Porting moves your existing business number to a new provider instead of forwarding calls from the old one. Done right, customers never notice; done wrong, you can end up with a dead line or, worse, a permanently lost number. This checklist covers the evidence to gather first, the realistic timeline, and the one rule that prevents almost every disaster: don't cancel your old service until the port is confirmed complete.
Step 1: Gather ownership evidence before you request a port
Every losing provider checks the same handful of details character-for-character against your account file. Pull these from your current bill or online account before you start, not after a rejection notice tells you something doesn't match.
- Account number on file with your current provider (this is often different from your phone number itself)
- Current PIN or password used to authorize account changes
- The exact legal name and billing address your current provider has on record
- Proof you own the number (recent bill, account screenshot, or carrier-issued statement)
- If the number is a Google Voice number: unlock it with your carrier and obtain the unlock PIN before anything else — a locked Google Voice number cannot be ported
Worked example: porting a Google Voice number to Beside
Google Voice is a useful illustration because its paperwork sequence is fully documented and shows exactly what 'ownership evidence' means in practice.
- Unlock the Google Voice number and request its unlock PIN (a small carrier fee, around $3, applies in some cases and is waived in others)
- Use the Google Voice number itself as the 'account number' on the port request
- Upload proof of ownership of the number
- Sign the Letter of Authorization (LOA) naming the new provider as the one requesting the transfer
- Submit the request and wait — the Google Voice number keeps working normally throughout this process
Step 2: Know the transfer stages and realistic timing
Two timelines matter here, and conflating them is what makes owners panic unnecessarily. FCC rules require the technical port itself to complete within 1 business day for a 'simple' port, or 4 business days for a 'non-simple' port — but that clock only starts once the losing provider accepts your request as accurate. Collecting documents and fixing a mismatch happens before that clock starts, which is why real transfers routinely take longer than the regulatory window.
In practice, a full transfer into Beside — including account verification — typically completes in under a week and can take up to two weeks depending on how quickly your old provider responds. Porting isn't always possible: the FCC notes that moving to a new geographic service area, or certain rural carriers operating under FCC waivers, can block a port outright, so confirm your number is eligible before you commit to a cutover date.
| Stage | Typical timing |
|---|---|
| FCC-mandated technical port, 'simple' port | 1 business day, once the request is verified accurate |
| FCC-mandated technical port, 'non-simple' port | 4 business days, once the request is verified accurate |
| Full transfer into Beside (documentation review + technical port) | Usually under 1 week; up to 2 weeks is normal |
Step 3: What not to cancel — and when it's finally safe
Keep your old service active until the new provider confirms the port is complete. The FCC's own guidance tells consumers not to terminate existing service before initiating the new one, for a concrete reason: cancelling the old plan mid-port can cause the port to fail and release the number back to the public numbering pool, where it is no longer recoverable. The same rule applies in reverse if you ever port a number back out: port it first, then cancel — cancelling first can release the number for reassignment within roughly two weeks.
One reassurance worth knowing: once you've requested service from a new provider, your old provider cannot refuse to port your number just because you owe an outstanding balance or an early termination fee. You may still owe that balance separately, but it is not legal grounds to block the port itself.
Step 4: If the port stalls or gets rejected
| Cause | Fix |
|---|---|
| Name, address, or account number doesn't match the losing provider's file exactly | Pull your most recent bill and copy the details verbatim, including abbreviations and suite numbers |
| Outstanding balance or early termination fee owed on the old account | This cannot legally be used to refuse the port — resubmit and reference that an unpaid balance or termination fee alone isn't valid grounds for refusal (you may still owe the balance separately) |
| Account listed as inactive or in poor standing for another reason (not just an unpaid balance) | Contact your current provider directly to resolve the standing issue on the account before resubmitting the port request |
| Expired or incorrect PIN/password | Log into your current provider's account portal and reset or confirm the current PIN before resubmitting |
| Request submitted by someone who isn't the authorized account holder | Only the primary account holder of record can authorize the port; have them submit or co-sign it |
| Google Voice number not unlocked | Unlock the number through Google Voice settings and obtain the unlock PIN before resubmitting |
Stalled or lost-number ports do happen in the industry — business owners have reported multi-week delays and, in rare cases, permanent loss of a long-held number after a porting error with their carrier. These are general examples from other providers, not reported Beside incidents, but they're the reason the 'don't cancel early' rule in Step 3 matters more than it might seem.
Step 5: Verify before you cancel anything
- Relaunch the app or restart the device on the new provider's service
- Place a real inbound test call to the ported number from a phone that isn't on the account
- Confirm directly with your old carrier that they actually cancelled your old plan — the completed port does not guarantee the old carrier auto-cancels billing
- Disable any call forwarding you had set up as a stopgap during the transfer
- Set up a 2FA backup method, since some accounts use the business number for two-factor codes
What's included if you're moving the number to Beside
Beside's web plans include number porting and call forwarding at no extra charge: Baseline is $29/month per business (1 line included, extra lines $4.99/month), and Unlimited is $99/month per business with unlimited AI Receptionist calls and a 7-day free trial. A separate in-app, per-seat subscription exists for some Android, Canada, and iPhone offers ($29.99/month or $199.99/year per seat) — that's a different offer from the web plans above, not an additional porting fee.
Still deciding whether to port your main line or keep a second number for new inquiries? That decision — which number should move — is covered separately at beside.com/blog/second-phone-number-for-business.