What in the world is porting?
“Porting” simply means transferring your existing landline or cell phone number from one telephone service provider to another. When you “port in” your number from your current provider to NumberBarn, the number still belongs to you. We’re just taking care of it. Under the FCC’s “local number portability” (LNP) rules, you are legally able to keep your number when you move or change phone companies. How’s that for great news?
NumberBarn can port most wireless, prepaid wireless and landline phone numbers in the United States and Canada. Sorry, we don’t support any other countries (yet!).
Verify if we can port in your number here
How long does porting take?
Porting will take as little as 3 days, and as long as 30 days. Most wireless numbers will port in 3 business days; landlines will typically port in 7 business days from major carriers, and 10-20 business days from smaller carriers. Don’t worry, we’ll keep you updated throughout the porting process, and we’ll let you know once we have agreed on a firm porting date with your current carrier.
What information is needed to port my number?
The information needed to port your number will be collected during sign up. That information includes:
- The number you are porting
- Your account number and PIN#/Passcode (when porting a wireless number)
- Your physical address (no PO Boxes)
- Phone call to authorize port OR signed Letter of Authorization (LOA)*
- A copy of your phone bill (COB) from your current provider dated within the last 30 business days**
Please make sure the information you submit during sign up matches the information your current provider has on file. Any discrepancies can delay the number porting process. No one wants that!
**If you are unable to receive a call to the number you are transferring, you can complete, sign and return our Letter of Authorization (LOA) form. The form is available in your account after sign up. This replaces the authorization call.
**Some carriers will request a copy of your recent phone bill, or other verification information, and if this happens, we’ll work with you to provide that information to the carrier and complete the porting process.
Be sure…
- Your service must remain active with your current provider throughout the number porting process. You will be notified by NumberBarn once your number has successfully transferred and you will be able to cancel your service with your current provider at that time. NumberBarn does not cancel your service on your behalf.
- Your existing service will work as is during the porting process as long as you do not make any account changes. Once your number has transferred to NumberBarn, your old service will no longer function.
- You can port your number out to the carrier of your choice at any time. NumberBarn does not charge a port out fee. Your new provider will probably charge a porting fee. You will still be responsible for paying for your monthly service until the number port completes.
Time to get porting, everyone!
For more Q & A, check out our FAQs.
If you have questions along the way about porting your number or about an existing port request with NumberBarn, you can always contact our friendly customer support team.
We’re NumberBarn, we take phone numbers very seriously. But, we also like to have a little fun. To learn more about us, visit NumberBarn.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
