How to fix Gpay error showing SMS limit reached for device registration

Have you received the error message “Your device registration text message limit has been reached” when using Google Pay on your iPhone or iPad? This is a security measure that prevents bad actors from taking over compromised accounts. While this is to protect your data, this can happen even if you make a few mistakes during the setup process.

The good news is that your account is not permanently blocked. In this guide, we’ll explain why you’re getting this error, offer clear solutions, and help you get back to using Google Pay as quickly as possible.

What does the message “The limit of SMS messages needed to register the device has been reached” mean?

Most banks and financial institutions require an activation process to connect their accounts to Google Pay. This is different from two-factor authentication (2FA), where you receive a text message with a login code. Instead, your device sends an SMS to your bank, linking your phone number to your Google Pay account.

To prevent fraud, Google Pay only allows three text sending attempts per day when connecting to a bank account. Message saying “You have reached the limit of SMS required to register your device” appears when the user exceeds this limit. In this case, you must wait 24 hours before you can try again.

However, there are two issues to consider. Firstly, your problem may not be related to the SMS itself, the problem may lie elsewhere in the process. Secondly, even if everything is configured correctly, the problem may still occur. Read below to learn how to identify the cause and try some possible solutions.

Confirm your account is eligible for Google Pay

Please note that not all banks and not all account types can be connected to Google Pay. For example, in India, joint accounts and non-resident person (NRI) accounts are common restrictions.

Each country and institution has different restrictions on linking accounts. Therefore, the first thing to do is to check with your bank whether your account type is supported. If not, you won’t be able to register your device with Google Pay.

How to Fix Google Pay “Device Registration SMS Limit Reached” error.

If you’ve made sure your bank account can be linked to Google Pay, now it’s time to find the cause of the problem.

1. Wait 24 hours and try again

Have you ever lost patience when trying to log into a website or app because the 2FA message never arrived? Yes me too. This sometimes happens due to network congestion, i.e. too many simultaneous users.

The opposite also happens: if your carrier’s network is too congested, you may have difficulty delivering your message to its destination. In this case, the Google Pay activation SMS may appear to have been sent, but it simply will not reach your bank’s systems. Try this three times in a row and you will reach your daily limit.

So if you’re not in a hurry, just wait until 24 hours have passed and try again. This time everything can go smoothly and the error “SMS limit reached for device registration” will not appear.

2. Register your device via Google Pay and/or your bank

The previous fix is ​​the official solution from Google. You may have already tried this or need to fix the problem quickly. In this case, it is worth contacting Google Pay and/or your bank.

Even if SMS is the only activation method listed for Google Pay, customer service representatives may have other options available. They may be able to help you connect your accounts over the phone or register online, among other things.

3. Use a different SIM card to register your device with Google Pay

If you have more than one phone number registered with your bank, you can try using the second line to complete your account setup. Google support doesn’t clearly explain whether the SMS limit is tied to the app, phone number, or device itself, but it’s still worth a try.

4. Check your SMS settings carefully

Sending messages is a paid service with most operators. For this reason, iPhone and iPad only allow this action in the default Messages app.

However, since the app uses iMessage by default, you may run into problems if for some reason your bank’s service number is registered to your iMessage account. In this case, Google Pay may consider your daily SMS limit to have been exceeded, when in fact you haven’t sent a single SMS, but an iMessage SMS – which will probably not be processed correctly by your bank.

It’s easy to spot the difference: iMessage text messages are displayed in a blue frame, while Apple devices display text messages with the famous green speech bubble. This is also easy to fix:

1. Open Settings app.
2. Go to The news menu.
3. Turn on “Send as SMS” option.

5. Turn off automatic/recurring payments

On the Google support forums, at least one user reported that they were only able to sign up for a bank account after turning off recurring payments in Google Pay. These are typically subscriptions that can be managed in your Google account settings.

6. Sign up for Google Pay using another iPhone

Several reports, especially from users with eSIM-only devices, point to yet another possible solution. In this case, the solution is to use another iPhone or iPad with a physical SIM card to complete your Google Pay registration with your bank.

7. Use an Android device to avoid the SMS limit

There’s a good chance you’re using an iPhone/iPad because you don’t want an Android device. However, there are reports of users who have finally managed to connect their bank accounts and Google Pay using their Android phone. When you return to iOS/iPadOS, your accounts remain connected.