Index:

What is porting?
Porting basics
The porting process
Other porting questions

What is porting?

Porting a phone number is the act of transferring a phone number from the current carrier to a new carrier. Porting allows you use Talkroute service and its features while keeping your existing phone number(s).

When you port your phone number to Talkroute, it's important to note that the phone number will be removed from your current service provider/device when brought over to Talkroute. This may disconnect your current provider’s phone service unless you request a replacement number with them or have a second line. Please contact your current provider for any questions about how this port will affect your account.

Porting your phone number is an essential process that can provide many benefits to individuals and businesses alike. It's important to follow the necessary steps and procedures carefully to ensure a successful porting process. If you have any questions or concerns about porting your phone number, please don't hesitate to reach out to us for assistance!

Porting basics

Why port my phone number instead of forwarding calls from it?

Porting your phone allows you to use all the features Talkroute has to offer. Porting a number has benefits, such as being able to place outgoing calls from multiple devices and Talkroute users while having your ported number (or caller ID name) show up as the incoming caller ID. Additionally, you can use the ported phone number to send and receive text messages and even allow other users to respond and create new messages.

You can forward your existing number to your a new Talkroute phone number by contacting your carrier directly or using a call forwarding code such as *72. This option is best if you wish to have callers that dial your existing number be forwarded to your Talkroute system but still retain the number on the original device. Please note that if you forward an existing number to your Talkroute phone number, every caller that dials your existing number will be first forwarded to your Talkroute phone system. You cannot use the number you are forwarding from to also receive incoming calls.

While forwarding your number to a new Talkroute virtual phone number is an option, it's important to consider that outgoing calls and texts using our service will only show from your virtual phone numbers. Depending on your situation, forwarding to a Talkroute Virtual Phone Number may be a good short term solution to get live calls when your port order is still completing or to evaluate Talkroute before porting your number.

Pricing

It's worth noting that port orders can only be submitted with a paid Talkroute account. If a port request is submitted for a number during a trial period, the trial will end at that time. Each plan comes with an included amount of virtual phone numbers, and additional local or toll-free numbers (new or ported) can be added for a fee of $5/month each. Therefore, it's important to review your plan features to see how many phone numbers come included with your plan. We do not charge any porting fees to port your local or toll-free numbers to our service.

Some carriers may charge a port out or unlock fee to release your number for porting. Talkroute does not cover any fees your carrier may charge for porting your number away or from an early contract termination.

Toll-Free text verification

U.S. and Canadian phone carriers have put in place a new regulation that requires additional verification for toll-free phone numbers (TFNs) in order for sent text messages to be delivered. The reason for this change is to help protect consumers from unwanted and/or SPAM messages.

For new customers who are porting toll-free numbers, it's recommended to complete the verification process as part of the text activation process. Doing so can prevent any disruptions in texting on your toll-free number. Some carriers may block incoming messages from unverified toll-free numbers.

The verification process is completely free of charge, and it helps make your toll-free number function as intended. Text verification is only available to US and Canada customers at this time.

For more information and a download link for the Toll-Free text verification form, please visit: talkroute.com/textverification

The porting process

The process of porting a phone number may seem overwhelming at first, but it's actually quite straightforward. It starts by requesting to port a phone number under your account. Once our team has collected and verified the required documents, Talkroute will initiate a port order. The current carrier will then verify the customer’s account information and approve or deny the port order. If the order is rejected, Talkroute provides the rejection notes and allows the customer to make corrections so that the order can be resubmitted. Once the port order is approved, the current carrier provides a date for the release of the phone number, which is then activated on the release date to Talkroute's network.

How do I get started?

The first step is requesting to port the phone number(s) under your account. Simply visit https://cp.talkroute.com/account#!/phoneNumbers. Under the “Port Phone Number” area, enter the phone number you wish to port and the carrier of the number, then select port number. A more detailed guide on how to request to port a number can be viewed here: How to Port Your Existing Phone Number to Talkroute

If you have not signed up and activated a Talkroute account, this will need to be done first. The link to sign up for a new Talkroute account can be found here: https://talkroute.com/sign-up/

Once your port request has been received, one of our porting agents will review the number(s) to ensure they are portable to our service. They will send an email to the primary admin under the account with the next steps and the information needed in order to submit your port.

You can find more information below about the next steps for the porting process.

Porting steps outline

The customer starts a port request under their Talkroute account and provides the phone number they want to port with the current carrier.
A Talkroute Porting Agent will reach out to the primary account admin's email to collect the information and documents needed to continue.
Once the required documents have been returned and verified, Talkroute initiates the porting process by submitting a port order.
The current carrier verifies the customer’s account information and approves or denies the port order.
If the order is rejected, we provide the rejection notes and allow the customer to make corrections so we may resubmit the order.
Once the port order is approved, the current carrier provides a date for the release of the phone number.
The phone number is then activated on the release date to Talkroute's network.

What documents do you need to port my number?

A porting ticket will be created and sent to the primary account admin’s email address after your port request has been reviewed by one of our porting agents. The porting agent will provide instructions on how to obtain the information we need to submit your port order. This porting agent will be your main point of contact for anything porting related.

Two documents are required for every port order, a Letter of Authorization (LOA) and a recent phone bill from your current provider:

Letter of Authorization - Along with the porting email, you will get a separate email for an electronic LOA form. The LOA authorizes Talkroute to port your phone number(s). This document will need to be filled out with all the information your current carrier has on file. An authorized person on the account associated with the number(s) needs to sign the LOA.

All the required fields must match exactly what your current carrier has on file. If any information is not correct on your LOA, it could cause your order to get rejected. Refer to your current phone bill, CSR (Customer Service Record), or contact your current service provider if necessary to collect the correct information.

What information is requested on the LOA?

Customer Billing Name - The account holder’s first and last name for the current carrier and the company name the account is listed under (if listed under a business).

Address Information - The service address the current carrier has on file for the number.

Account Information - The account number, billing telephone number, and port-out PIN (only some carriers require PINs) associated with the account for your current provider.

Phone Numbers - List the phone numbers and the carriers for those numbers.

Text Messaging - The form provides an option to activate text messaging for your numbers when your port completes. Otherwise, texting can be enabled under your account at a later time.

Signature - The account holder or authorized user for the current carrier’s account must print their name, sign, and date the document.
Phone Number Bill - Your most recent phone bill is also required to port your number to our service. This is needed to verify porting authorization of the number(s) and account information. A copy of your bill can be attached to your emailed porting ticket. Make sure the bill is the most recent copy and shows the number(s) you are porting. If your current carrier does not provide traditional bills, you may also submit a CSR or screenshot from your online account showing the phone number(s).
Once you have completed all of the steps above and your provided documents are verified by our team, we will add your request to our porting queue to be submitted.

What happens during this process and how long does it take?

Requesting to port this number to Talkroute means that this number will be removed from the current device and will be a virtual phone number in Talkroute. The number will continue to work with the current carrier until the port is complete.

Caution

During the porting process, please do not cancel or make any changes to your account with your current provider to avoid rejections and service distruptions.

Once the port is complete, this number will no longer be associated with that device or its current service provider. Porting a number may disconnect your phone service with your current provider unless you have a second line with them. Please contact your current carrier for any questions about how this port will affect your account.

Most ports will complete in about 5-7 days after your order is submitted. However, some port orders can take up to 1-4 weeks to complete if a manual port is required or order rejections occur. The transition from this port will be seamless, as long as you keep the account active. You will get status emails for when the order is submitted, approved, rejected, or completed.

Can I use text messaging with my ported number?

Yes, but text messaging will not automatically be enabled for your ported number unless specified in your LOA. This can also be activated for your number at a later time under your account.

If you chose to activate texting on your LOA, please allow for up to 3 business days after your port completion date for text messaging to become active. Once active, it can take 1-3 business days for text messaging to work across all carriers.

iMessage Numbers

If the phone numbers you are porting are associated with an iMessage account, they will need to be removed from iMessage in order for text messaging to fully work with Talkroute. Please contact Apple Care support for further questions.

Toll Free Numbers

We recommend completing a toll-free text verification form as some providers may block incoming messages from unverified toll-free numbers. For more info, please visit: Toll-Free Text Verification

Other porting questions

What happens with my temporary phone number?

If a temporary phone number was provided, it will be removed from the account once your port completes unless you request to keep the number. Any text messages associated with your temporary phone number will be removed once the number is removed. An inactive version of the number you are requesting to port will appear under your account.

Do I have to wait to configure the number after the port completes?

No! We give you access to inactive versions of the numbers you have requested to port your account. This means you can set up greetings, call routing settings, and voice mailboxes on your numbers before the port completes. We recommend configuring the numbers ahead of time to minimize any potential downtime. If you need help with navigating the account or setup assistance, book a free live setup consultation with us here: https://talkroute.com/getting-started/

Who owns my number and can I move it to another carrier?

You own your number! We port your number from your current carrier and maintain it. We follow the FCC’s guidelines on local number portability and you can see more info on that here: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/porting-keeping-your-phone-number-when-you-change-providers

You are able to port your number away from an active account with Talkroute. A porting PIN needs to be generated for your numbers in order to successfully port them away. Our guide on how to obtain your port out PIN can be found here: https://support.talkroute.com/hc/en-us/articles/218342237-How-to-Port-Your-Talkroute-Phone-Number-to-Different-Carrier

How do I know if Talkroute can port my numbers?

Talkroute can port most phone numbers in the United States and Canada. If you would like to check and see if your numbers are portable to Talkroute before submitting a port request, please reach out. All of our contact information can be found here: https://talkroute.com/contact/

I received a rejection for my port order, what should I do?

If a rejection notice has been sent, your porting agent will provide more information such as the reject reason and recommendations for next steps. The most common rejection is for mismatching information. The information provided in your LOA might not match what your carrier has on file. If this is the case, we would send a new LOA to get the correct information and resubmit your order. Other times, there may be an issue under the account with your current carrier and your carrier would need to be contacted in order to move forward.

When exactly will my numbers activate?

Unfortunately, we do not guarantee an exact time for ported number activations. However, most numbers will activate between 9AM - 1PM CT on the date your port is set to complete.

How can I cancel my port?

If your order has not been submitted, you may remove the number from the account under your Talkroute control panel and this will also cancel your request.

For orders that have been already submitted or if you are not sure of the status, contact your porting agent or send an email to support@talkroute.com. Please include the numbers you requested to port and your reason for canceling the request.

My ported number is not working, what should I do?

Your ported numbers will activate to Talkroute before the end of business on your approval date. If the number is no longer working with the losing carrier or with Talkroute, please reach out to our support team for further assistance. All of our contact information can be found here: https://talkroute.com/contact/

If some calls are still going to your previous carrier you may have to contact them to remove the ported number from their systems.

How do I keep service on the phone associated with the number I am porting?

Talkroute does not provide direct service to physical phones at this time. This means that if you are porting a phone number to Talkroute that is associated with a physical phone, you would need to get a replacement phone number with your current carrier. The phone would need a 10-digit US/Canada phone number in order to work with Talkroute service.

Example: Let's say you have a cell phone with a business number that you would like to port to Talkroute, but you still wish to use that cell phone to place and receive business calls. Once you port that business number over to Talkroute, the number will no longer be available on your cell phone. Since Talkroute does not provide direct service to physical phones, you would need to get a replacement number from your cell carrier. This replacement number can then be added as a forwarding phone number in Talkroute. When someone calls your Talkroute number, the call can be forwarded to your replacement cell phone number, as well as any other 10-digit US/Canada phone number or Talkroute desktop users. Outgoing calls using your business number can be made from the Talkroute mobile or desktop applications.

Why is my number not portable to Talkroute?

If a porting agent determines that your number is not portable, this is because our partner carriers do not have coverage in the area where your number is located. Most commonly, this is the case with numbers originating from rural areas. The number’s originating location is determined by the area code and prefix of the phone number. Number portability is not typically determined based on the current carrier of the number. If you would like our team to confirm whether your number is portable to Talkroute, please get in touch with us at support@talkroute.com.

Talkroute Number Porting Process and Information