Porting out your phone number involves transferring it from your current service provider to a new one. If you're transitioning from Flowroute to another provider, we're sorry to see you leave, but we aim to make the process as smooth as possible. Continue reading to learn what you need to know about moving your phone number to a different provider.
Before you begin
New service providers typically require the following:
A copy of your latest Flowroute showing service on the phone number you want to port within the past 30 days. You can print out a Flowroute bill copy by logging in to your Flowroute account, clicking Billing, and then clicking Print.
You only have to provide billing information for the numbers on your account that you want to port out.
The account information on file for the phone number(s). Generally, this will be the Name as it's listed on your Flowroute account, Company Name if applicable, and Address. If you want to verify any of this information, however, you can contact Flowroute's support and request a customer service record (CSR). This information can be found on the Account information page of your account. See Common Questions and Issues for the steps to request a CSR.
The Port Out process
The port order process begins by contacting your new service provider to initiate the process. Typically your new carrier will probably require the bill copy and account information noted above; however, some providers might require more information and some less. Your new service provider will then send a port out a request to Flowroute. The port out request is reviewed to ensure the new carrier has provided all of the required information for the phone numbers to port. For most phone numbers, a verification email will be sent to you to approve or reject the port out request.
Verification emails must be responded to within a certain time frame, so if you’re porting out please keep an eye on your emails.
If you do not respond to the verification email, we compare the information provided by the requesting service provider with your Flowroute Account information. If the information matches we’ll approve the port out request; if the information is mismatched, the request will be rejected to the requesting carrier.
Once a port out request is approved, the requesting carrier receives a completion date for the port order. This is the day the carrier you’re moving to can migrate the phone number to their network. Generally, if the new carrier does not complete the port within five days of the provided completion date the port out request is canceled. If the request is canceled, your new carrier needs to submit a new port order for the phone numbers to restart the process.
Common Issues & FAQ
How do I request a CSR?
To request a CSR, please send email to porting@flowroute.com. In the Message please provide the following information.
Email address on the account
Tech Prefix on the account
Telephone numbers (DIDs) for for which you want a CSR
Your account information can be found on the Dashboard page of your Flowroute account; a list of your DIDs can be found on the DIDS page.
Can I provide pre-approval for a number to port out?
Unfortunately, Flowroute requires confirmation with a confirmation email and does not accept pre-approval. As such, please be sure to respond to the confirmation email to approve the request.
Should I remove the porting out number from my Flowroute account?
No. Removing the phone number prior to port out completion may result in a loss of service or other issues. Once the number has successfully migrated to your new carrier, you will receive an email from Flowroute confirming that the port-out is complete. At this point, the phone number can be removed without impacting service.
I approved the port out a few days ago and the number is still displayed on my Flowroute account, do I need to do anything else?
Generally, no. Depending on the requested completion date a phone number might display on your account for up to 30 days after the request is approved. To confirm when the order is expected to complete you can reach out to your new service provider to confirm the expected completion date.
I missed the email and the order was rejected, can I still approve it?
Unfortunately, once the order is rejected we cannot provide approval for that request. Please contact your carrier and ask them to submit another port out request. In order to ensure completion without responding to the email, make sure they’re submitting the account information attached to the phone number.
I’m trying to port multiple numbers, and some are completing faster than others. Why?
In some cases, a delay in porting numbers can be due to your new carrier and might just be related to how long it takes them to get the numbers set up. One way to ensure that the porting goes as smoothly as possible is to submit all of the porting numbers on the same account as part of the same request. In some instances, submitting multiple orders from different accounts in the same request can cause delays as each order is processed separately. Consider submitting one consolidated order for all of the numbers in a single account; this can make the process go more quickly.
Are there any extra actions that need to be taken if ALL DIDs have been ported from the account?
When a port order is completed on the last DID on the account there are two options: If you choose to keep the account open without a DID, you may be charged a $15 admin fee each month until you add any (ported in, or purchased) DID to the account. The other option is: When a port order is completed and you want to close the account, you will have to do that manually.
Please refer to this page for more information on how to close your account. How do I cancel my Flowroute account?
I have additional questions regarding the port out process
Feel free to contact us at porting@flowroute.com with any specific questions or concerns you may have regarding the port-out process.