--- title: "How to Port a Business Phone Number | Chargezen" description: "What you need to port a US business number (account number, PIN, a recent bill and a signed LOA), how the port date is set, and what happens on port day." url: "https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-port-a-phone-number" lang: "en" updated: "2026-10-17" --- Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-port-a-phone-number # How to Port a Business Phone Number (and How Long It Takes) DTC Strategy · 7 min read ![Jerry Abrahamson](https://chargezen.com/assets/blogpost1.6581a30d.png) Jerry Abrahamson Founder & CEO • Oct 17, 2026 ![How to Port a Business Phone Number (and How Long It Takes)](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) Porting means moving a phone number from one provider to another so you keep the number and change everything behind it. For a business it is usually the right call: customers already know the number, it is printed on your packaging and in years of order emails, and a new number means missed calls and texts on the old one. Porting is mostly paperwork and waiting. The paperwork has to match your current account exactly, and the waiting is set by the providers, not by you. This guide covers what you need, the steps, how long it takes, why ports get rejected and what to expect on port day. It covers US numbers (+1) only. ## Before you start: can the number move? * **You must control the account**: The number has to be on an account in your business's name, or you need the account holder to sign. A number on an employee's personal plan needs that person's cooperation. * **Keep the old service active**: Don't cancel your current account before the port finishes. If the account closes, the number can be released and lost. The old service ends on its own when the port completes. * **Check what kind of number it is**: Local and toll-free numbers can generally move. Short codes (the 5- or 6-digit numbers brands text from) follow a separate process and are not covered here. * **Check texting too**: If you text from this number, ask your new provider whether texting can move with it, and what registration it needs on arrival. A local number needs 10DLC registration to text; a toll-free number needs toll-free verification. ## What you need Gather these before you start. Most rejections come from one of them not matching your current provider's records. | Item | Where to find it | Why it matters | | --- | --- | --- | | Account number | Your current provider's bill or online account | Identifies the account the number is on | | Account PIN or passcode | Your provider's account settings, or ask their support (some call it a port-out PIN, and some only issue it on request) | Proves you are allowed to move the number | | Billing telephone number (BTN) | Your bill. It is the main number on the account and may differ from the one you are moving | Must match the account exactly | | Name and service address | Your bill, exactly as written, including suite numbers | A mismatch is one of the most common rejections | | Authorized person | Whoever is named on the account, or someone allowed to act for the business | They sign the authorization | | A recent bill (invoice) | A PDF from your current provider, usually the latest statement | Shows the number is on the account | | Signed letter of authorization (LOA) | Your new provider prepares it; you sign it | Your formal request to move the number | Copy names and addresses from the bill, character for character. "Street" and "St." can be enough to cause a rejection. The **letter of authorization**, or LOA, is a short document that says you, the account holder, authorize the new provider to move the number. It lists the number, your business name and service address, the billing telephone number and the current provider. If any of those details change after you sign, sign again. ## The steps * **1\. Check the number**: Your new provider checks that the number is portable and what type it is. Some numbers can't move, and the check should tell you why before you do any paperwork. * **2\. Enter your account details**: Business name, service address, authorized person, account number, PIN and billing telephone number, exactly as your current provider has them. * **3\. Sign the LOA**: Review the prefilled letter and sign it. * **4\. Upload a recent bill**: A PDF statement from your current provider that shows the number. * **5\. Confirm ownership (toll-free texting)**: For toll-free numbers that text, providers often confirm you control the number by texting a code to it at your current provider. * **6\. Request a port date**: You ask for a date; the providers confirm one. The confirmed date is called the [FOC](https://chargezen.com/glossary/foc-date) date (firm order commitment). * **7\. Wait, and watch for problems**: If the current provider rejects the request, you get a reason. Fix that detail and resubmit. * **8\. Port day**: The number switches to the new provider. Test calls and texts right away. ## How long it takes There is no single answer, because the date depends on the providers involved, the type of number and whether the paperwork is clean the first time. * **Simple local ports**: FCC rules (47 C.F.R. § 52.35, adopted in 2009) require simple ports of a single local line between providers to complete within one business day of a valid request. Many business ports are not "simple" under the rule, for example accounts with several lines or extra services, and take longer. * **Toll-free ports**: Toll-free numbers are managed through a separate national registry, and the move is a change of the number's responsible organization. Timing is set by the providers involved. * **Rejections reset the clock**: Each rejection means fixing the detail and resubmitting, which adds days. Clean paperwork is the biggest thing you control. * **The FOC date is the real answer**: Once the providers confirm a firm order commitment date, you know when the number moves. Plan around that date, not an estimate. Checked October 17, 2026. Give yourself a buffer: don't plan a big launch, a sale or a holiday rush for the week of the port. ## Local vs toll-free ports | | Local number | Toll-free number | | --- | --- | --- | | Who handles it | The old and new carriers, through the number portability system | The old and new responsible organizations, through the toll-free registry | | Texting after the move | Needs an approved 10DLC registration | Needs toll-free verification | | Can texting move first? | Usually moves with the number | Often yes: texting can be moved ahead of the voice port with the provider's approval | General guidance. Your provider will tell you what applies to your number. Moving texting first is handy for toll-free numbers: you can start texting through the new provider while the number itself is still moving. ## Common reasons a port is rejected * **Name or address mismatch**: The business name or service address doesn't match the current account exactly. * **Wrong account number or PIN**: Some providers use a separate port-out PIN that differs from the login PIN. * **Wrong billing telephone number**: The main number on the account isn't the number being moved. * **LOA problems**: Missing signature, a signer who isn't authorized, or details that changed after signing. * **Bill problems**: An old statement, a statement that doesn't show the number, or a file the provider can't read. * **Account issues**: The account was closed, suspended or has a freeze on porting. Some providers let you set a port protection that has to be removed first. ## What happens on port day * Before the date: set up who answers calls on the new provider, so the first call after the switch is picked up. * During the switch: calls and texts may briefly go to the old or the new provider while carriers update their records. Keep the old service active until the port completes. * Right after: call the number from a cell on a different carrier, send it a text, and reply to a text. Check that your caller ID shows correctly. * Within a few days: confirm the old account has closed for that number, and update anything that should point to the new setup. Should you cancel a port partway? You usually can, until the port date is locked in. After that, backing out can strand the number between providers, so decide before you confirm. ## How Chargezen helps You can bring your number to Chargezen and follow the whole move in one place. Porting is for US numbers (+1), local or toll-free. * **A check first**: Chargezen checks that the number can move, that it can text, and whether it is local or toll-free. A local number needs your 10DLC registration approved first, so it can text on arrival. * **Your details, then the LOA**: Enter your business name, service address, authorized person, account number, PIN and billing telephone number. Chargezen prefills the letter of authorization and you sign it in the app. If you change a detail the LOA states, you sign again. * **Your bill**: Upload a recent statement as a PDF (up to 5 MB). * **Toll-free texting moves first**: For a toll-free number, you confirm ownership with a code texted to the number, and it can start texting through Chargezen before the port finishes. * **Pick who answers**: Choose whether Concierge answers calls when the number arrives. * **Port date booked for you**: Pick a date and Chargezen books the earliest date the providers allow on or after it. You see the confirmed FOC date in Chargezen. * **Problems point to the fix**: If the current provider sends the port back, Chargezen shows which step to fix (details, LOA or bill) and resubmits. Once it arrives, the number works for calls and texts, and Concierge can answer both. See [business phone number](https://chargezen.com/concierge/features/business-phone-number), the [phone channel](https://chargezen.com/concierge/channels/phone), [toll-free texting](https://chargezen.com/concierge/features/toll-free-texting) and [phone calls](https://chargezen.com/concierge/features/phone-calls). Concierge Starter is $20 a month with 20,000 credits. Pro is $199 a month with 199,000 credits, or $1,990 a year. Phone and text charges are billed as used, and you can connect your own OpenAI or Anthropic account. See [pricing](https://chargezen.com/pricing). Related terms: [toll-free number](https://chargezen.com/glossary/toll-free-number), [10DLC](https://chargezen.com/glossary/10dlc-10-digit-long-code) and [A2P messaging](https://chargezen.com/glossary/a2p-application-to-person). Related guides: [how to get a business phone number](https://chargezen.com/blog/get-business-phone-number) and [AI receptionist vs answering service vs voicemail](https://chargezen.com/blog/ai-receptionist-vs-answering-service). ## Frequently asked questions ## Will I lose calls or texts during a port? There can be a short window on port day while carriers update their records. Keep your old service active until the port completes and set up who answers on the new provider beforehand, and most customers never notice. ## What is an FOC date? FOC stands for firm order commitment. It is the date the providers confirm the number will move. Until then, any date is a request. ## Why was my port rejected? Usually because a detail didn't match the current account: business name, service address, account number, PIN or billing telephone number. Copy them from your latest bill exactly and resubmit. ## Can I port a number from a texting platform? Often, yes, if the number is a regular local or toll-free number in your business's name. Ask your current platform for the account number and PIN, or for its porting instructions. ![Jerry Abrahamson](https://chargezen.com/assets/blogpost2.32f70dbd.png) Written by ### Jerry Abrahamson Jerry is the Founder and CEO of Chargezen, helping brands build sustainable omni-channel businesses. With over 10 years of experience in omni-channel commerce and SaaS, he's passionate about helping brands create recurring revenue streams. [](https://twitter.com/chargezenjerry)[](https://linkedin.com/in/jerry-a) ## Related Articles [ ![How to Win Back Canceled Subscribers: Offers, Timing and Messages](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) DTC Strategy · 7 min read ### How to Win Back Canceled Subscribers: Offers, Timing and Messages Who to target, when to reach out, which offers work and what to say by email and text to win back canceled subscribers, plus how to measure reactivation. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/how-to-win-back-canceled-subscribers)[ ![How to Turn One-Time Buyers Into Subscribers: Product Page, Checkout and Post-Purchase](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) DTC Strategy · 7 min read ### How to Turn One-Time Buyers Into Subscribers: Product Page, Checkout and Post-Purchase Turn one-time buyers into subscribers at five moments: the product page, cart, checkout, thank-you page and portal, with offer ideas and how to test them. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/convert-one-time-buyers-to-subscribers)[ ![AI Receptionist vs Answering Service vs Voicemail: What Online Stores Should Use](https://chargezen.com/og-default.png) DTC Strategy · 8 min read ### AI Receptionist vs Answering Service vs Voicemail: What Online Stores Should Use What voicemail, a human answering service and an AI receptionist each do on a real store call, how they charge, and a checklist for choosing one. ](https://chargezen.com/blog/ai-receptionist-vs-answering-service) ## Ready to Grow Your Subscription Revenue? 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