I am extremely frustrated that so many services require a US phone number for two-factor authentication.
A lot of platforms, including banks and services like PayPal, keep forcing additional verification steps even after I have already completed identity checks like facial recognition and ID verification. When trying to send even small amounts of money, I am sometimes required to verify again using a US-based phone number.
I cannot use alternatives like Google Voice, and international numbers are often rejected. This makes it difficult to access basic financial services while living or traveling as a digital nomad.
Is the only real solution to maintain an American phone number with an expensive international plan, or are there better ways people handle this problem?