The Real Cost of Running N Verified Accounts (With the Math)
2026-08-28 · SMS-GO Research Team · 7 min read
Written by the team that operates SMS-GO. Figures reflect first-hand operation and an August 2026 audit of 16 providers\u2019 published price data. Pricing moves, so treat specific numbers as a snapshot.
"How much will this cost me at scale?" is the question every operator asks, and most answers ignore the two things that dominate the real cost: delivery failure and the choice between one-time codes and rentals. Here is the actual math.
The three cost components
The cost of a working account is not the sticker price of a number. It is the sum of the numbers you buy, the ones that fail and cost you anyway, and any renewals you need to stay reachable.
- Number price (sticker).
- Delivery loss: failed numbers you paid for.
- Renewal, if you keep the number past the first period.
Delivery loss is the multiplier
If delivery is 80%, you buy about 1.25 numbers per working account. At 60% delivery, you buy about 1.67. That multiplier is why a slightly more expensive number on a better pool is usually cheaper overall.
| Delivery rate | Numbers bought per success |
|---|---|
| 90% | ~1.11 |
| 80% | ~1.25 |
| 70% | ~1.43 |
| 60% | ~1.67 |
| 50% | ~2.00 |
A worked example
Say you need 50 working Telegram accounts, the number is $0.90, and delivery is 85%. You buy about 50 ÷ 0.85 ≈ 59 numbers. At $0.90 that is roughly $53. If delivery were 60%, you would buy about 84 numbers — roughly $76 — for the same 50 accounts. The pool quality moved your cost by 40%.
One-time codes vs rentals at scale
If you never need the number again, one-time codes are the cheap path. If accounts must survive re-login or recovery, you need rentals, and the rental price replaces the per-code price in the math above. Mixing is common: rentals for accounts you keep, codes for disposable signups.
What a refund does to this
If failed numbers refund, your delivery-loss multiplier collapses toward 1, because you only pay for numbers that deliver. That is why a refund window is worth more at scale than a small price difference.
Questions, answered
How do I estimate the cost of N accounts?+
Divide N by the delivery rate to get numbers needed, then multiply by the number price. Add renewals if you keep the numbers.
Why does pool quality matter more than price?+
A bad pool raises the delivery-loss multiplier, so you buy more numbers for the same working accounts. The refund window limits this.
When do rentals beat one-time codes?+
When the account must survive re-login or recovery. For disposable signups, one-time codes are cheaper.
Does a refund really change the math?+
Yes. With a refund, you only pay for delivered numbers, so the cost per working account approaches the sticker price.
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