Best cell phone plans for receiving 2FA in Colombia and keep US number

I was told by a US Banker, and this is what I do:

Change all of the phone numbers for your banking contacts (and others if necessary), to that of a family member or friend who is willing to do it.

When you need a code sent to you, call/whatsapp that family member to make sure they are available to recieve it and send it to you.  Once they confirm, send the code.  They send it to you and you enter it.

It's worked for over 5 years for me so far...  Not tied to paying a US plan just for verification.

To make calls to the US, get a CLARO plan.  My plan allows unlimited calling to the US for $60k pesos/month (with a large amount of data too).

I just use Magic Jack    app.

Cheap and has SMS

You can use a famiky members phone as back up to use in the rare case a bank or institution needs 2 or  3 step verification and doesnt accept VOIP.

All banks  and government and private institutions let you have alternate  contsct phone numberstand verification methods.

Magic jack recieves the voice mail codes and SMS messages without problem

Thanks good to know @mtbe

Appreciate all the responses!

It's up to the Banks just what services they will all ow for Text messages.

In this day and age it's cheap enough to not go crazy with some service for texting with a US number while overseas. Currently, Since US Mobile use AT&T as one if its options (I guess the Verizon and T-Moble will also work but I have been using their AT&T or "Darkstar" option).

So when asking Bank Of America to send you a text for 2FA they see your US Mobile number as registered at AT&T(and not Ooma, magickJack or a TextBetter) and they allow the text to be sent.

Being overseas and intnat'l roaming on US Mobile is free for 10GB and 100 texts and I don't know how many minutes of talk, included, in my plan. It rides on the TIGO Access point in Colombia.

Or you can buy a intnatl roaming add on. I get texts from all banks to my US number no prob this way.

Some banks also won't call to give you your 2FA code using voice if the number registers to Ooma or Vonage. THEY KNOW.

US mobile works great in the US and I'm back and forth. I do not work for them.

I also use VOIP with Ooma which works great but most banks won't call it for 2FA and to get texts there you need a US S Corp or LLC.

All info subject to change but works  great now as of 11/17/2025

After 15 years here in Colombia with 10 of which full time and after trying every available method, some at a considerable cost (ie using my AT&T and Verizon Los Angeles California roaming feature for the initial 5 plus years) for the past 7-8 years have settled in on changing all of my US banking and US credit card info to my sister back in California.

Yes did the Magic Jack for 3 or 4 years, also used some cell apps available at the time 8-10 years ago, have spent numerous hours over the past 10 years contacting my US banks to resolve blocks, etc...............how grateful I am for my sister who BTW spent her career at Bank of America and gets things done.