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How To Send Verification Codes To Your Users

Send secure, cost-effective verification codes via Telegram. Faster delivery, enhanced security, better than SMS. Learn how!

Zachary Hacker
Zachary Hacker
January 4, 2025
5 minutes

Verification codes help secure user accounts and validate identities, helping perform important functions for businesses and users alike. Whether you’re confirming sign-ups, resetting passwords, or enabling two-factor authentication, a fast and reliable method for delivering verification codes is essential.

Traditionally, businesses have relied on SMS for this purpose. However, SMS-based verification comes with big drawbacks—high costs, slow delivery in some regions, and security vulnerabilities like SIM swap fraud. Telegram Gateway offers a better solution. By sending verification codes directly through Telegram, businesses can achieve faster delivery, enhanced security, and dramatically lower costs. At just $0.01 per code, Telegram verification is up to 50 times more cost-effective than SMS.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how Telegram Gateway works and provide step-by-step instructions for using Telegram verification codes.

What Is Telegram Gateway and How Does It Work?

Telegram Gateway is an API provided by Telegram that allows businesses to send verification codes directly to users via the Telegram messaging platform. It is a cost-effective, secure, and reliable alternative to SMS-based verification systems, especially for businesses looking to improve their user authentication process.

How Does It Work?

The Telegram Gateway API enables businesses to deliver verification codes as messages to users’ Telegram accounts. These messages are transmitted over Telegram’s encrypted infrastructure, ensuring speed and security.

To use the Telegram Gateway, businesses need:

  1. User Opt-In: Users must agree to share their phone numbers and receive messages via Telegram.
  2. API Access: Businesses obtain an API key through Telegram’s Gateway platform to send verification codes programmatically.

Key Benefits of Telegram Gateway

  • Cost-Effective: Sending a Telegram verification code costs only $0.01 per message, compared to SMS, which can cost up to 50 times more, depending on the region.
  • Instant Delivery: Unlike SMS, which can experience delays, Telegram messages are delivered instantly over the internet as long as the user is online.
  • Improved Security: Verification codes sent via Telegram are encrypted, reducing the risks of SIM swap fraud, SMS interception, and spoofing.
  • Global Reach: Telegram Gateway works wherever Telegram is available, ensuring reliable verification for users across the globe without country-specific restrictions.

Why User Opt-In Matters

Telegram Gateway operates on a user-consent model. Before you can send verification codes to users via Telegram, they must:

  1. Share their phone number with your business.
  2. Explicitly opt-in to receive messages through Telegram.

This approach ensures compliance with privacy standards while maintaining trust between businesses and their users. With Telegram Gateway, businesses gain a fast, secure, and low-cost method to verify users while offering a seamless experience to anyone who uses Telegram.

Steps to Send Telegram Verification Codes

Sending verification codes through Telegram Gateway is simple and cost-effective. Follow these basic steps to get started:

  1. Create a Telegram Gateway Account
    Log in to the Telegram Gateway platform with your Telegram account and set up your business details.
  2. Fund Your Account
    Add funds through the platform (using Fragment) to begin sending verification codes.
  3. Get Your API Key
    Generate an API key from the Gateway dashboard. This key will let you send verification codes programmatically.
  4. Start Sending Codes
    Use the Telegram Gateway API to send verification codes to your users. Telegram provides detailed instructions and code examples on how to do this.

For full technical details and API documentation, visit the Telegram Gateway Documentation.

Why Use Telegram Verification Codes Instead of SMS?

Verification codes sent via Telegram offer huge advantages over traditional SMS. For developers and businesses aiming to provide reliable account verification, Telegram Gateway is the smarter choice. Here's why:

  • Lower Costs: Sending a verification code via Telegram costs just $0.01 per message. SMS verification, on the other hand, can cost up to $0.50 per message depending on the country and provider. For businesses sending high volumes of codes, this cost adds up quickly.
  • Faster Delivery: Telegram codes are delivered instantly over the internet, ensuring users receive their codes in real time. SMS delivery, however, can be delayed by network issues, particularly in remote or high-traffic regions.
  • Enhanced Security: SMS is vulnerable to interception and SIM swap attacks. Telegram’s encryption ensures verification codes remain private and secure, reducing the risk of fraud.
  • Global Availability: Telegram verification works wherever Telegram is available, without the limitations of mobile network coverage or regional SMS restrictions. If users are connected to the internet, they can receive verification codes.

Tips for Using Telegram Verification Codes Effectively

To get the most out of Telegram Gateway, follow these tips:

  • Use Clear Opt-In Messaging
    • Ensure users understand they will receive verification codes via Telegram and agree to this method.
  • Optimize Code Length and Expiry
    • Set verification codes to 6 digits for simplicity.
    • Use the ttl (time-to-live) parameter to limit code validity to 1–5 minutes for enhanced security.
  • Monitor and Log API Responses
    • Use callback_url to track the success of code delivery.
    • Log failures and retry delivery if necessary, ensuring a smooth user experience.
  • Provide Alternative Methods
    • In cases where users don’t have Telegram installed, offer a fallback option like email or SMS for code delivery.

Conclusion

Verification codes are an important part of securing user accounts and ensuring reliable authentication. While SMS has traditionally been the go-to method, Telegram Gateway offers a faster, more secure, and cost-effective alternative for delivering these codes. At just $0.01 per code, with instant delivery and encryption, Telegram verification codes are ideal for businesses looking to improve user experience and reduce costs.

By following the steps outlined in this article and implementing the tips provided, you can set up Telegram verification codes quickly and efficiently.

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