Phone verification alternative with QR codes

Here's the situation. I decided to change my email, and in the process there were 2 authentications triggered. One to verify via email and one to verify via phone. The email was no issue. The phone is and issue because I do not have a cell phone number. Not everyone does.

This requires me to have to go out to spend money to verify an account by getting a cell phone number, that I really do not want nor should I be spending  money on FOR A VERIFICATION ONLY. There needs to be a way to verify an account or identity that DOES NOT REQUIRE that a person must spend money!!!!

When I signed up to Discord it was not a requirement to have a cell phone number either, but now I am obligated to have one. That is not fair.

Now you already have verification done via other ways like QR codes. You let people sign in by using QR Codes into a desktop app. Why can't that be extended to verification? If a person is on a computer you already let people sign in to computers from scanning with the QR code, THAT is already a 2 step verification. The person has the phone physically and the computer with them. This could have solved my problem if it would have been available to me.

Regardless, there needs to be a way for people to verify that does not require them to spend money like requiring a cell phone number to receive SMS. I think QR Codes is an option.