OpenAI has progressively tightened its signup requirements as ChatGPT's free tier became more valuable. Disposable email domains are filtered early in the process, and phone verification is now a standard requirement for new accounts rather than an occasional challenge.
What the current signup flow looks like
OpenAI's registration checks the email domain against a blocklist before sending a verification email. If the domain is on the list, the signup is rejected at that step with a message asking for a "valid" address. This check happens regardless of whether the local part is plausible — the domain is the signal, not the specific address.
For accounts that do get a verification email sent, a phone verification step follows for most new signups. Phone numbers on VOIP services are frequently rejected as well, so this is not simply a matter of swapping one type of temporary contact method for another.
Why OpenAI blocks disposable addresses
The free tier of ChatGPT includes meaningful usage — enough daily messages for significant productivity use. Each free account can also claim a trial of ChatGPT Plus. Both of these create a concrete incentive to create multiple accounts, and disposable email is the simplest mechanism for doing so. OpenAI's blocklist is a direct response to that pattern.
What this means in practice
If you want to try ChatGPT without using your primary address, the options are:
- An email alias. A forwarding alias from SimpleLogin, AnonAddy, or Apple's Hide My Email gives you a distinct address that is not on disposable-domain blocklists, routes to your real inbox, and can be disabled if OpenAI sends unwanted marketing.
- Google or Microsoft sign-in. ChatGPT supports OAuth via Google and Microsoft accounts. If you have a secondary Google account, this is the fastest path without sharing your primary email.
- Accept the real address. ChatGPT is a service most users return to. An account you cannot recover next month is less useful than one you can keep.
API accounts are different
OpenAI's API platform requires a verified address and payment method. Disposable addresses do not work here, and attempting to use one wastes the signup attempt. API access is inherently tied to billing, which is identity-linked regardless.