--- title: Switch Business Phone Providers, Keep Your Numbers | PBXflex description: How to move your business phone numbers to PBXflex: what to gather, what to keep running, and who does what. Number porting is free on every plan. url: https://www.pbxflex.com/switching --- # Switch phone providers and keep every number Your numbers come with you, and moving them is free on every plan. This guide covers what to gather before you start, what keeps running during the move, and which parts we can do for you. - Free number porting - No contract - Guided setup if you want it ## The short version List every number you use and get a recent bill from your current provider. Set up your users and call flows on PBXflex, then ask us to move the numbers. Keep your current service running until every number rings on PBXflex, and cancel it last. Number porting is free on every PBXflex plan. ## Before you start Gather these first. Most of them are on your current phone bill. - **Every number you use.** Main line, direct lines, fax numbers and toll-free numbers. Include the lines nobody thinks about, such as an alarm panel or a card terminal, and ask the company that services that device before you move one. - **A recent bill from each provider.** A port request names the account the numbers are on. Keep the bill to hand for its account number, the name on the account and the service address. - **Your account PIN or passcode.** If your current provider has given you a PIN or passcode for the account, you will need it for the port request. - **Your contract's end date.** Moving your numbers doesn't end a contract. Check for an early termination fee before you pick a date. Your provider cannot refuse to release your numbers because you owe it money, but you still owe what the contract says. - **How calls reach people today.** Write down your menu options, who rings for each one, and what happens after hours. That list becomes your call flow on PBXflex. - **The numbers clients text.** Business texting needs a registered 10DLC campaign, the carrier process that keeps your texts from being filtered as spam. A low-volume campaign is included on every plan. - **Each office's street address.** Every extension has its own E911 emergency address. Have the full address, with suite or floor, for each place your team works. ## The switch, step by step 1. **Create your account.** Sign up in the PBXflex app and invite your team. Each user gets an extension and a local number. Invitations last seven days. 2. **Build your call flows.** Set up your menu, ring groups, queues and voicemail from the list you made. With guided setup, we build them for you. 3. **Try it before anything moves.** Make and take test calls on the new extensions, from the web app, a mobile or a desk phone. Your old service carries on as normal. 4. **Ask us to move your numbers.** Send us the numbers and the account details from your bill. Your current provider has to release the numbers, so it sets the date. 5. **Register texting and E911.** Register your texting campaign and enter each extension's emergency address. Guided setup registers the campaign for you. 6. **Cancel the old service last.** Once your numbers ring on PBXflex, call each one to check it. Then cancel your old service. Cancelling first can lose you the numbers. ## How long it takes FCC rules require a simple port, which generally means a single line, to be completed in one business day. A port that moves several lines is not a simple port, so it is not held to that day. Your current provider has to release the numbers, so it sets the pace. Plan the move for a quiet month, and keep your old service running until every number has moved. ## Who does what Set up yourself for free, or choose guided setup and we do the building. Either way, number porting is free. **You always** - Gather the bill and account details for each number - Keep your old service running until the numbers move - Call each number to check it, then cancel the old service **With guided setup, we** - Build your IVR, queues and ring groups - Port your numbers - Register your texting campaign - Train your team for 30 minutes - Self setup: $0 — Sign up and build your call flows in the app. Number porting is free. - Guided setup: $299 — Up to 10 users, then $15 a user. We build your IVR, queues and ring groups, port your numbers, register your texting campaign, and train your team for 30 minutes. - On-site installation: Quoted — Guided setup, plus phones and network installed at your office. Quoted from the items below. ## You don't need desk phones to switch Every extension works in the web app and on a mobile, so you can switch before any hardware arrives. If you want desk phones, rent them by the month or buy them, and we can install them at your office. [See desk phone and setup prices](https://www.pbxflex.com/pricing.md) ## Not ready to move your phones? If your phone contract has time to run, keep it, and add business texting and fax with Text & Fax. Move your phones when you are ready. [See Text & Fax](https://www.pbxflex.com/text-and-fax.md) ## Questions about switching **Is number porting free?** Yes. Moving your existing numbers to PBXflex is free on every plan. With guided setup, we handle the port for you. **How long does number porting take?** It depends on your current provider, which has to release the numbers. FCC rules require a simple port, which generally means a single line, to be completed in one business day. Moving several lines takes longer, so keep your old service running until every number has moved. **Can our current provider refuse to release our numbers?** Not because you owe it money. FCC rules say your current provider cannot refuse to port your numbers over an unpaid balance or an early termination fee, though you still owe those amounts. **Should we cancel our old phone service before we switch?** No. Keep your current service until your numbers have moved to PBXflex, so callers can reach you the whole time. Porting is free on every plan. **Do we need to buy desk phones?** No. Every extension works in the web app and on mobile, so you can start without desk phones. If you want them, desk phones can be rented from $5 a month or bought from $89. **Are there any setup fees?** No, if you set up yourself in the app, and number porting is free. Guided setup, where we build your call flows and train your team, is $299 for up to 10 users. Desk phones, a VoIP-ready firewall and cabling are optional and priced on the pricing page. **Do we need to register before we can send business texts?** Yes. Carriers require business texts from a standard number to run on a registered 10DLC campaign. Every PBXflex plan includes a low-volume campaign, and guided setup registers it for you. **How does E911 work on PBXflex?** Each PBXflex extension has its own E911 emergency address, registered and managed in the app next to your numbers. When someone moves desks or offices, update their address in the same place. **Can I cancel my plan at any time?** Yes. Every plan is month to month with no contract, so you can cancel at any time. ## Sources - [FCC consumer guide, Portability: Keeping Your Phone Number When Changing Service Providers](https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/porting-keeping-your-phone-number-when-you-change-providers) ## Contact - Email: hello@pbxflex.com - Phone: (877) 575 - 9527 - Address: 1001 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90017 - Sign up: https://pbxflex.app/auth/sign-up