Phone number porting is when you transfer your existing number to a different service provider. Thanks to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), you have a right to keep your existing number no matter which provider you work with. But the transfer process can be anxiety-inducing, especially if you’re unsure about the steps you need to take to ensure a smooth port.
In this blog, we guide you on how to port your landline number in five simple steps and share best practices so you don’t run into any porting problems.
How to port a landline number in 5 steps
Whether you’re switching to a new landline service provider, signing up for a mobile phone plan, or exploring a virtual phone service, the process to port your landline number generally follows a similar flow, though the details can vary depending on who you’re switching to and from.
We’ll walk you through the key steps most providers require. Here are the five steps you should take:
1. Check if you can port your number
This may seem like a given, but only authorized account holders can port a number. To check if you’re eligible to port the number, go to your carrier’s website.
If the phone number is under your name, you can start the process yourself. This is when you can gather the information your new provider needs to port in your number from an existing billing statement or request a Customer Service Record (CSR) from your current service provider.
If it’s under a company account, ask the account administrator to help you gather the information you need to port your number.
2. Select the right provider for your situation
Choosing the right provider helps you deliver five-star customer service while keeping costs in check. Some important considerations include network coverage and reliability, business phone features you may need, and the availability of customer support.
How to find the best business phone for your business
1. Consider your business needs
Make a list of the features you absolutely couldn’t run your business without. This will help you narrow down your choice of providers. Think about your current call volume, the number of employees who will need access to your business phone system, and the features you’ll use most frequently.
For example, a real estate agency might need more call routing options like call groups, call transferring, and conditional call forwarding. But a company that sells SaaS platform software might need a provider that offers unlimited text messaging and in-app team collaboration features.
Keep in mind that as your business scales, you need a provider that can grow with you. For example, look for platforms that offer integrations that let you bring together other tools you already use and don’t charge any hidden fees. (Look at popular review sites and forums for reviews about hidden fees and other surprises!)
2. Assess coverage and reliability
A reliable platform lets you avoid dropped calls and serve your customers wherever they are.
If you or your team need to be constantly on the move, or your business operates in multiple regions, check your new provider’s network coverage before you submit a porting request. They won’t be able to support your operations if they don’t serve the area you operate in.
If you’re porting your old landline to a VoIP system, check the uptime report of the phone software and look for at least 99.9% uptime.
3. Research plans and pricing
Check your potential provider’s plans and pricing to see if they align with your budget.
For example, a growing business might want flexible plans that offer adjustments based on growth, like adding new phone numbers or scaling back services. An established company with a large customer service department, on the other hand, might value plans that offer call center solutions or an account manager who can help them get started and answer questions as they come up.
VoIP phone plans are often more affordable than internet and phone bundles from traditional providers. And equally important: they can help you save precious time by making calls, texts, and setup faster and easier than old-school phone systems.
4. Consider the availability of customer support
No one wants to be left hanging during an outage or product malfunction. Look into the provider’s response times and reputation for solving issues on peer-review sites like G2 and TrustRadius.
5. Look carefully at contract terms and agreements
Some providers have porting out fees, minimum contracts (e.g., two years), cancellation policies, and penalties for early termination. Unexpected terms can leave you footing the bill for a service you’re not happy with and result in unexpected costs.
For example, say you run a local HVAC business and start expanding into nearby towns. Suddenly, you need a provider that can support multiple phone lines, call routing, and after-hours voicemail handling. You don’t want to be locked into a provider that can’t grow with you or charges you extra for every small change.
After determining the right provider, you should contact them to ensure they can make the switch. If you’re considering moving from a landline to one of the large US cell phone providers, visit their pages here:
- For Verizon, visit the Switch to Verizon page
- For AT&T, visit the Transfer Your Number page
- For T-Mobile, visit the Keep Your Number page
VoIP systems can be great options for small and growing businesses that need flexibility, work on the go, or have teams that aren’t tied to a single location. Here’s why:
5 key reasons to choose a VoIP service provider
If you’re still on the fence about choosing a VoIP system for your business, here are a few more things to keep in mind:
1. You can take business calls and texts from anywhere
Forget landlines; even mobile service providers can fall short if you’re in a remote location. The connection feels choppy, audio delays interrupt your flow of thought, and calls frequently disconnect — enough to aggravate an already irritated customer. Usually, your best bet is to enable call forwarding when going away.
But with the right VoIP provider, you can call and text from any cell phone, laptop, or computer. All you need is a stable internet connection.
2. You can share responsibility for calls with team members
Shared phone numbers and inboxes let you split responsibility for incoming calls, resolve customer concerns more quickly, and stay on top of communication. VoIP providers like Quo have features like ring groups and warm transfers that help team members back each other up and avoid missed calls.
Need to collaborate on a customer issue? With Quo (formerly OpenPhone), you can use internal threads to resolve issues, leave context, and assign tasks to team members behind the scenes. Your customer will have no idea it’s happening.
3. You can add a personal touch to business texting
With SMS and MMS options, you can add depth and personalization to your communication. Whether it’s sending out holiday greetings, troubleshooting problems, or showing off your new product launch, videos, audio, and GIFs convey information in a way text alone can’t.
You can also attach documents to conversations for better problem-solving and more visibility. Can’t do that with the regular ol’ cellular plan.
4. Save time with auto-replies and templates
You don’t have to spend time crafting responses to dropped calls or answering the same FAQs over and over again.
Quo’s auto-reply feature lets you set expectations upfront. Whether you’re on a job, closed for the day, or can’t get to the phone, a quick automated message lets customers know when they’ll hear back — or directs them to other ways to reach you.
For repeat questions, you can save even more time by using snippets (pre-written templates) for things like FAQs, appointment confirmations, or holiday messages.
5. Make it easier for customers to get the help they need
Phone menus (aka Interactive Voice Response or IVR) and other call routing features help you easily direct customers to where they want to go (like customer service or sales). If the primary contact is unavailable, ring groups let the next available person handle the call.
💡Pro tip: With Quo (formerly OpenPhone), you can also get Sona, your AI voice agent. It can handle calls 24/7, answering FAQs, capturing leads, and taking messages. So you can call back when you’re available without worrying about missing a customer.These features keep your team from burning out while improving first response time.
Once you decide on the best phone provider for your business, you’re ready to move on to the next step: informing your current provider about the port.
3. Let your current provider know you’re porting out
While you don’t need approval from your existing carrier to port your number, you should give them a heads-up. That way, they can check for possible problems like overdue balances beforehand. That way, they port your number to the new provider as soon as they have your information.
💡 Remember: Your old provider can’t refuse to port your number even if you owe money for an outstanding balance or termination fee. You should still address these porting issues ASAP, though, since they can delay the process.
4. Contact your prospective new provider and send them your information
Check with your new provider if they don’t have clear steps online regarding how to port your number to them.
For legal reasons, your new provider will need the following documents:
- Phone bill, account number, or latest invoice: This should include the number you’re porting, your name, and the billing address.
- Personal identification number (PIN): A porting out/transfer PIN is generally associated with US numbers. Look for it in your current carrier’s account dashboard. If you’re unsure whether you have a porting-out PIN, ask your current carrier.
- A letter of authorization (LOA): This is a document you sign that grants the new carrier permission to perform the port.
Your new provider will also need:
- The phone number you want to port
- The type of number:
- Local US, local Canada, or toll-free
- Mobile, landline, or VoIP
- Your current provider
- Whether the account is under your personal name or the business name
5. Wait until your number is ported to cancel your service
Your number has to be active to be ported, so don’t cancel your current service until your new provider informs you that the port is complete.
The full porting process typically takes a week or more if you move to a cell phone or VoIP provider. VoIP porting can take a bit longer because providers need to set things up so your number works across multiple devices.
The actual port takes place very quickly on the scheduled port date. Although rare, it’s possible you may experience temporary downtime on the port date. Consider having a backup plan to forward landline calls to your cell phone on the scheduled port date. You wouldn’t want to miss a call if your existing provider causes delays.
Here’s a more detailed overview of how long it takes to port a number by service provider:
| Service provider | Estimated time to port a number |
|---|---|
| OpenPhone | US numbers: 5-7 business days Canadian numbers: 10-12 business days |
| Verizon | Mobile: 4-24 hours Landline: 2-10 business days |
| AT&T | Mobile: Minutes to 5 business days Landline: Minimum 5-7 business days |
| T-Mobile | Mobile: 10 minutes to 3 hours Landline: 3-10 days |
| Google Voice | Calls: Up to 48 hours Texts: Up to 3 business days |
| Vonage | Up to 5-21 business days |
| RingCentral | Mobile: 5-10 business days Landline: 7-15 business days |
| Grasshopper | Up to 2 weeks |
Now that you know how to port a landline number, let’s talk about how you can easily move any business number to Quo.
How to port your phone number to Quo
If you’re debating between porting to a mobile carrier or a VoIP provider, consider why a VoIP provider like Quo might be the better choice for businesses.
Beyond the ability to easily call and text from any smartphone, laptop, or computer, Quo offers business features like:
- Unlimited calling and messaging (SMS & MMS) to the US and Canada
- Local and toll-free US and Canadian numbers
- Auto-attendant and call routing
- Ability to share responsibility for a phone number, like an inbox
- Call recording
- AI features like call summaries, transcriptions, and message responses
- Slack, Zapier, HubSpot, and email integrations
To port your phone number to Quo, follow these steps:
- Sign up for a Quo account. Get a local or toll-free new phone number, and try the service free for seven days.
- Submit your port request straight from the web or desktop app. If you’re texting US phone numbers, take this time to complete US carrier registration as well.
- Once your porting date is confirmed, the Quo Porting team will notify you.
- Wait five to seven business days for your porting request to process. In the meantime, you can set up business hours, voicemail greetings, and phone menus.
- Cancel service with your carrier once your numbers are on Quo. And you’re good to go!
3 best practices for avoiding porting delays
Waiting for requests to go through can feel like watching paint dry, and porting issues worsen the problem. To make sure you’re not on the receiving end of porting delays, follow these three best practices:
1. Triple-check documentation
Make sure you provide identical information to both providers. Before you start the porting process, we recommend contacting your landline provider and asking them to confirm your account details. Even a small discrepancy can cause major delays.
Some common types of incorrect or missing documentation include:
- No letter of authorization (LOA) provided
- LOA provided but not signed
- Name on the LOA doesn’t match the name on the signature
- No billing receipt provided
- Wrong billing receipt provided
- Incorrect phone number listed on the invoice
Mismatch of information on your billing statement and the customer service record that your current provider has on file
Providing an incorrect PIN is also one of the top reasons for porting delays. You’ll want to ensure you supply the porting-out PIN. If you don’t know if the PIN you have is the right one, call your current carrier. Ask for the porting department, and then have the support rep check that all of the port-out information, including the porting out PIN, is correct.
2. Follow up regularly with your current provider
Before you request a port, ask your existing provider to outline their process and timeline. Then, track the porting process to keep your request moving — a three- to four-day delay is not unusual, but reach out if things take longer.
Your current provider needs to keep your subscription active until the porting process is complete. But disconnection during the porting process may happen if your current provider disconnects your number or cancels your subscription right away.
Sometimes you can avoid objections by proactively following up. For example, your port request may not be going through because you need authorization from the account holder.
If you receive a rejection, call your carrier immediately to find out why.
3. Make sure your account is in good standing
Check for and clear any early termination fees or backlogged payments since these can hold up your port request.
It’s always a good idea to request a written confirmation of your account’s status after paying off balances or negotiating termination fees. This way, you can resolve subsequent conflicts quickly.
Have a pain-free porting experience with Quo (formerly OpenPhone)
Porting a landline to a cellphone or a VoIP number isn’t always smooth. Some people end up waiting weeks without updates, chasing down paperwork, or worse, getting disconnected by their old provider before the port is complete.
That’s why it makes a difference to port your number to a provider that keeps things clear, responsive, and hassle-free.
With Quo (formerly OpenPhone), the entire porting process happens in-app, for free. You can submit your request, upload documents, and track your progress in one place.
Try Quo for free for seven days. Once you confirm it’s a great fit, you can activate your account and port any existing local US, Canadian, or North American toll-free number over.
FAQs
Yes, in most cases, you can port a landline to a cell phone. According to the FCC, “If you’re switching service providers and remaining in the same geographic area, you can keep your existing phone number.” Phone number porting can be done between wireline (like landlines), IP (including Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP), and wireless (your classic carriers like Verizon and AT&T) providers.
But how long does it take to port a landline number? It depends on your provider and how quickly you prepare and submit the required documents. It can range anywhere from two to fifteen business days.
A ported phone line is a phone number that’s been transferred from one service provider to another. It allows you to switch services without having to change your number.
Usually, no. While some carriers may not penalize you for outstanding balances, you should settle them first. This also helps you avoid delays and additional charges.The cost of number porting depends on your new and existing service providers and the plan you’re switching to. Before you begin the porting process, ask about costs for early termination, porting, and new plan initiation.
At Quo, we don’t charge any fees for porting a landline number in or out. But your current provider might charge you to port out. For example, Google Voice charges you $3 if you decide to change to another carrier.Usually, no. While some carriers may not penalize you for outstanding balances, you should settle them first. This also helps you avoid delays and additional charges.
Yes, you can port a number even if you have an outstanding balance. Your current provider can’t legally stop you from switching, according to the FCC. However, they might delay the process until the balance is resolved, so it’s usually best to clear it first to avoid hold-ups.
Per the FCC, porting a landline phone number to wireless (traditional mobile carriers like Verizon) can take several days (longer than a wireless-to-wireless port). Check with your new service provider if they don’t share that information publicly to find out the time frame.
Yes, the FCC mandates that the number being ported stay active during the process. But since landline-to-wireless porting takes several days, it’s crucial you keep your number active so your service isn’t interrupted.
A VoIP number is a phone number that works over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. It lets you make and receive calls from devices like smartphones, computers, or tablets so you don’t need to be tied to a physical location or landline.
