In completing online transactions and account creation validation on websites, a One-time Password as an extra layer of security or as a form of two-factor authentication is often required. This has proven to be very effective in ensuring proper accountability for online users in various industries and also to guide against criminal elements who are out to scam people or impersonate online platform users.
In delivering OTPs, there are different options that are readily available. Unarguably, the most popular means of OTP delivery is SMS OTP. However, in recent times, a lot of businesses are beginning to utilize Voice OTP service either as a standalone OTP delivery service or as an alternative to SMS.
Therefore, it has become important to do a proper analysis of these two systems of delivering OTPs, looking at their individual benefits and drawbacks, pros and cons, and being able to decide the best option for you.
We will begin with SMS OTP.
SMS OTP Service
As mentioned earlier, this remains the most popular form of delivering OTP. It is the OTP sent as a text message delivered inbox on the user's phone. A lot of times we see this come to play; when registering an account online on a website, when paying for a product or service, or when completing other forms or transactions.
Here are the pros and cons of this service:
Pros
- SMS OTP delivery service is quite cheap and affordable. You can deliver OTP by SMS on SmartSMSSolutions for as low as N1.85K
- Few additional hardware are needed to send SMS OTP
- A high percentage of the world population have mobile phones able to receive SMS
- It can be received on SMS applications that are not necessarily linked to a mobile device
Cons
- Many phone numbers are now active on the DND service and as such do not receive SMS
- There is sometimes a delay in SMS delivery due to traffic on the operators' server, gateway timeout, or service outage
- There have been cases of SMS OTP being intercepted by criminals and fraudulent individuals
- It doesn't particularly offer enough value for money as you have to pay even for undelivered SMSs
- SMS on many phones appears on the screen as a notification even when the phone is locked and can easily be stolen by someone looking over your shoulder.
Voice OTP Service
This has been used as an alternative to SMS OTP, either being used as a fallback option when SMS OTP fails to deliver or used as a standalone service for OTP delivery. This is the OTP that comes as a recorded message which arrives on a mobile phone as a phone call. The recipient then picks the call and inputs the OTP as it is read out in the pre-recorded audio.
Find below the pros and cons of the Voice OTP Service:
Pros
- There is assured delivery. With Voice OTP, you can avoid the restrictions present with SMS OTP, such as DND and other stringent policies. It comes as a phone call which usually has lesser restrictions.
- Voice OTP is also more instant since the delays and traffic issues associated with SMS delivery are not applicable. Perfect for time-sensitive messages such as OTP
- When you want to get real value for the money you spend in delivering OTPs, Voice OTP is your go-to option. This is so because, with Voice OTP, you are only charged at the point where the person receiving it listens to the audio.
- If SMS OTP is cheap and affordable, then Voice OTP is even more affordable. On SmartSMSSolutions, you can get this service for as low as N1.50K for a 5 seconds Voice recording. This allows you to save more on other important things.
- Since Voice OTP comes as a call and goes away once it's answered and ends, it is easier to avoid fraudsters stealing your OTP information (which is easier with SMS OTP that is saved on the phone or appears on the screen).
- Voice OTP is perfect for users with sight disabilities.
Cons
- While SMS OTP can be revisited in cases of mix-ups or not seeing it immediately it comes in, Voice OTP comes as a phone call and if missed, there's no way to retrieve it unless the code is requested again.
- There might be cases of difficulty in comprehension or understanding when digits are read out over voice.
There you have it. Some of the identified pros and cons of SMS OTP and Voice OTP. So, what do you think? Which of these options of OTP delivery do you feel is best to use for your OTP delivery? Whatever your verdict, Voice OTP has proven to be very effective either as a support to SMS or as the primary OTP delivery system for many businesses. It can do the same for you too.
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