Phone Number Porting FAQ

Phone numbers are critical to the flow of business operations. There may be a time however when you need to move your phone number away from one carrier or provider and to another. RingBoost, the leader in custom vanity phone numbers, is pleased to present a guide to some basic phone number porting questions. We’ll be expanding this list in the future, so if you have any questions, please contact us and a member of the Porting Team at RingBoost will provide an answer!

Frequent Questions About Phone Number Porting

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How do I port a number?

When you purchase your memorable number from RingBoost, our support team will send you an email within 24 hours containing the porting instructions and information respective to your new number. Depending on the number, this may include any combination carrier name, account number, account name, and PIN code. All you need to do is relay that information to your carrier and they will use that to grab the number from our account. While we don’t have direct control over the porting process, if there are any challenges, our team will advocate on your behalf to get things solved quickly.

What is a phone number portability check?

A phone number portability check is a quick way to see if the line you are porting can be serviced by your desired carrier. For the vast majority of local numbers, they can be ported to any carrier, including mobile and VOIP carriers. But in some cases (typically when it involves moving a number to a landline) there may be restrictions regarding what numbers the new carrier can support. Many carriers have a search bar on their websites that will instantly tell you if your number is portable. If not, give them a call and they will be able to check. If you are concerned about the portability of a number you are purchasing from RingBoost, we will gladly help you find a number that can be serviced by your preferred carrier.

What does it mean to port a phone number?

Porting is the process of moving a local telephone number from one carrier to another, e.g. from Verizon to AT&T. Local number portability was mandated by the FCC in 1996, allowing consumers and businesses to retain ownership of their phone numbers when they changed service providers.

How long does it take to port a number?

The porting process generally takes between 7-10 business days, depending on the carrier that currently holds the number. The timer starts when the port request is approved by that carrier. While portability is an FCC mandate, carriers do not get compensated for the transfer, and sometimes archaic systems can make the process cumbersome. At RingBoost, we have seen ports happen as quickly as a couple of days, but we prefer to set expectations to the average time span of one-to-two weeks.

How do I buy a phone number to port?

Buying a phone number is no different than buying any other product online. There are providers who sell available phone numbers for both business or personal use. Each of their sites will have a search tool allowing you to type in keywords and patterns to sift through their inventory. When you come across a number you wish to buy, select it, checkout, and wait for further instruction from the company you purchased from on porting and/or activating.

At RingBoost, we have the largest inventory of memorable Local and Toll-Free numbers in vanity and easy-dial format. We’ve made finding the perfect number easy for you by allowing you to search using a few different fields and then subsequently sorting by featured numbers, price or popularity. We also have access to other inventory databases that may not appear in our search, so if you don’t see what you are looking for, give us a call or send us an email and someone on our sales team will happily take a look for you.

Can I port my cell number for free?

Carriers can theoretically charge a small fee to process a port, but many won’t as they want to stay competitive. It’s best to check in with a couple to see what their port-in policy is and if there’s any room for negotiation if there is a fee in place. Ultimately, every carrier wants your business and it shouldn’t be much of a hassle to knock a fee down or even waive it. For all numbers purchased from RingBoost there are no port-out fees.

What is the cheapest way to port a number?

With most carriers, it is possible to port for free. Carriers can theoretically charge a small fee to process a port, but many won’t have one as they want to stay competitive. It’s best to check in with a couple to see what their port-in policy is and if there’s any room for negotiation if there is a fee in place. Ultimately, every carrier wants your business and it shouldn’t be much of a hassle to knock a fee down or even waive it. For all numbers purchased from RingBoost there are no port-out fees.

What is phone number porting?

Porting is the process of moving a local telephone number from one carrier to another, e.g. from Verizon to AT&T. Local number portability was mandated by the FCC in 1996, allowing consumers and businesses to retain ownership of their phone numbers when they changed service providers.

What is the best free service to port a phone number?

Most providers accept port-ins for free or are willing to negotiate/waive the port-in fee if they do have one. Ultimately, it’s best to check in with a few to know what to expect and to ask about their port-in policy. However, since the porting process for each provider is theoretically identical (no cost and takes 7-10 business days to complete) the best service is the one that satisfies your preferences and plan for the number moving forward. For all numbers purchased from RingBoost there are no port-out fees.

Who provides free phone number porting?

Virtually every provider will port your number into their network for free. Carriers can theoretically charge a small fee to process a port, but many won’t have one as they want to stay competitive. It’s best to check in with a couple to see what their port-in policy is and if there’s any room for negotiation if there is a fee in place. Ultimately, every carrier wants your business and it shouldn’t be much of a hassle to knock a fee down or even waive it. For all numbers purchased from RingBoost there are no port-out fees.

What is the cheapest way to get a mobile number to port?

By doing it for free! Carriers can theoretically charge a small fee to process a port, but many won’t as they want to stay competitive. It’s best to check in with a couple to see what their port-in policy is and if there’s any room for negotiation if there is a fee in place. Ultimately, every carrier wants your business and it shouldn’t be much of a hassle to knock a fee down or even waive it. For all numbers purchased from RingBoost there are no port-out fees.

How do I get started porting my phone number?

You need two things to port a number: the current account information and a destination carrier (to where you want to transfer the number.) Simply inform the destination carrier that you’d like to move a phone number over and provide them with the proper account information. When you purchase your memorable number from RingBoost, our support team will send you an email within 24 hours containing the porting instructions and information respective to your new number. Depending on the number, this may include any combination carrier name, account number, account name, and PIN code. All you need to do is relay that information to your carrier and they will use that to grab the number from our account. While we don’t have direct control over the porting process, if there are any challenges, our team will advocate on your behalf to get things solved quickly.

Why does my ported phone number still ring my old landline phone?

Your number may not be fully ported yet. A lot of carriers porting a number into their network do so piece by piece. Think of it as a click and drag: Your new carrier is dragging in “inbound calling”, “outbound calling”, “SMS”…etc. all separately so that your number may not be functioning completely right away. Once your number is on your new carrier’s platform in its entirety, you should be notified by them to activate the number on your account.

Is it possible to temporarily port a phone number?

Yes, porting your number to a new carrier doesn’t have to be a permanent move. If you only need your number on a carrier’s network for a certain amount of time, you can always port back to the original carrier or a new one when you like. There should be no restrictions on how often you port or how many carriers you port to unless otherwise stated in a provision in your contract.

Can I port a house phone to a cell phone in Canada?

Yes, and the best part is that you don’t even have to contact your current carrier (unless you have an outstanding balance or other issues that need to be resolved). All you’ll need to do is inform your new carrier that you wish to transfer your number to them. They will then notify your current carrier to cancel and subsequently begin your new service with them once it is over on their network. Porting a landline in Canada typically completes within a week.

How do I port and search a toll free number?

The porting of toll-free numbers is prohibited by the FCC and thus have to be licensed rather than purchased outright. Securing a toll-free number, however, is no different than purchasing a local number. There are several purveyors that license available toll-free numbers for both business or personal use. Each of their sites will have a search tool allowing you to type in your preferences to sift through their inventory. When you come across a number you wish to license, select it, check out, and wait for further instruction from the site you purchased from to activate it. At RingBoost, we have a vast inventory of memorable Toll-Free numbers in vanity or easy dial format. We’ve made finding the perfect number easy for you by allowing you to search by keyword, number pattern, industry and prefix. Additionally, our toll free numbers can be licensed Nationwide or by any combination of area codes and states, allowing you to lock in a territory that reflects your brand’s geographic reach.

Is it possible to port a number with a forward?

Absolutely. Call routing on a number does not interfere with the porting process and in some cases it actually helps. Some carriers will make a test call to the number and if it does anything other than ring normally, they will deem the number as non-portable/inactive. So, forwarding could even save some back and forth with your new carrier if they fall into this category. In fact, many of RingBoost’s clients elect to sign up for a call forwarding plan while they port out to their provider in case they have their new number already incorporated in their marketing materials.