Pavel Durov Introduces Telegram Phone Verification Service, Calls Price ‘Unprecedentedly Low’

Key Takeaways

• Telegram has launched a new phone verification service called Telegram Gateway.
• The new platform offers and alternative to SMS-based systems.
• Anyone with a Telegram account can be verified via the service.

Telegram has started offering verification as a service to businesses via Telegram Gateway.

Because every Telegram account must be verified with a phone number, the platform, which has 800 million monthly active users, operates one of the most extensive phone verification setups in the world.

According to CEO Pavel Durov, who has recently taken to discussing new features via his personal channel, Telegram Gateway is the cheapest option on the market that offers an alternative to SMS-based solutions.

What Is Telegram Gateway?

The new service is designed to streamline phone number verification for businesses and developers. By essentially piggybacking off Telegram’s existing infrastructure, it provides an alternative to traditional SMS verification.

Businesses can integrate the service into their applications, making it easier to onboard users who already have a Telegram account. 

An Alternative to SMS

Telegram claims the new platform is much faster than SMS-based options, with users receiving verification codes almost instantly.

Other potential benefits of bypassing SMS verification include improved reliability, high costs and geographical restrictions. 

Telegram Offers “Most Affordable” Option

In his announcement , Durov emphasized the cost benefits of Telegram Gateway, stating, “Telegram offers the most affordable option for businesses seeking phone number verification.” 

Priced at $0.01 per verification code, the new platform is certainly cheaper than most SMS verification systems.

For example, Twilio charges a base rate of $0.03 and $0.05 per successful verification on top of local SMS fees. Message Central’s costs are even higher, at  $0.05 per code.

A Personal Telegram Strategy?

Calling the pricing “unprecedentedly low,” Durov said he doesn’t necessarily anticipate the service becoming a significant revenue source. However, it could still hold strategic value for the company as Telegram continues to pivot beyond messaging.

The Telegram CEO’s use of his channel to make a series of personal and company announcements is noteworthy in itself and could be viewed as an attempt to reclaim the narrative after a spell of negative publicity catalyzed by his arrest in August.

Following the controversy, Durov has sought to tread the fine line between committing to regulatory compliance and anti-crime measures without looking like he is abandoning the platform’s “core principles” of privacy and freedom from censorship.

Expanding Beyond Messaging

From its inception as a pure-play messaging app, today, Telegram functions as an increasingly complex ecosystem providing a wide range of digital services.

In recent years, new products and features have emphasized business users, who now have access to a range of bots and APIs that let them program the platform to suit their individual needs.

Through features like Telegram Stars and Toncoin integration, the platform has also ventured into payments, allowing businesses to process transactions within the app.