Looks like gitlab now requires account verification for new accounts in addition to email. Either phone number or credit card.
This applies both to accounts created with a working email or by logging in using your github account. You can't even verify your email until you go through step 1.
I don't know when this started, but at least for the last month or two judging from these posts in the forums.
- https://forum.gitlab.com/t/how-to-create-an-account-without-telephone-number-if-an-non-activated-account-has-already-been-created-with-the-same-e-mail-address-that-demands-a-phone-number/93675/2
- https://forum.gitlab.com/t/phone-verification-sms-not-received-unable-to-login-and-register/92202
- https://forum.gitlab.com/t/how-to-create-an-account-without-telephone-number-if-an-non-activated-account-has-already-been-created-with-the-same-e-mail-address-that-demands-a-phone-number/93675/2
Fun fact: I don't even want to host on gitlab, I just wanted to report bugs in some projects. So I'm locked out.
Experienced the same issue when I tried to sign up 2-3 months. Went down a rabbit hole and then just decided to not host w/ them.
There is a workaround where you can create an account if it is on a different gitlab instance (ie: I was able to join https://git.joinfirefish.org/ w/o the CC info) but I don't know how useful that is in the grand scheme of things.