FAQ

WHY SHOULD I GET A CUSTOMIZED PHONE NUMBER?

Great question! A phone number is the heart of many businesses. It represents your brand, values, cultures, and helps you stand out from the competition. But most importantly, a customized phone number helps customers remember you, and can bring more calling traffic and sales. But easy phone numbers aren’t exclusive to businesses. Perhaps you have a lucky number, or want your phone number to spell out your name. We can help with that too! We understand that there is power in numbers, and will help you harness that power.

HOW DO I TRANSFER A PHONE NUMBER?

Luckily, the phone number transfer process is fairly straightforward. You can transfer any phone number in Canada to any carrier, with a few caveats. This means your new number can be used on a cell phone, landline, or voice over IP (VoIP) with any company. You just need to provide your carrier with the phone number, account number, PIN, and the current carrier’s name, which we will provide you. If your carrier asks for any more information, we can provide that as well. Sometimes, in order to transfer a number to VoIP or landline, they will require a letter of authorization. Send us this file at sales@thenumberkeeper.com and we will fill out the required sections.

Before transferring a number, just let us know what carrier you are transferring it to. We will double check if your carrier supports the rate centre of a number. This is really only an issue for smaller cities, where only a few carriers might operate.

If you’re transferring a number to landline, things become a bit more complicated. The biggest difference between VoIP and landline is that, for landline, you have to be in the same city as the phone number itself. For instance, if you want a landline in Toronto, you have to use a Toronto number, namely any number with a 416, 647, or 437 area code. If you want a landline in Surrey, BC, you have to use a Surrey number from the same part of the city – Cloverdale, Fort Langley, Langley, Newton, and Whalley are all treated as separate cities. But don’t worry, we’ll help you with the porting process.

Here are some of the carriers we have transferred numbers with:

Mobile: Bell, Rogers, Telus, Virgin Mobile, Fido, Koodo, Lucky Mobile, Chatr Wireless, Public Mobile, Freedom Mobile, Fizz Mobile, 7-11 Speakout

Landline: Bell, Rogers, Telus

VoIP: Fongo, Iristel, Ixica, Telnyx, Allstream, VoIP.ms, It’s VoIP Time, LesNET

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO TRANSFER A PHONE NUMBER?

If you will be using the phone number on a wireless service, the porting process is quick. Most ports can be completed in under 3 hours, though it can take up to 24 hours to complete the transfer. Landline and VoIP services will take longer, ranging from 3 days to a few weeks, depending on the service provider.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WIRELESS, LANDLINE, AND VOIP SERVICES?

Cell phones are devices that can be used to send and receive calls and texts, and nowadays, they can be used to take pictures, watch cat videos, read documents, and all kinds of other functions of a computer, but in the size of your palm. Cell phones work using cellular towers and using a SIM card that contains carrier information, like your phone number. Each cell phone has an IMEI, a unique identifier that is used to connect to these towers. As long as you’re located within range of a cell phone tower, have a phone with a working IMEI, and have good standing with your phone plan, you can use cell phone services. You can use a phone number from any rate centre on your phone, even if you move to a new city, as long as your phone plan lets you.

Landline is an older technology, less prevalent nowadays but relevant nonetheless. It requires a physical cable that runs to your address to provide the ability to make and receive calls. Landline phones can’t send text messages, and are also restricted to only using phone numbers from the same rate centre (usually the same as your city).

VoIP is a newer technology that lets you send and receive calls and texts over the internet. This means no SIM card or physical land line cable is required, and as long as you have an internet connection, it will work. VoIP can be set up in a variety of forms, ranging from routers, to cell phone apps, to being in the cloud. These systems are often more cost effective, and can be installed anywhere in the world.

DO YOU HAVE CUSTOMER SERVICE?

Yes! We provide 24/7/365 support. Just open the chat at the bottom right of the page, or send us an email at sales@thenumberkeeper.com.