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Phone Number Ownership 📖

  • Updated
In this article:

    💡 What is it?

    You own any phone number you purchase from NumberBarn. You can use it as you like, and you can Port Away (transfer away) the number to a different carrier whenever you choose. Ownership does not apply to numbers you license. Licensed numbers stay the property of the licensor, and different terms apply. ▶️ See License a Phone Number Overview 📖 for details.

    ⚙️ How it works 

    Legal Basis for Ownership

    Under the FCC's local number portability rules, you are legally entitled to keep your phone number when you change service providers.

    The Purchase and Activation Process

    1. Find the number you want, using the NumberBarn Marketplace. 
    2. Purchase the number. You are not charged until it is active. 
    3. Select a plan to keep the number active. 
    4. NumberBarn activates the number, typically within 3 hours to 7 days. 
    5. NumberBarn places the number in your account and emails you when it is ready.

    What Happens if You Port Away

    If you Port Away a purchased number to a new provider, you stop being charged by NumberBarn for that number. Your new provider bills you from that point forward.

    📌 Things to Know 

    Keeping Your Number Active

    To retain ownership of a purchased number, keep the number active and do not delete it from your account, and keep your account active by paying your balance each month. If a number or account goes inactive, you are at risk of losing ownership of the number.

    Before You Port Away

    Before you Port Away a purchased number to a new provider:

    1. Wait until the number is fully activated. A Port Away request submitted before activation will not go through.
    2. Keep your account active. Numbers on suspended accounts cannot be ported away.
    3. Keep the number active until the Port Away completes.
    4. Confirm with your new carrier that they support the number before starting the Port Away.
    5. Contact your new service provider to initiate the Port Away request.

    Ownership vs. Licensing

    Ownership rules apply only to numbers you purchase, not numbers you license. For licensing terms, ▶️ See License a Phone Number Overview 📖.

    Ownership vs. Ownership Transfer

    Port Away, described above, moves the number to a different carrier. This is different from transferring ownership of a number to another NumberBarn user while it stays with NumberBarn. For the process ▶️ See Internal Ownership Transfer ⚙️.

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