuring personalized live sessions led by experienced solutions engineers. Our support team can offer expert advice on industry best practices and compliance and prioritized issue resolution with 24/7 premium support.

Get started with Plivo Verify

Plivo Verify is a flexible, scalable solution that provides the best value to businesses seeking to improve their security with OTPs. Built-in Fraud Shield and low costs make our turnkey solution accessible for companies of all sizes. Plus, developer-friendly support documentation and fast, easy implementation mean you can start sending OTPs to your customers in just five minutes. 

Learn more about Plivo Verify by requesting a free trial.

New user verification is an integral part of security for e-commerce, entertainment, and technology companies alike. Data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that total fraud and identity theft cases have nearly tripled over the last decade. New user verification solutions aim to combat these crimes by confirming the identity of a new user during the registration or onboarding phase of a service or platform. 

The decision to build or buy a user verification system isn’t always straightforward. Technical resources, cost, and scalability are just a few factors that can help your business choose to buy an out-of-the-box verification API or create a custom solution in-house. Keep these pros and cons in mind as you weigh your options.

Build vs. buy: understanding your options

Before we discuss the pros and cons of each path forward, let’s first understand what the new user verification process entails. 

New user verification is when a customer registers for a new account or service, and the business requests personal information such as the customer’s name, birthdate, and address. The company then verifies the accuracy of this information, which might involve simple steps like confirming the customer’s email or phone number through a one-time passcode. 

For more sensitive transactions, such as opening a bank account, applying for a loan, or transferring large amounts of money, businesses might cross-check the provided details against various databases to ensure they align with existing records. Some companies use biometric verification in addition to one-time passcodes, such as fingerprints or facial features. 

Throughout the identity verification process, companies must balance robust fraud prevention with minimizing customer disruptions. Your business must verify new users efficiently so the customer experience is not interrupted. It’s a tricky balance, but it's an important one to get right. 

With this in mind, let’s examine some of the key factors that can influence your customer experience and fraud protection results, whether you build or buy your new user verification solution. 

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Fraud protection

Of course, fraud protection is the number one reason for implementing new user verification. Building an in-house solution means you have full control over your system’s fraud protection features. However, it takes significant resources to combat the new and growing threat of SMS pumping fraud. 

An API like Plivo’s Verify includes built-in fraud protection for free. Fraud Shield is an AI-driven model that automatically detects and blocks fraudulent messages. Automatic message thresholds and geo permissions make it easy to customize your company’s fraud defense with little to no developer resources. 

“Plivo’s no-cost, built-in Fraud Shield solution has lowered costs and boosted ROI, all while allowing us to focus on growth instead of constantly monitoring for signs of SMS pumping fraud,” said a prominent global technology platform, one of Plivo’s clients.

Assess your readiness to build your own fraud protection features by answering these questions: 

• Does your team have the expertise required to build a robust system? Do your developers have specialized knowledge in security and authentication protocols?
• Are you prepared to stay current with changing security regulations and specific industry standards? 
• Is your company equipped to handle sensitive user data in-house? What are the risks of trusting a third-party provider?

Cost per verification and ROI

The next biggest factor to consider is your budget. The budget for building an in-house verification solution will vary significantly based on the complexity of the system, the size of your user base, and the level of security required. 

There is a wide range of costs to consider when building a solution in-house: personnel costs, such as salaries; infrastructure costs; development and testing costs; and maintenance and compliance ongoing expenses. Ultimately, it helps to calculate two metrics in order to compare the upfront investment of building your own solution to the ongoing cost of an off-the-shelf solution. Calculate your Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and your cost per verification. 

TCO is the full cost of building and maintaining an in-house solution versus purchasing from a vendor. Cost per verification considers the total price of verifying new users. 

Plivo offers the lowest cost per verification among turnkey solutions on the market today. Plivo Verify charges nothing for both Fraud Shield and OTP verification services. Plivo users only pay SMS, voice, or WhatsApp charges. Plus, Verify API uses Plivo’s pre-approved phone numbers, meaning customers do not pay monthly phone number rental fees. 

Verification methods

There are many ways to verify new users, some more complicated than others. Even within categories, there are multiple channels to consider. For instance, Plivo offers one-time passcodes delivered via voice, SMS, and WhatsApp - with RCS and email coming soon. 

New user verification needs to be lightweight, functional, and user-friendly for your customers. Bugs or downtime can frustrate new users and prevent them from completing account sign-ups. When weighing your options, consider your technical needs. 

Answering these questions can help: 

• How well would a third-party solution integrate with your existing systems? 
• What verification methods do potential new users prefer?
• Do you need a highly customized solution to meet specific industry requirements? 
• Is your solution scalable and capable of handling increasing volumes of users without compromising performance?

Scalability

Do you need a solution that can grow with your business? Plivo’s turnkey solution is designed to verify users in 220+ countries and territories within five minutes. That type of global reach is tough to match with an in-house solution. Plus, there are development costs that hit your bottom line each time you need to scale your system to reach new users. 

Ease-of-use

Plivo’s Verify API is designed to “go live in one sprint.” Developer-first APIs and sample code can slash implementation time by 90%. 

This ease of use provides a great experience for your team—and your customers, too. Plivo Verify boasts a 95% conversion rate across multiple authentication channels. This high rate demonstrates that customers are reliably receiving and sending one-time passcodes to verify their identities. 

Consider how the verification process will impact your user onboarding and retention. Determine if you need the ability to quickly adapt the verification process to user preferences or new technologies. A third-party solution is often more flexible and frictionless than an in-house solution. 

Compliance

Finally, determine what compliance hurdles your new user verification solution needs to overcome to go to market. Depending on your industry, your user verification solution may need to be HIPAA, PCI DSS, or GDPR compliant. This adds a layer of complexity to the development process as well as a new level of risk for your company to consider. 

Plivo is ISO 27001:2022, SOC 2 Type 2, and PCI DSS certification, as well as HIPAA compliant. We help our customers bypass regulatory paperwork and go live instantly using pre-registered sender IDs (e.g., PLVRFY, PLVSMS). Plus, Plivo Verify users can access pre-vetted templates to ensure messages are not filtered out by spam blockers. 

Which option is right for your business? 

There’s no single best new user verification solution for every business. Some companies will choose to invest the time and resources to develop and maintain an in-house platform. Others can turn to Plivo to get best-in-class fraud protection, easy implementation, and low-cost verification in one seamless API. Learn more about Plivo Verify and request a free trial to get started. 

At Plivo, security is more than just a checkbox — it's at the core of our operations and our commitment to you. That’s why we're excited to announce that we've upgraded our Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) certification from version 3.2.1 to the more advanced PCI DSS 4.0. 

Plivo Earns PCI DSS 4.0 Certification

Plivo Cloud has achieved PCI DSS 4.0 certification, the most recent update to the requirements. This accomplishment reinforces our commitment to compliance and data security, giving you even greater confidence in our services.

Understanding PCI DSS: The Gold Standard in Data Security

The PCI DSS is a rigorous set of requirements designed to ensure that any company that processes, stores, or transmits credit card information maintains a secure environment. This certification is crucial for any organization that processes payments. 

With PCI DSS 4.0, Plivo meets industry-standard controls and requirements using:

• Firewalls and antivirus software: We implement essential tools for protecting against unauthorized access and threats.
• Data encryption: We safeguard your information by encrypting data during transmission using TLS 1.2+ and securing it at rest with AES-256 encryption.
• Passwords and multifactor authentication: We enforce strict access controls to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive information.
• Roles and responsibilities: We clearly delineate responsibilities to maintain compliance and security at every level of the organization.

These requirements are regulated by the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), a consortium of major credit card brands like Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover. 

Plivo’s PCI DSS Certification: What It Means for You

Plivo is proud to hold a PCI DSS Level 1 certification, which applies to organizations that annually process more than six million credit or debit card transactions. Achieving and maintaining this certification involves rigorous annual audits by authorized PCI auditors and regular scans by approved scanning vendors to ensure ongoing compliance.

 A third-party, cloud-based payment platform handles our transactions to reduce Plivo’s exposure to direct payment data, yet our PCI DSS compliance remains essential. This certification aims to reassure you that Plivo’s platform provides the necessary infrastructure to protect your data.

PCI DSS Compliance: A Shared Responsibility

While Plivo takes extensive measures to secure your data—such as encrypting data in transit and at rest, and redacting sensitive details in logs—it's important to remember that PCI DSS compliance is a shared responsibility. As our customer, you play a critical role in maintaining the security of your data. This includes:

• Secure authentication credentials: Ensure that your login details and API keys are protected and not shared.
• Use the Plivo console securely: Follow best practices for secure access and use of our console.
• Ensuring compliance in your applications: Make sure that the instructions your applications send to Plivo adhere to PCI DSS requirements.

This partnership approach is vital to keeping the platform secure for everyone involved.

Beyond Compliance: The Plivo Promise

Our upgrade to PCI DSS 4.0 is just one aspect of our broader commitment to data security. For large enterprises, this level of compliance is part of a comprehensive suite of security measures we offer. From robust internal controls to continuous monitoring and threat assessments, we go beyond what's required to provide a platform you can trust.

If your organization needs a reliable partner to securely handle payment data communications, we invite you to explore what Plivo can offer. Reach out to our sales team to learn more about how our enterprise solutions can meet your security needs.

Your security is, and always will be, our top priority. We deeply appreciate your trust in Plivo, and we’re committed to continually enhancing our platform to protect your data.

In today's competitive market, high-quality customer interactions are essential for maintaining service standards. By integrating Plivo’s audio stream with AI-driven transcription and sentiment analysis, you can improve call quality monitoring. This blog showcases how you can utilize existing technologies to maintain exceptional customer experiences and service standards.

Why Call Quality Assurance Matters

For businesses that rely on live phone conversations, such as call centers and sales teams, monitoring call quality is essential. Identifying trends, analyzing sentiment, and pinpointing areas for improvement help evaluate agent performance, boost customer satisfaction, and drive business growth. However, traditional call quality analysis methods can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.

Integrating Plivo’s Audio Stream with AI-driven service

Plivo’s application offers a streamlined approach to call quality analysis by utilizing its audio stream capability. This feature, combined with AI-driven services for real-time transcription and sentiment analysis, automates significant aspects of the process. However, it is important to note that audio streaming alone does not encompass the entire call quality assurance, and should be integrated into a wider quality control framework.

For demonstration purposes, we will reference Amazon Transcribe and Amazon Comprehend to showcase the application’s capabilities, though any compatible AI service can be used.

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How It Works

Plivo’s application initiates a WebSocket for real-time audio streaming and transcription. Here’s a step-by-step overview of the process:

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1. Initiate a Call: A participant calls a phone number managed by Plivo.
2. Route the Call: The call is routed to the recipient through Plivo’s WebSocket, capturing the audio stream for transcription.
3. Transcription: The captured audio is transcribed in real-time by the selected transcription service.
4. Sentiment Analysis: Transcripts are sent to an AI-driven sentiment analysis service to gauge the emotional tone of the conversation.

Getting Started with Plivo’s Voice API

To deploy this solution, follow these steps:

1. Sign Up with Plivo: Create an account and procure a phone number via the API or console.
2. Set Up Your Application: Associate the number with an application that initiates calls and establishes audio streaming over the WebSocket. Use the sample code below as a reference:

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1. Integrate with AI Services: Follow Plivo’s audio stream integration guide on GitHub to set up your chosen transcription and sentiment analysis tools.‍
2. Test Your Setup: Dial the configured phone number to trigger the call, establish the audio stream, and observe the transcription and sentiment analysis in action.

Why Choose Plivo?

Plivo’s Voice API and audio streaming features are designed for flexibility and efficiency, making it easy to integrate with any AI-driven transcription and sentiment analysis services. This versatility ensures that you can customize the solution to fit your specific needs, enhancing your contact center’s quality assurance processes with advanced automation.

By leveraging Plivo’s application, you can automate call quality analysis, providing valuable insights that help improve agent performance and customer satisfaction. Get started today and take your contact center to the next level with Plivo’s powerful integration capabilities. For more details, explore our developer resources and start optimizing your customer interactions now. Happy analyzing!

Security is on everyone’s mind, and at PlivoCX, protecting your information is our highest priority. We want to earn your trust when it comes to keeping your data safe. As part of that commitment, we are pleased to announce that we’ve renewed our SOC 2 Type 2 certification, which incorporates controls relevant to HIPAA compliance.

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Validating Our Security Practices

SOC 2 Type 2 Certification

Our all-in-one CX suite simplifies marketing, automates customer service, and fuels growth — all while maintaining stringent security controls on sensitive customer information. This year, we renewed our SOC 2 Type 2 certification. The SOC 2 criteria validates our security processes to meet strict industry standards over time. Specific areas covered include:

• Regular communication of changes to customers
• Robust internal access control to production environments
• Thorough system monitoring and ongoing risk assessments
• Reliable disaster recovery, data backup measures, and system availability
• Responsive system and security monitoring and incident response processes
• Effective employee onboarding and termination processes

Plivo’s controls will continue to evolve to maintain the privacy and security of customer data and perfect our security systems.

HIPAA Compliance: A Shared Responsibility

For our healthcare clients, we provide HIPAA business associate agreements (BAA) to safeguard sensitive patient information in accordance with healthcare regulations. While our SOC 2 report encompasses controls pertinent to HIPAA, achieving full compliance is a shared responsibility, necessitating both CX Suite and our clients to diligently uphold their respective roles.

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Security as an Ongoing Effort

While compliance certifications are essential, we don’t see security as just a box to check. Our team is dedicated to continuously strengthening protections through more advanced systems, employee training, and industry best practices. We’ll keep you updated on our progress.

We’re proud of our team’s hard work over the past year, and we’ll continue striving to implement robust security measures and achieve accreditations.

Read more about our renewed SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, our security measures, and how we're continually protecting your data on our security page.

Your security is always our top priority. We appreciate your trust in us.

SMS notifications are the heart of business communication. From sending customer service updates, appointment reminders, order confirmations, event reminders, and marketing campaigns, to billing alerts, SMS notifications play a vital role in your communications strategy. 

With an average click-through rate of 20%-35%, and open rates averaging around 95% (compared to email’s 21%), it’s no surprise why more teams prefer SMS as a channel to communicate and engage with their customers. 

This guide will walk you through how SMS notification services work, their benefits for your business, and how to find the best SMS notification service for your business. 

What is an SMS notification service?

An SMS notification service is a platform that lets you send text messages to your customers instantly. Depending on the customer’s mobile device settings, they’ll receive this SMS text message notification on their cell phone’s messaging app, lock screen, or home screen. 

Here’s how it works: 

• Integrate an SMS API (Application Programming Interface) into your existing systems. 
• When a trigger event occurs (like a new order or an appointment reminder), the system communicates with the SMS gateway.
• The gateway then processes and sends the message to the customer's mobile network within seconds. 

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4 key benefits of an SMS notification system

Sending text messages to your customers helps you build meaningful connections and communities with your customers. It adds a useful dimension to your overall communications strategy. With SMS, you can reach customers where they’re most likely to engage (their phones), in ways that they want to connect (concisely and creatively). 

An SMS notification system makes sending text messages to your customers easier and faster — without exorbitant costs or development hassle. 

Let’s take a look at the core benefits of using an SMS notification system. 

• Instant communication with customers: A reliable SMS notification system allows you to send messages quickly and at scale helping you reach thousands of recipients at a relatively low cost. ‍
• High open and response rates: Do you have an exciting offer you want your customers to see as soon as possible? SMS is the best way to reach your audience in seconds.  ‍
• Cost-effective method of communication: SMS is a cost-effective way to reach customers at scale. Generally, the price of an SMS notification system depends on two factors: the tool's price and the number of messages sent per campaign. Many tools have fixed costs, although Plivo offers a pay-as-you-go pricing model. This option is great for small-to-medium businesses to connect with their customers affordably.‍
• Improved customer engagement and satisfaction: SMS notification systems allow you to deliver personalized text messages. Segment your audience based on who they are, what drives them, and how and why they shop. A dedicated SMS notification system can automate some of these complex backend functions. 

Why should you choose Plivo as your SMS notification system? 

Sending SMS is simple and affordable with Plivo. We’re trusted by thousands of businesses including IBM, Workday, Deckers, Greyhound, and Wix. Our SMS API platform programmatically sends and receives text messages to customers worldwide easily and efficiently. We support over 220 countries and territories, and let you customize your sender ID in 100 countries outside of the US and Canada. 

Plivo offers a number of powerful features out of the box: 

• Long message concatenation
• Support for any character set
• Default message body purging
• Message feedback API
• Handle opt-out intent
• Message queueing
• Number pooling
• Sticky sender
• Smart queuing 
• Message redaction

All of these features are designed to make it easier to create, manage, and optimize SMS with your audiences. See why Plivo outranks other SMS notification systems. 

1. Scalable solutions for businesses of all sizes

It shouldn’t be hard to connect with your customers as your business grows. Plivo is designed to meet your scaling needs, both from a cost and ease-of-use perspective. 

With Plivo, you can programmatically create personalized SMS alerts and notifications for any type of activity on customers’ accounts. Plivo’s RESTful API is easy to work with, and its syntax is familiar to developers who have experience with Twilio’s API. 

The SMS notification system doubles down on ease of use by offering Plivo High-Level Objects (PHLO). PHLO is a visual design studio that lets you build customized communication workflows for both SMS and voice with zero coding. 

The studio uses pre-built templates for tasks like IVR, voicemail, alerting, and surveys, so your development team isn’t bogged down with complicated technical details and is focused more on delivering the project at hand. 

Plivo offers flexible pricing plans and volume discounts, making SMS notification an extremely affordable option. 

2. Easy integration with existing systems

Plivo's SMS API is designed to integrate seamlessly into your existing applications. Whether you're using Java, C#, Python, PHP, Ruby, Node.js, or Golang, Plivo provides comprehensive server-side SDKs and detailed documentation to help you get started quickly.

The API uses consistent interfaces for creating, retrieving, updating, deleting, and listing resources. This consistency makes it easier to build and manage applications, with the ability to handle multiple SMS messages in a single API request.

Built-in support for GSM and Unicode character sets allows you to communicate in any language, including emojis and special characters. This feature ensures that your messages are correctly displayed to recipients globally.

3. Comprehensive analytics and reporting

When it comes to analytics, two things matter the most: what kind of data your tool collects and how well it distills that data so you can truly collect useful insights and make data-driven decisions. 

Plivo provides access to detailed SMS analytics for all your inbound and outbound messages including:

• Date: The time at which the message was queued in Plivo.
• From: The source number of the text message.
• To: The destination number of the text message.
• To country: Country ISO of the destination country.
• Direction: Message direction — Inbound or Outbound.
• Status: The current status of the message.
  Statuses for Outbound messages aresome text
  • Queued
  • Failed
  • Send
  • Delivered
  • Undelivered
• Statuses for Inbound messages aresome text
  • Received
  • Delivered
  • Undelivered
• Error reason: The reason for failure in cases where message status is Undelivered or Failed
• Total amount ($): Total amount charged for this message. This includes the carrier pass-through fees.

Using a combination of these filters, you can narrow your search to relevant messages. You can also download the message details as a CSV file to export to a third-party analytics tool. 

4. Optimize message delivery

If you want to send your messages across a group of phone numbers (long code and short code), you can use Plivo’s powerpack for SMS. Powerpack lets you create number pools that can be used to improve message delivery and boost open rates of your SMS and MMS campaigns.

Plus, it uses a sticky sender for a consistent experience. Engage with your customers using a recognizable phone number to deliver a personalized experience that integrates information from the customer’s history with your brand. 

Features like automatic smart queuing along with source number-based rate limiting keep you compliant with country-specific volume restrictions and related rate limits. It also lets you use local phone numbers because when you send messages from a local number, customers are more likely to open and respond to messages. 

How businesses use Plivo’s SMS notification services

Companies at different stages of growth use Plivo to build deeper relationships with customers. Our SMS platform gathers customer insights while empowering communication campaigns that boost customer acquisition and build customer loyalty. 

Here are some of the most common ways companies use Plivo: 

• Customer service updates: Companies use Plivo to send instant updates to customers about their service requests, ensuring they stay informed about the status of their queries or issues.
• Appointment reminders: Plivo helps businesses reduce no-shows by sending automated reminders to customers about their upcoming appointments, enhancing overall efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• Marketing campaigns: Businesses use Plivo to run marketing campaigns, sending promotional messages, discounts, and special offers directly to customers’ mobile phones, driving engagement and sales.
• Emergency notifications: In urgent situations, organizations rely on Plivo to send emergency alerts to employees or customers, ensuring timely and reliable communication during critical times.

Ready to get started with SMS notifications for your business? Request a trial with Plivo.

There are dozens of call forwarding services available, with each promising seamless routing and efficient communication.  It's challenging to know which service is right for your needs. Many offer similar features and claim to deliver reliability and flexibility for your company. 

Choosing the wrong service can lead to missed calls, unhappy customers, and lost revenue. Not all call forwarding services are created equal—some lack proper integrations, others don't offer the level of customization you require, and many have confusing pricing structures.

In this guide, we'll share the seven call-forwarding services of 2024 that are best for most businesses. We'll walk you through their key features, pricing, and why each one stands out. With this information, you can confidently select and set up a call-forwarding service. But first: let’s dive into the ins and outs of how these services work.  

What is a call forwarding service?

A call forwarding service allows you to redirect incoming calls from one phone number to another number of your choice. It is particularly useful for businesses that have multiple phone lines or virtual teams spread across different locations. 

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Who uses call-forwarding software?

Call forwarding software is useful for businesses that need a better way to manage incoming calls. It helps customer service and sales teams ensure that incoming customer calls are always answered by the right person or department. For multi-location companies that need to route or redirect calls based on their location, call forwarding software is a critical part of their tech stack. 

Call forwarding software is often used in the following scenarios:

• When an agent is out in the field 
• When your team is off the clock
• When the intended point of contact is away from their desk 
• When a customer has a specific query

What features to look for in a call forwarding platform?

Call forwarding platforms should help your business work smarter, not harder. As such, look for some of these features when selecting a call-forwarding service. 

• Customizable call routing: It's critical to have the capacity to develop sophisticated call routing rules that meet your company's needs. Seek out call forwarding providers that offer customizable call routing choices, such as skills-based, location-based, or time-based routing.
• IVR and auto-attendant: Interactive voice response (IVR) menus and an auto-attendant function assist callers in reaching the proper person or department, reducing customer frustration and improving call performance outcomes. 
• Multi-channel support: Consider a call forwarding service that can handle email, chat, SMS, and phone calls in addition to voice calls. This coordinated dialogue
• Call recording and analytics: Call forwarding services that include call recording and analytics provide valuable insights into customer interactions and team performance. This data can be used to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven business decisions.

7 Best call forwarding services at a glance

The call-forwarding software space has incredible platforms, but some options stand out above the rest.  At a quick glance, here are the key features, free trial availability, and reviewer ratings of the top seven call forwarding services.

A deeper look: The top 7 call forwarding software providers

1 . Plivo

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Plivo’s adaptable and feature-rich platform is one of the top-rated options for managing calls. Plivo’s Voice API provides programmatic control over call destinations, offering the flexibility to customize and manage how calls are routed. With this API, you can access: 

• Dynamic call routing: Adjust the call routing in real-time based on predefined rules, such as customer preferences, location, ring time, busy or unreachable lines, round-robin calling, or agent availability. For example, you can direct high-priority customers to specific support teams or agents. Or, if someone doesn’t pick up after 15 seconds, the call will automatically move to another representative. 
• Global reach: Route calls to numbers in over 220 countries, enabling seamless international communication without requiring complex setups.
• Failover mechanism: Implement a fallback routing system to ensure calls are always answered, even if the primary destination is unreachable.
• Interactive voice response (IVR): Create multi-level IVR systems to guide customers through automated menus and direct them to the right department based on their inputs.
• Recording and monitoring: Enable call recording for quality assurance or compliance purposes and monitor calls live to evaluate agent performance.
• Customized caller ID: Modify caller ID information to ensure a consistent and recognizable caller identity, increasing customer trust and engagement.
• Analytics and reporting: Access detailed call data and analytics to monitor call quality, duration, and routing effectiveness. Use these insights to optimize your communication strategies.

Plivo’s platform is geared towards enhancing not just efficiency but also the quality of interactions with customers through its sophisticated auto-attendant and IVR system. Additionally, its support for multiple communication channels and detailed analytics helps businesses keep their fingers on the pulse of their communication strategies.

Key features

• Customizable call routing
• Auto-attendant and IVR
• Multi-channel support
• Turnkey single-API solution 
• High deliverability
• Built-in fraud control 
• Call recording and analytics

Pricing 

Visit Plivo's website for detailed pricing information.

Free trial

Plivo offers a free trial period for users to test their services.

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2. Dialpad

G2 rating: 4.5 out of 5 

Dialpad’s fast set-up process provides agents with tools to manage calls more effectively and connect with customers from anywhere. Dialpad automatically forwards incoming calls to a maximum of five phone numbers. You can set rules to forward phone calls from your Dialpad number to either your mobile device, a landline, or an accessible agent.

Beyond simple call forwarding, Dialpad provides a robust communications platform. It can route calls through its intelligent system or redirect them to voicemail when agents are unavailable. Moreover, its analytical tools offer insights into communication patterns, enabling businesses to refine their strategies and continuously enhance customer interactions.

Key features

• Multiple phone numbers per account
• AI-enabled sales intelligence tools like AI-assisted sales coaching, playbooks, and interaction scoring
• Unified AI collaboration platform with voice/video calling, messaging, and meeting capabilities
• 25 ring groups (departments)

Pricing 

• Standard plan: $15 per user/month
• Pro plan: $25 per user/month
• Enterprise plan: Contact Dialpad for a custom quote

Free trial

Dialpad offers a 14-day free trial for users to evaluate their services.

3. Grasshopper

G2 rating: 4.0 out of 5 

Grasshopper is a simple yet powerful call-forwarding service for small businesses and entrepreneurs who need an efficient way to manage calls. The platform is intuitively designed, making it easy for less tech-savvy users to enhance their professional presence and maintain customer connectivity. 

Compile a list of call-forwarding phone numbers while ensuring you are notified of incoming calls. Grasshopper offers the flexibility to customize your call schedule and designate specific phone numbers for forwarded calls. With different plans to accommodate growth and a mobile app for on-the-go management, Grasshopper scales with your business as it grows. 

Key features

• VoIP and Wifi calling
• Custom greetings
• User-friendly interface suitable for non-technical users
• Simultaneous call handling
• Mobile app for call and message management on the go

Pricing 

• Solo plan: $26 per user/month (one number + three extensions)
• Partner plan: $44 per user/month (three numbers + six extensions)
• Small business plan: $80 per user/month (five numbers + unlimited extensions)

Free trial

Grasshopper offers a seven-day free trial for users to try out their services.

4. GoTo Connect

G2 rating: 4.4 out of 5 

GoTo Connect is a great call-forwarding service option for small-scale or growth-stage startups. It offers a comprehensive platform that supports voice, video, and text across various devices. The call forwarding service includes automatic call attendance, chat, extensions, voicemail to audio email, SMS, and unlimited calls. 

Ideal for teams that operate both remotely and in-office, GoTo Connect ensures that every team member and client stays connected with features like HD video conferencing. It can accommodate up to 25 webcams or 250 people. Overall, the platform’s flexible pricing and ease of integration with other tools make it a preferred choice for businesses looking to streamline their communications without compromising on features or functionality.

Key features

• Unlimited users
• Unlimited call routing, automated attendants, and queues
• Unified communications across voice, video, and text
• Video meetings with up to 250 participants
• Flexible device compatibility for hybrid and remote team setups
• Easy integration with other business tools
• Scalable plan options from basic to premium features

Pricing 

• Basic plan: $24 per user/month
• Standard plan: $29 per user/month
• Premium plan: $43 per user/month

Free trial

GoTo Connect offers a 14-day free trial for users to test their services.

5. Talkdesk

G2 rating: 4.4 out of 5 

Talkdesk offers a range of features including the ability to forward calls to any phone, be it mobile, landline, or computer. This enables employees to work remotely and stay connected with their customers. Additionally, Talkdesk provides local and toll-free numbers that can be forwarded to agents anywhere, allowing businesses to expand their international presence. 

The platform also enables businesses to route calls to agents with specific skills or knowledge, ensuring that customers are always connected to the most appropriate agent for their needs. Finally, Talkdesk allows businesses to monitor forwarded calls for quality assurance while enabling workforce mobility. This helps businesses to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction and ensure that their employees are productive and engaged.

Key features

• Cloud-based call center functionality
• Advanced analytics and real-time reporting
• High scalability to handle varying call volumes
• Power dialer
• Outbound caller ID
• Data import and synchronization

Pricing 

• CX Cloud Essentials plan: $75 per user/month
• CX Cloud Elevate plan: $95 per user/month
• CX Cloud Elite plan: $125 per user/month

Free trial

Talkdesk does not offer a free trial.

6. RingCentral

G2 rating: 4.0 out of 5

RingCentral offers a comprehensive set of call-forwarding capabilities that ensure no important calls are missed. With RingCentral, you can improve the caller experience and increase agent responsiveness. Its flexible nature makes it ideal for mobile and remote employees, and its scalable infrastructure is built to handle the growth of small businesses. 

Additionally, RingCentral provides after-hours call coverage options and all-in-one cloud communication solutions, including voice, messaging, video, and fax services. It makes mobile management and configuration easy and comes with advanced virtual phone system features. RingCentral also provides international calling services and analytics and reporting tools to help you better understand your communications data.

Key features

• Unlimited users
• Unlimited auto attendants, call routing, and queues
• Video meetings with up to 150 participants
• Strong integration with business applications
• Modular design that grows with your business

Pricing 

• Essentials plan: $19.99 per user/month
• Standard plan: $27.99 per user/month
• Premium plan: $34.99 per user/month
• Ultimate plan: $49.99 per user/month

Free trial

       RingCentral offers a 14-day free trial for users to test their services. 

7. 8x8

G2 rating: 4.0 out of 5 

The cloud communications platform from 8x8 is a comprehensive solution that integrates voice, video, chat, and contact center capabilities. It offers customizable call forwarding and transfer rules that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the users, making it a flexible and mobile solution. Businesses can work from anywhere, including remotely or from home, to stay connected to their customers and colleagues. 

The platform also enables businesses to improve their customer experience by easily transferring calls to the right person to handle a customer query. Additionally, the platform provides advanced call routing options including ring groups to ensure that calls are routed to the appropriate team members in a timely manner.

Key features

• Caller ID, blocking, and do not disturb
• Call waiting and parking
• Three-way calling
• Competitive pricing suited for SMEs

Pricing 

• Express plan: $15 per user/month
• X2 plan: $24 per user/month
• X4 plan: $44 per user/month

Free trial

8x8 provides a 30-day free trial for users to evaluate their services.

How to choose the right call forwarding service for your business

The call forwarding service you choose impacts a substantial part of your customer (and employee) experience. Consider the following factors when making your decision.

1. Business needs: Assess your business requirements and identify the specific features and capabilities you need from a call forwarding service. Consider factors such as the number of users, flexibility, multi-channel support, and software integrations.
2. Budget: Look into your budget and choose a call forwarding service that fits within your financial capabilities. Consider not only the monthly subscription fees but also any additional costs for extra features or usage.
3. User experience: Test the user interface and evaluate the ease of use of the call forwarding service. A user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation will save time and reduce the learning curve for your team.
4. Reliability and support: Look for a call forwarding service with a reputation for reliable performance and strong customer support. Uptime guarantees, security features, and the responsiveness of its support staff are crucial.
5. Integration capabilities: Test and explore the integration capabilities of your call forwarding service with other tools and platforms your business relies on. CRM systems, help desk software, and other communication tools that can be integrated are likely to enhance productivity and ensure a smooth operation.

Free trials help you make an informed decision and choose the right call-forwarding service that aligns with your business goals and requirements.

Get started with Plivo

Plivo consistently stands out for its robust features and reliable service. Whether you're looking to enhance your customer service, streamline your communications, or simply manage calls more efficiently, Plivo offers a comprehensive and user-friendly platform that can adapt to your business’s unique needs. 

Request for a free trial today.

Phone number verification is the easiest way to ensure a phone number is legitimate. It simply entails sending a verification code via SMS or a phone call and getting a response back. You don’t need a complex or expensive tool to do this. 

Phone number verification APIs automate this process, making it a breeze for businesses of all sizes to verify contact information. Plug these APIs into mobile apps, CRM systems, and websites to verify numbers during sign-ups, logins, or data updates. 

This guide includes seven of the best phone number verification APIs in 2024 that offer features designed to support your business needs. We’ll break down the pros and cons of the platforms you’ve likely considered but haven’t had the opportunity to explore deeper. Read on to learn what makes each solution unique and pricing plans. 

Benefits of a phone number verification API

Phone verification has been used for decades by companies globally. The need for verification is fundamental: businesses rely on accurate customer phone numbers for critical processes logging in, making transactions, and setting passwords. 

Phone numbers also strengthen the brand/customer relationship. Companies rely on phone numbers to deliver important marketing messages, promotions, and announcements. If a number isn’t valid, the customer will never see your marketing efforts, wasting your time and resources. 

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Phone number verification can help with both business-critical processes and marketing outreach. Here are the core benefits of using a phone number verification API: 

Improved data accuracy and quality

A phone number verification API ensures the contact information in your database is accurate and up-to-date. This means errors caused by fake or mistyped numbers. Your communications campaigns will reach their intended recipients. 

Enhanced customer experience

Customers use their phones to get all kinds of alerts – from order status updates to, special promotions and discounts. A phone number verification API helps ensure that all your customers enter a valid and active phone number to get messages that elevate their experience. 

Reduced fraud and spam

Some of the most common cyberattacks include phishing and spamming. Both of these methods rely on customer information. A phone number verification API helps identify and block fraudulent and spam numbers, protecting your business and customers from malicious activities.

Cost savings on undeliverable messages

Sending messages to invalid phone numbers can quickly become a significant overhead cost. Removing invalid phone numbers before you waste money trying to reach them helps improve your ROI and budget your resources more efficiently. 

Features to look for in a phone number verification API

As you look for the best phone number verification APIs, keep an eye out for these features to help you find the right fit. 

1. Real-time validation: Ensure the API provides instant validation to verify numbers as they are entered, improving accuracy and user experience.
2. Easy to use and navigate: Consider a phone number verification API that offers a clean, intuitive interface. This will reduce the implementation time for your developers and make day-to-day ops easier. 
3. Global reach and coverage: Look for an API that supports phone numbers from multiple countries so you can operate internationally without any hassle. 
4. Integration capabilities: The API should easily integrate with your existing systems, providing a seamless setup process and compatibility with your tech stack.
5. Detailed reporting and analytics: Choose an API that offers comprehensive reports and analytics to monitor verification processes, understand patterns, and make informed decisions.
6. Scalability and reliability: Ensure the API can handle large volumes of requests and maintain high uptime, especially during peak times, to support your business growth.

Top 7 phone number verification APIs: at a glance

The table below provides a quick overview of the best phone number verification APIs.

Top 7 phone number verification APIs

To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of the top seven phone number verification APIs you should consider. 

1. Plivo

Plivo is one of the most advanced customer engagement tools on the market. Its Verify API is designed for effortless verification with robust fraud control features that protect you against phishing and SMS pumping attacks. 

Plivo’s free Fraud Shield is one of the most attractive features in its API offering. It understands the customers' usage patterns and automatically adjusts the thresholds across countries. Plivo Verify also offers built-in reporting that helps you assess your cost savings by preventing fraud attacks. 

The best part? Plivo delivers the lowest cost per verification among top-rated solutions on the market. There are zero authentication fees and you only pay for SMS and voice charges. Use Plivo’s pre-registered phone numbers and avoid monthly phone number rental fees. In addition, there’s no compliance fee, meaning you eliminate overhead costs associated with compliance registrations. 

With Plivo, ready-made message templates are pre-approved and designed to increase conversions. Plivo Verify offers a 95% OTP conversion rate. We’re rated highly for support with extensive documentation that helps teams get started in five minutes or less. 

Pros

• Best-in-class, built-in fraud protection for free
• High deliverability and accuracy rates support a 95% OTP conversion rate
• Go live in 220+ countries in five minutes or less
• 99.99% uptime SLAs available, plus comprehensive support and premium 24-hour customer service
• Low cost per conversion
• Channel flexibility: send OTPs using SMS, voice & WhatsApp

Cons

• Pricing may be higher for small businesses

Pricing

• Base pricing: $0 verification fee. Pay only the standard fee per channel. See detailed SMS and Voice pricing. 
• Volume pricing: Contact the sales team to get the best pricing. 

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2. Numlookup API

Numlookup API is a simple and quick solution for phone number verification. It automates the process by checking carrier information and the status of phone numbers. On its free tier, you can send 100 requests monthly—suitable for smaller businesses that are building their customer base and testing the waters. 

When it comes time to scale, and you need an unlimited amount of API connections, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. Paid users get premium support. Numlookup API guarantees a 24-hour turnaround time for their paid customers. Along with this, they also boast 100% uptime in the last 90 days for all customers. 

Pros:

• Quick and easy to implement; designed for small businesses 
• Provides worldwide coverage for global phone numbers
• Quick lookup with detailed carrier and status information
• SDKs for the most popular languages (Python, Ruby, Node.js, and PHP)

Cons:

• Free tier rate limits are hit quickly 
• Lacks additional features like email or IP address validation
• Limited to basic phone number lookup without advanced functionalities​

Pricing 

• Free plan: The free tier allows up to 100 requests at 10 requests/minute
• Small plan: Starts at $9.99/month for up to 7000 requests
• Medium plan: Starts at $44.99/month for up to 65,000 requests 
• Large plan: Starts at $89.99/month for up to 300,000 requests
• Custom plan: For more requests, you need to contact their team

3. Neutrino API

Neutrino is designed as a general-purpose API, offering tools such as bad word filter, email validation, phone number validation, phone playback, SMS verification, phone verification, and more. 

Their phone number verification API allows you to parse, validate, and get location information for a phone number. You can identify the general user agent type, and device features, such as the brand, model, and OS. Additionally, it supports verification for both local and international phone numbers and includes fraud detection features. 

Pros:

• Quick and easy to get started
• Offers various validation services including phone, email, and IP address
• Very affordable 

Cons:

• Poorly designed interface which can be confusing 
• Lack of documentation can make integration difficult
• Tech support is available only via an online contact form or email

Pricing 

Free Trial – With its free plan, you can explore its all features.

• Tier 1: Neutrino API starts at $10/month for up to 10,000 requests per day
• Tier 2: Starts at $50/month for 100,000 requests per day
• Tier 3: Starts at $250/month for 1M requests per day

4. Vonage Verify API

Vonage is an advanced platform that offers a dedicated Verify API to easily validate customers across the world at scale. It provides multiple authentication channels including SMS, voice (TTS), WhatsApp, email, and Silent Authentication, allowing you to authenticate your customers based on their preferences. They do the heavy lifting for you including fraud monitoring, failover, OTP generation, and sender ID management. 

One of the standout features of Vonage is its fraud detection, which is designed to prevent expensive unauthorized transactions. It automatically triggers step-up authentication for suspicious numbers and uses up-to-date phone number intelligence to identify fraudulent transactions. Additionally, Vonage offers global text-to-speech (TTS), intelligent failover, adaptive routing, and flexible implementation. 

Pros:

• Reliable verification with detailed carrier information
• Highly versatile, providing phone, email, and WhatsApp verification
• Easy integration with robust documentation

Cons:

• Per-request pricing may become expensive with high-volume
• May require technical knowledge for the initial setup

Pricing 

• Verify conversion plan: Pricing per API call starts at $0.005 per request for number lookup.
• Verify success plan: Contact their sales team for a custom price 

5. Abstract API

Abstract offers a library of APIs for an array of processes; email validation, IP geolocation, company enrichment, public holidays, phone validation, link shortener, image processing, weather API, and more. 

If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution or have needs beyond just phone number verification, then Abstract is a great solution. But if your needs are limited, you might want to consider a more straightforward tool. 

Regarding phone number validation, it supports over 190 countries and guarantees a 99.99% uptime SLA with 24/7 customer support via email, chat, and phone.

Pros:

• Easy and quick to get started
• Offers a free-for-life tier 
• Global coverage suitable for international operations
• Easy setup with user-friendly documentation

Cons:

• Potentially higher costs compared to single-purpose APIs​
• Customer support is reviewed as subpar 
• Accuracy is questionable 

Pricing 

• Free plan: The free tier allows up to 250 API calls per month.
• Paid plan: Starts at $17/month for up to 30,000 requests per year, with higher tiers available.

6. Byteplant

BytePlant provides multiple solutions: address validator, email validator, phone validator, and anti-spam. Its phone validation API supports 240 countries and offers real-time phone validation, phone list cleaning, and a 30-day money-back guarantee (no questions asked). 

BytePlant integrates well with platforms such as Salesforce and Mailchimp and ensures secure data transmission with industry-standard encryption. The API is designed to handle large volumes of requests, making it suitable for businesses with high validation needs.

Pros:

• Real-time phone number verification
• High accuracy with international and national number validation
• Secure data transmission with industry-standard encryption

Cons:

• Monthly credit costs can be high for small businesses
• Limited free tier, encouraging quick transition to paid plans​

Pricing 

• Pricing: Monthly credits cost around $390/month for up to 10,000 requests.
• Paid plan: Pay-as-you-go option available.

7. Mocean

Mocean’s Verify API specializes in phone number lookup and SMS verification services. It supports real-time phone number validation and provides detailed data about the phone number, including carrier and line type. 

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It comes with features like intelligent failover, adaptive routing, and flexible charging. Mocean's API is easy to integrate and supports multiple programming languages. The service is ideal for businesses focused on SMS marketing, providing secure data handling with robust encryption.

Pros:

• Pay-as-you-go pricing model for cost efficiency
• Provides both phone number lookup and SMS verification
• Secure data handling with robust encryption

Cons:

• Pricing can add up with high usage
• Limited free tier compared to competitors

Pricing 

• Pricing: Pay-as-you-go pricing starts at $0.0037 per request for phone number lookup.
• Paid plan: $0.0138 per SMS verification sent.

Get started with Plivo today 

Choosing the right phone number verification API involves considering key factors. Start by understanding your business’s needs and goals, listing out specific of your must-have and nice-to-have features like customization, global presence, and customer support. 

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Think Plivo might be the perfect API for your verification needs? Find out today with a trial.