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Frequently asked questions about Plivo account setup, credentials, security, team management, and subaccounts.

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How do I create a Plivo account?

  1. Go to Plivo signup
  2. Enter your name, work email, and set a password
  3. Verify your email via activation link
  4. Verify your phone number
Requirements:
  • Work email address — personal (e.g., @gmail.com, @yahoo.com) and disposable email domains are not accepted
  • Valid phone number for verification
  • No VPN during onboarding
Plivo validates email domains during signup. If validation fails, signup will not proceed.
To send voice or messaging traffic to countries beyond the US and India, a minimum spend agreement is required. See Plivo Pricing for details.

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What is Data Region?

During signup, you select a Data Region that determines which phone numbers and services you can access.
Data region cannot be changed after account creation. Card origin and data region must match:
  • Card issued in India → choose the India data region. US data region accounts cannot be charged with India-issued cards.
  • Card issued outside India → choose the US data region. India data region accounts cannot be charged with international cards.
If you need both Indian numbers and international calling, you’ll need separate accounts for each region.

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When to choose India

  • Your business is registered in India
  • You only need Indian phone numbers
  • You’re making calls within India

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When to choose United States

  • You need phone numbers outside India
  • You need to make international calls
  • You’re operating globally

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What happens if my signup is delayed?

Plivo verifies all signups to ensure compliance with telecommunications regulations. Accounts may be placed on hold if risk assessment indicates concerns. Contact Plivo Support if delayed.

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Why can’t I create an account with my email?

Plivo requires a business domain email address for account registration.

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I can’t log in to my account. What should I do?

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Troubleshooting steps

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If password reset emails aren’t arriving

  1. Check spam/junk folder
  2. Verify you’re using the correct email address
  3. Add noreply@plivo.com to your contacts
  4. Wait 5-10 minutes (email delivery can be delayed)
  5. Try requesting another reset

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If you’ve lost access to 2FA

  1. Try using recovery codes (saved during 2FA setup)
  2. If no recovery codes, contact Plivo Support with:
    • Account email address
    • Auth ID (if known)
    • Business verification documents
Security verification required: For security, Plivo requires identity verification before disabling 2FA on an account. This process may take 1-2 business days.

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Why is my account disabled or suspended?

Your account may be disabled for several reasons:

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To reactivate a disabled account

  1. Check your email for any notices from Plivo
  2. Log in to Console (if possible) and review any alerts
  3. Contact Plivo Support with:
    • Your account email
    • Auth ID (if known)
    • Business verification documents (if requested)
Reactivation may require identity verification and can take 1-3 business days depending on the reason for suspension.

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How do I close or delete my account?

To close (or delete) your account, go to the Organization settings page (Profile > Organization) and click Delete Organization.
Closing your account is irreversible. Once closed, you will no longer be able to log in, and no request to restore the account or its data will be entertained.
After closure:
  • All applications, phone numbers, endpoints, and logs are permanently deleted
  • Remaining credits are refunded within 20 business days (only recharges from the last 90 days)
  • Trial credits are not refunded
  • Team members lose access immediately

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What are Auth ID and Auth Token?

Find them at the top of the Plivo Console home page.

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How do I regenerate my Auth Token?

  1. Go to Auth Settings in the Plivo console
  2. Click Generate Auth Token
  3. Select when to expire the old token:
    • Delete immediately — old token stops working right away
    • Delete in 48 hours — gives you time to update your applications
  4. Type delete auth token to confirm
Only one Auth Token can be active at a time. After the old token expires, any application still using it will fail to authenticate. Update all integrations with the new token and test before the old token expires.

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Is Two-Factor Authentication mandatory?

Yes. 2FA is mandatory for all Plivo accounts. Available methods:
  • Phone OTP (SMS/Voice)
  • Authenticator apps (Google Authenticator, 1Password, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy)
  • Recovery codes

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How do I set up an authenticator app for 2FA?

  1. Go to Account > Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication
  2. Click Add next to Authenticator App
  3. Verify with OTP sent to your phone
  4. Scan the QR code with your authenticator app
  5. Enter the generated code to confirm

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How do I change my phone number for 2FA?

  1. Navigate to Account > Settings > Security > Two-Factor Authentication
  2. Click the 3-dot menu next to Phone Verification
  3. Select Change Number
  4. Authenticate with your current method
  5. Enter and verify the new number

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How do I set up Single Sign-On (SSO)?

  1. Navigate to Account > Settings > Security
  2. Click Configure in the Configure SSO widget
  3. Select your identity provider
  4. Follow the configuration guide
Contact Plivo Support to access SSO.

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What is IP Whitelisting?

IP Whitelisting restricts API access to specific IP addresses. To configure:
  1. Go to Account > Settings > IP Whitelisting
  2. Click + Add CIDR Address
  3. Enter IP addresses in CIDR format (e.g., 192.0.2.0/24, 1.1.1.1/32)
  4. Toggle the switch to enable

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What are the security best practices?

  • Use a strong password (12+ characters with mixed case, numbers, symbols)
  • Enable 2FA
  • Use role-based access for team members
  • Use individual email addresses
  • Monitor account alerts
  • Keep Auth Token private like a password
  • Regularly rotate Auth Tokens
  • Set up IP whitelisting

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What should I do if my account is compromised?

  1. Check login notification emails from Plivo
  2. Review payment receipts for unfamiliar charges
  3. Check usage logs in the console
  4. Immediately regenerate your Auth Token
  5. Change your password
  6. Review and remove unauthorized team members
  7. Contact Plivo Support

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What are the team roles?

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How do I transfer account ownership?

Account ownership cannot be reassigned to a different team member. However, you can transfer access by updating the owner’s email address:
  1. Go to Profile Details in the Plivo console
  2. Update the email address to the new owner’s email
  3. Complete the 2FA verification to confirm the change
The new email address holder will then have owner access to the account.

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How do I invite team members?

  1. Go to Settings > Account > Team
  2. Click Add New User
  3. Enter the user’s email address
  4. Select the appropriate role
  5. Click Invite User

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What are the benefits of subaccounts?

  • Individual phone numbers and applications per subaccount
  • Unique Auth ID and Auth Token for each
  • Credits deducted from main account (no separate recharges)
  • Single consolidated invoice
  • Ability to whitelist unique sender IDs per subaccount
Billing is at the account level — subaccounts provide a usage breakdown split by main account and each subaccount, but there is no separate invoice per subaccount.

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How do I create a subaccount?

Via Console:
  1. Navigate to subaccount management
  2. Click Create Subaccount
  3. Configure settings
Via API: Use the Subaccount API.

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What balance notifications does Plivo send?

Plivo automatically sends email alerts when your balance drops below $250, $100, and $10. Configure custom alerts:
  1. Go to Payment Settings
  2. Set up to 3 custom threshold amounts
  3. Add additional notification email addresses
Recommendation: Set one alert equal to your average daily usage.

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What is an account usage limit?

Your usage limit is a cap on how much your account can spend in a calendar month. It covers your total spend on Plivo, across every product on the account. Once your spend reaches the limit, Plivo stops accepting API requests until you raise it or the month resets. You set the limit yourself and can change it at any time.

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What is my usage limit set to by default?

New accounts start with a usage limit of $1,000 per month. You can raise it yourself in the console up to the Professional plan maximum of $2,500 per month in the US data region, or ₹2,00,000 per month in the India data region. You can also lower it if you want a tighter cap. If you have never configured a limit, your account is enforced against the $1,000 default.

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How do I change my usage limit?

Open Organization settings > Account limits and, under Monthly Account Usage, click Edit spend limit. You can also reach the same page from Monthly Usage on the Home page by clicking Manage limit. Enter your new monthly limit and save. Changes take effect immediately. The dialog also shows the highest limit you can set.

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Will Plivo notify me before I reach my usage limit?

Yes. Plivo emails you at 50%, 80%, and 100% of your usage limit, so you always know how much you have used and can decide whether to raise it, request a higher one, or leave it as it is. These are separate from balance notifications, which track the funds in your account rather than your monthly spend against the limit.

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What happens when my account reaches its usage limit?

Requests on the account start failing with an HTTP 403, and Plivo does not charge you for them. This applies across every product on the account. To start sending again, raise your limit from Organization settings > Account limits, or wait for the reset at the start of the next calendar month.

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Why are my API requests failing with a 403 error?

If you have reached your monthly usage limit, Plivo returns a 403 with a message saying so: “Your account has reached its configured monthly usage limit.” Check Organization settings > Account limits. If your month-to-date spend has reached the limit shown there, that is the cause. Raise the limit and requests go through again immediately. A 403 without that message means something else, so check the message in the API response before assuming it is your limit.

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Can I set a usage limit higher than the maximum shown in the console?

Not from the console. It will not let you set a limit above the maximum shown for your account. If your spend needs to go beyond it, click Request Enterprise on Organization settings > Account limits, contact your account manager, or contact Plivo Support.

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When does my usage limit reset?

At the start of each calendar month, when the counter returns to zero. Month boundaries are evaluated in UTC. If you raise your limit mid-month, the change applies immediately.

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Where do I find pricing information?

Access pricing by country through:
  • Voice: Console > Voice > Pricing
  • SMS: Console > Messaging > Pricing

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What is the inactive account policy?

Accounts with stored payment methods are vulnerable to takeover. Inactive accounts may be sold or misused. Accounts are reviewed for activity periodically. To keep your account active, maintain regular usage or contact support.

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How do I create a support ticket?

  1. Go to Plivo Support
  2. Click Create New Ticket
  3. Enter email, subject, and description
  4. Select category and priority
  5. Attach files if needed
  6. Click Create New Ticket
Check ticket status anytime at Check Ticket Status on the support homepage.