Account Numbers, Transfer PINs and Port-Out Instructions for 230 US Carriers
To move your number to a new carrier you need two things from your old one: your account number and a transfer PIN. Neither is your phone number. Most carriers print neither on your bill.
230 carriers tracked · verified September 2026
230 carriers tracked
Every carrier runs on one of three networks
There are only three wireless networks left in the United States. Every other brand is renting space on one of them. Which network a carrier uses decides your coverage — the logo on the bill does not.
T-Mobile
Metro by T-Mobile, Mint Mobile and Ultra Mobile all run on T-Mobile.
AT&T
Cricket Wireless, H2O Wireless and PureTalk resell AT&T coverage.
Verizon
Visible, Total Wireless and Straight Talk run on Verizon.
What you need before you can leave
Carriers make these two values hard to find on purpose. They are not the same thing, and handing your new carrier the wrong one is the most common reason a port fails.
Account number
Assigned when the line was opened. Usually in your online account, sometimes on the bill. It is not your phone number.
Transfer PIN
A temporary code you request in order to leave. It is not the PIN you log in with. Most expire within days.
Carriers that shut down, merged or were acquired
Dozens of US carriers no longer exist. If yours is one of them, someone else holds your number now — and the instructions published elsewhere are usually years out of date.
Best Cellular is not a wireless carrier
We sell no wireless service, activate no phones and operate no stores. That is the point: no carrier pays us for placement, so the port-out instructions here are published for companies that pay us nothing. Online since 1998. Operated by Assertive Holdings, LLC.
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