Can you port just one number from a Verizon family plan?

May 11, 2012 10:54 AM

How do you port just one phone number from a family plan to a new one? My son is going off his dad's Verizon mobile family plan and is getting his own (not necessarily through Verizon). His dad has several lines on his family plan and will be keeping that account.
posted by Wordwoman to technology (7 answers total)

I migrated a number off a T-Mobile family plan onto a Verizon plan with no issues whatsoever. You (as in the phone user, personally, not the new phone company) have to let the old company know you're doing it, though.
posted by griphus at 11:00 AM on May 11, 2012

(When your son goes to get a new plan, they'll ask if he wants to migrate his current number and they'll take care of it on that end.)
posted by griphus at 11:01 AM on May 11, 2012

You call Verizon's customer service or visit one of their brick-and-mortar locations.
posted by Ardiril at 11:01 AM on May 11, 2012

I found this, does that help?
posted by cooker girl at 11:01 AM on May 11, 2012

Whatever carrier he chooses, he tells them to port the number and they do it. Or, he couldport the number to Google Voice and get a new number that points to GV thus he never will have to worry about porting again.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 11:03 AM on May 11, 2012

I just did this, but with AT&T. Here's how it went down:

1. Call AT&T. Tell them I want to shed one line from the family plan. I give them the name and email address of the person who is taking over the line.
2. They send a "Transfer of Billing Responsibility" to that person.
3. That person goes to Verizon and tells them they want to port their number from AT&T.
4. Everything works!
posted by Rock Steady at 11:38 AM on May 11, 2012 [1 favorite]

Very easy.

If you're going Verizon to Verizon, it's called a "transfer of liability." Account holder lets Verizon know to release the line. It doesn't matter if the line is still under contract or not.

If you're going to port to another carrier, you only want to do so if the line is not under contract, or the main account will be hit with an early termination fee. You do NOT need to (or want to) tell Verizon. Just make sure you have all the billing/account information, and give it to the new carrier, and they'll take care of the rest.
posted by radioamy at 11:58 AM on May 11, 2012