Your carrier account number is the number your current carrier uses to identify your account — not your phone number and not your online login. You need it, plus a transfer PIN and your billing ZIP code, to port your number to a new carrier. Most carriers do not print it on the bill. This page lists where to find it for every US carrier and MVNO we track.

Find your carrier below. Each page gives the exact support number, the hold-time reality, how to retrieve the transfer PIN, and which network that carrier runs on.

What a carrier account number is and why porting needs it

Woman looking up her carrier account number before porting her phone number

Three pieces of information get confused constantly. The phone number is what people dial. The account number identifies the account inside the carrier’s billing system. The transfer PIN is a short code, separate from your support PIN, that authorizes the port.

A port request fails without all three. On many carriers the transfer PIN expires in seven days, so request it the same week you plan to switch.

How to switch cell phone carriers in 5 steps — the full porting process, including the mistake that permanently loses your number.

Postpaid and prepaid store the account number differently

Farmer calling support to get his carrier account number and transfer PIN

On postpaid accounts the carrier account number is usually the billing account number and appears in your online account. On prepaid and MVNO accounts it is often derived from your phone number or generated only when you request a port, which is why calling support is frequently the only way to get it.

Carriers must release your number under the FCC’s number portability rules, including when you owe a balance.

Every carrier we track

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Questions about carrier account numbers

What is a carrier account number?
The identifier your carrier uses for your account in its billing system. A new carrier needs it to request your number.

How do I find my carrier account number?
Check your online account first. If it is not there, call support and ask specifically for the account number and transfer PIN for porting out.

Is the carrier account number the same as my phone number?
No. Some prepaid carriers derive it from your phone number, but they are different fields.

Can a carrier refuse to give me my account number?
No. Federal rules require carriers to provide the information needed to port out.

How long is a transfer PIN valid?
Commonly seven days. Some carriers expire it sooner. Request it when you are ready to port, not weeks ahead.

Next: how to switch cell phone carriers without losing your number

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