You love how your toll-free phone number connects you to customers — but your current phone service provider? Not so much. The good news? Switching providers is easier than you think — and it doesn’t mean giving up your toll-free phone number.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to port your toll-free number to a new provider, what can cause delays, and offer a toll-free number service that makes the porting process hassle-free.
How to port a toll-free number
If you want to port your toll-free number to a new provider, here are six key steps you need to follow:
1. Verify eligibility
Before switching providers, make sure your toll-free number can be ported. Not all providers support toll-free numbers.
For example, if you’re moving to a new area, your provider might not have the necessary infrastructure to support your number. Plus, some providers, like Google Voice, only support local numbers.
2. Keep current phone service active
What’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make when porting your number? Canceling your current service before the transfer is complete. While it might be tempting to end your existing plan as soon as you start the porting process, it can result in losing your number permanently.
3. Gather necessary information
To start the porting process, you’ll need to give your new provider documentation that includes:
- Phone bill or most recent invoice: This needs to show the account holder’s name, billing address, and toll-free number.
- Letter of Authorization (LOA): This must be signed by the authorized account holder, granting permission to port the number. Carriers have become stricter in authenticating toll-free port requests, so it’s important that the account holder signs the LOA.
You’ll also need to confirm with your new provider:
- 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
Having all this information ready can help speed up your porting request.
4. Submit porting request
Once you have your documentation, you can submit a porting request form to your new phone service provider to get the process started.
5. Wait for the porting process to complete
After you’ve submitted the request, you’ll need to wait for the porting process to finish. Porting a toll-free number typically takes 5-7 business days for US numbers and 10-12 business days for Canadian numbers.
Your new provider should keep you updated on the progress and let you know when it’s complete. You can also reach out to them for an update if it’s taking longer than expected.
💡Check out our detailed guide on how long it takes to port a number by provider.
6. Cancel your account with your old service provider
Once your toll-free number has been successfully ported to your new provider, you can cancel your old phone service.
What can slow down the porting process?
While porting a toll-free phone number is usually a straightforward process, you can face potential roadblocks. Here are some porting issues to keep in mind:
- Incorrect information: Errors in billing details, mismatched account names, incorrect port-out PINs, or providing an outdated invoice can delay or reject your request. Ensure all details match what your current provider has on file.
- Unpaid balances or contractual obligations: Outstanding bills, unpaid termination fees, or existing contracts with early termination penalties can prevent your current provider from releasing your number.
- Errors in the Letter of Authorization (LOA): Missing signatures, incorrect business or account holder names, or mismatched details between the LOA and billing records can delay the process. Some providers also require handwritten signatures instead of digital ones.
- Service disconnection: Canceling your current phone service before the porting process is complete can result in losing your business phone number. Always wait until the new provider confirms the port is successful before canceling.
- High volume of requests: A backlog of porting requests, especially during peak times, can slow things down. While this is beyond your control, checking with your current and new provider on estimated timelines can help set expectations.
How to port your toll-free number to OpenPhone
Porting your toll-free number to OpenPhone is quick and easy. You can get set up with a new account in minutes and start using your number as soon as it’s ported over.
Here’s how to port your number to OpenPhone in three simple steps:
- Sign up for an OpenPhone account and select a toll-free or local phone number. You can fully test OpenPhone with this number during a free seven-day trial to confirm it’s a great fit for your business.
- Submit a port request through the web or desktop app.
- OpenPhone will take it from there and let you know when the porting is complete (usually in 5-7 business days). In the meantime, you can use OpenPhone’s features, such as customizing your business hours.
With OpenPhone, you’re not just getting a business number. You’re unlocking business features that allow your business to scale:
- Unlimited calls and texts to the US and Canada that let your reps take and make as many calls as needed
- Automatic call recording so you don’t have to worry about reps forgetting to record important customer conversations
- Phone menus that let customers route themselves to the right department or rep
- Shared phone numbers make it easy for your team to work together to solve customer problems since they can make and receive calls from the same phone number
- AI call summaries and transcripts that let you stay focused on your call and not on taking notes
- AI call tags that automatically label calls like “Billing issue” to help your team stay organized when checking what calls need attention first
- Time-saving text automations like scheduled messages, auto-replies, and text message templates (we call them snippets)
- Call forwarding that lets you redirect incoming calls to another phone number
- Transparent and flexible pricing that lets you upgrade and downgrade your plan anytime
- HubSpot and Salesforce integrations that let you automatically log call and text activities
💡 Keep in mind once your phone number is ported over, you’ll also need to complete toll-free number registration to be able to text. You can complete this registration for free on OpenPhone.
OpenPhone: The easiest way to port your toll-free number
Porting your toll-free number from your current carrier to a new one lets you upgrade your business phone system without changing your number that customers rely on. While the porting process involves a few steps, choosing the right provider can make it seamless.
With OpenPhone, you can port your toll-free number in just a few clicks and unlock business features — unlimited calling and texting to US and Canadian numbers, auto-replies, AI-powered call summaries, and more. OpenPhone has everything you need to stay connected and grow your business efficiently.
Start your free seven-day trial of OpenPhone today.
FAQs
Phone number porting allows you to transfer your existing phone number from one provider to another without changing it. This ensures your customers can still reach you, preventing disruptions.
The process happens behind the scenes between your current and new provider. To start, you’ll need to submit a porting request with key account details (like your phone bill, account number, and a Letter of Authorization). Once approved, your number will be transferred over, and your service will continue as usual.
First, you’ll need to sign up for an account with your new phone service, like OpenPhone. Then, you can go to the OpenPhone app and submit a porting request form there. After that, OpenPhone will handle the porting process and let you know when it’s complete.
