If you already have phone numbers that are being used for your business, you may want to port them into the Follow Up Boss system for making and receiving calls.
⚠️ When a number is ported to Follow Up Boss, it is no longer with the previous carrier. This means if you port your personal cell number into Follow Up Boss, it will no longer function with your cell phone carrier.
What You Need to Know
- There are no fees from Follow Up Boss to port in numbers.
- The service your number is coming from, as well as the number itself, will need to stay active until the porting process is complete.
- Porting can take up to 3-7 days on average to complete. During this time, the phone number is active with the current provider until the port is complete.
What Does “Porting” Mean?
Porting a phone number means transferring ownership and service of the number from one provider to another.
If you port your personal cell phone number into Follow Up Boss, the number will move from your mobile carrier (such as Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile) to our phone provider Twilio.
Once completed, your number will no longer be connected to your physical mobile phone service plan. Instead, the number will function as a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) number inside Follow Up Boss.
It’s important to note that Follow Up Boss is not your new cell phone provider. Once the number ports into Follow Up Boss, it can only be used in Follow Up Boss (either on the app or desktop).
Information Needed
Note: Please contact your current carrier to obtain this information.
- Carrier
- Phone Number (being ported to FUB)
- Copy of a Bill from the last 30 days showing ownership of the number (PDF or JPEG)
- Account Name
- Account Type (Residential or Business)
- Account Number
- Primary Phone Number (with your carrier - this is usually your cell phone number)
- Port Away PIN
- Owner Name
- Owner Email
- Account Address (exactly as it appears on the bill from your current carrier)
If you're porting over a Canadia phone number, follow the steps in Port Phone Number: Canadian Port Request.
Submitting a Port Request
1. In Follow Up Boss, go to Admin > Phone Numbers
2. New Port Request
3. Select your carrier and enter the number you would like to port to FUB > Next
4. Gather a copy of the bill and the porting PIN > Next
5. Upload the bill > Next
6. Complete the fields with information from your account with your current carrier > Next
Account Name: The name on your carrier bill (personal or business name)
Account Type: Residential (your name) or Business (business name)
Account Number: Current carrier account number (found on the bill)
Primary Phone Number: The primary number with your carrier (this is usually your cell phone number)
Port Away PIN: Obtain from your current carrier (this is not the same as your voicemail PIN)
7. Add the name and email of the account owner of your current carrier > Next
8. Add your address as it appears on your bill from your current carrier > Next
9. Review the information and Submit
10. You will then see the requested number port under Number Ports
Letter of Authorization Signature
Once the port request has been submitted, Follow Up Boss’ carrier, Twilio, will email the owner of the number (as specified in step 7 above) to sign the Letter of Authorization (LOA). By signing the LOA, it provides permission to port the number to Follow Up Boss.
- From Name: Twilio Onboarding Team
- From Email: noreply@mail.hellosign.com
- Subject: Porting Letter of Authorization (LOA) - Signature requested by Twilio Onboarding Team before [Date]
Once the electronic signature has been completed, you are done submitting the port request! You can view the status of your port request on the Phone Numbers page in FUB.
Intentionally Port Your Personal Cell Number
If you intentionally want to port your personal mobile number into Follow Up Boss, you must first replace that number in the My Settings page with a different phone number where incoming calls and texts can be routed.
Important:
- The same number cannot remain listed in My Settings while simultaneously being submitted for porting. There is no way to bypass this restriction.
- Do not cancel your phone service before the port completes, as this can cause the port request to fail.
- FUB is not a wireless carrier such as Verizon or AT&T and do not provide cellular service or mobile data plans. Porting your number only transfers the phone number itself to a VoIP service provided by our partner Twilio for calling and texting through Follow Up Boss.
Once the number has been removed from My Settings, you can proceed with the port request process.
Notes:
- Your physical phone will still work, but the ported number will no longer be tied to your mobile carrier. Calls and texts for that number will route through Follow Up Boss instead. You will need to acquire a new personal cell phone number from your current provider and attach it to your physical mobile phone.
- Some banks, apps, and verification systems do not reliably send authentication codes to VoIP numbers. We advise you to update your two-factor authentication methods before porting your number.
Understand What Changes After Porting Your Cell Phone Number
Porting your personal mobile number into Follow Up Boss is a significant change and may affect how you use your phone number day to day.
After the port is completed:
- Your mobile carrier will no longer control that number
- Calls and texts for the number will route through Follow Up Boss/Twilio (our phone provider)
- Your cell phone will stop receiving calls and texts for that number outside of Follow Up Boss
- Features tied to your mobile carrier will no longer work
This process is not reversible instantly and may require porting the number back to a mobile carrier later if you change your mind. This can take anywhere from 1-6 weeks on average. The time it takes to port a number away solely depends on your new carrier.
Port Complete
Once the number(s) have successfully been ported to your FUB account, you'll receive an automated email notifying the owner of the account.
Port Rejections
Port requests can be rejected for a number of reasons. Below are the most common port rejections. For more information, check out our carrier's porting resource.
- Your information on all documents does not match
- The account with your phone provider has an unpaid balance
- The phone number has not been unlocked by the phone provider
- The number you are trying to port is currently listed as a personal phone number in the My Settings page for you or another user on the account.
- This safeguard exists to help prevent accidental port requests for active personal cell phone numbers, without understanding what it means to port your number to FUB.
- This safeguard exists to help prevent accidental port requests for active personal cell phone numbers, without understanding what it means to port your number to FUB.
If there is a rejection for your port request, you will receive an email notifying you of the rejection and the next steps.
FAQs
Yes! Go to Admin > Phone Numbers > New Port Request.
The status column reflects the status of your port request.
- Waiting for Signature: The port request has been submitted in FUB. The LOA needs to be signed.
- Port Submitted: The port request has been submitted in FUB, and the LOA has been signed.
- In Progress: Port request is sending to the gaining carrier
- Port Pending: Port request has sent to the gaining carrier
- In Review: Port request is being reviewed by the gaining carrier
- Action Required: The FUB Porting Team will reach out with next steps.
- Canceling: The port request is being canceled