Comment by drnick1
1 hour ago
The phone number is only required to create an account, and is never used again IIRC. The rationale for it was to prevent abuse/spam, but I believe there is now an option to purchase an account for a small fee without needing a phone number.
Purchase can be done only through Apple/Google Pay which require a phone number and a bank card on top of that. Do not be deceived by marketing people.