---
title: "What is FOC date? | Chargezen"
description: "The date the losing carrier confirms it will release a phone number during a port, when it starts working with the new provider."
url: "https://chargezen.com/glossary/foc-date"
lang: "en"
---

Canonical URL: https://chargezen.com/glossary/foc-date

# FOC date

Firm order commitment (FOC) date

Phone

The date the losing carrier confirms it will release a phone number during a port, when it starts working with the new provider.

## What is FOC date?

FOC stands for firm order commitment. Once your port request is accepted, the current carrier gives the new provider a FOC date, and sometimes a time window. That's when the number is scheduled to switch over. **What happens around the FOC date:** - **Before it:** calls and texts still go to your old provider. Keep that service active. - **On the day:** the number is moved in the national routing databases. For a short time, some calls may still reach the old provider while the change spreads. - **After it:** calls and texts arrive at the new provider. Test inbound and outbound calls, and texting, right away. **How long it takes.** Under FCC rules, simple ports between wireless carriers should finish within one business day. Ports that involve landlines, many numbers or business accounts often take days to a few weeks. Toll-free ports follow their own process. **When the date changes:** - A rejected LOA or mismatched account details means a new request and a new date. - You can often ask to move the date if the original one doesn't suit you. **Plan around it:** pick a quiet day if you can, tell your team, and only cancel the old service after you've confirmed the number works with the new provider. **How Chargezen handles it:** when you bring a number to Chargezen, you follow the transfer's progress in Chargezen.

## Example

A store gets a FOC date of Tuesday at 10 a.m. It keeps the old service live, has a teammate call the number at 10:30 to confirm it rings in the new system, and cancels the old plan that afternoon.

## Why FOC date Matters

It's the one date to plan your switch around, so customers never hit a dead line.

## Explore More Terms

Browse our complete glossary of e-commerce and subscription terms.

[View Full Glossary](https://chargezen.com/glossary)