Port Request Rejected? 10 Common Reasons and Fixes

The short answer

A port is rejected when the carrier that currently holds your number (the "losing" carrier) declines the request your new provider sent on your behalf. Almost every rejection comes down to one of two things: the details on the request do not match the losing carrier's records, or something on the account blocks the move (a lock, a missing PIN, a disconnected line, an open order).

The fix is nearly always administrative. Get the carrier's own record of your account, copy it exactly, remove whatever is blocking the move, and resubmit. Do not cancel the old service while you do this.

This article covers the US and Canada, as of October 2026. It is educational information, not legal advice.

Rejected, delayed or cancelled: know which one you have

• Rejected. The losing carrier said no, with a reason, and "stops processing that request until the request is fixed [and] resubmitted" ^[1].
• Delayed. The request is still open: no answer yet, or a document is missing.
• Cancelled. Someone withdrew the request, usually you or the new provider.

If you are unsure which you have, ask the new provider for the status and the exact wording of any reason.

Two practical points about rejections:

1. The reason you see is usually a category, not the answer. Microsoft notes that the losing provider gives "only the categorical reason for the rejection," so the corrected information has to come from the losing provider ^[1]. "Name mismatch" tells you which field failed, not what the carrier has on file.
2. Resubmitting restarts the clock. When an updated request goes back to the losing carrier, "the response SLA is reset and starts over" ^[1]. Fixing every problem in one pass saves more time than resubmitting quickly.

Get the carrier's record before you change anything

The most useful document is the losing carrier's record of your account: the Customer Service Record (CSR) in the US, called an Equipment Record in Canada. You can ask for it at any time, with or without a port in progress ^[1]. Twilio calls obtaining a CSR "the surest way to reduce the likelihood of rejection" ^[2].

If the carrier will not produce a CSR, a recent bill is the next best thing. Twilio's US requirements ask for a copy of a phone bill dated within the last 30 days ^[3], and TELUS tells business customers to give the new provider a copy of the latest TELUS bill so the business name and service address are spelled correctly ^[4].

The 10 common reasons, and how to fix each

1. The name does not match the record

Twilio's US guidelines state that "the most common reason for a rejected port is incorrect name and/or address information" ^[3]. AWS lists "name or address mismatch" with the Customer Service Record as one of its four common rejection reasons ^[5].

Typical causes: the account is still in the owner's personal name, or the request says "[Name] Dental LLC" when the record says "[Name] Dental Group".

Fix: copy the name exactly as it appears on the CSR or bill, punctuation and suffixes included. If the record itself is wrong, ask the losing carrier to update it first, then resubmit.

2. The service address or ZIP/postal code does not match

The address that matters is the service address on the carrier's record, which may differ from your mailing or billing address. Twilio's rejection guidance says the address and ZIP code "match exactly with the current carrier's records" ^[2]. For Canadian numbers, Twilio's LOA must show the actual Canadian service address and "the address must match their records" ^[6].

Fix: use the service address from the CSR, including suite number and spelling. If you moved and never told the carrier, use the address they still have, or update it first.

3. The account number is wrong

The account number is not your phone number. For wireless lines, T-Mobile says the account number is "located on your T-Mobile account or bill" ^[7]. Business bills often show several reference numbers, and picking the wrong one is enough for a rejection.

For simple US ports, the FCC limits what the losing carrier may ask for. Under 47 CFR 52.36 (75 FR 35315, June 22, 2010, amended 2015), the required customer-side fields include the ported telephone number, the account number and the ZIP code, with a passcode optional unless the customer requested and was assigned one ^[8]. Multi-line business accounts are often not simple ports, so expect more fields to be checked.

Fix: ask the losing carrier which number they use as the account number for porting, and confirm every number you are moving sits under it. Microsoft's wizard, for example, requires all numbers in one request to belong to the same account number ^[1].

4. The PIN is missing, expired or was replaced

Most mobile carriers require a transfer PIN, and some landline and VoIP providers require an account PIN too ^[3]. The rules differ by carrier:

Fix: generate the PIN close to the day you submit, enter it once, and do not regenerate it while the request is open. If you had to create a new one, update the request with your new provider.

5. A number lock, port protection or account freeze is on

These features exist to stop unauthorized transfers, so they also stop yours:

• Verizon: Number Lock must be disabled before porting out, and before a Number Transfer PIN can be created ^[9].
• AT&T: with Wireless Account Lock on, "you won't be able to transfer your number" ^[10].
• T-Mobile: Port Out Protection must be turned off on the line, and only the Primary Account Holder can remove it on postpaid accounts ^[7].
• Landline and VoIP: some providers put accounts in a "freeze" status; Microsoft says a frozen account gets the port rejected, and removing a freeze "can take one to three weeks depending on the service provider" ^[1].

Fix: turn the lock off before submitting, and turn protection back on wherever the number lands, if that provider offers it. Port-out fraud is the reason these locks exist; see our note on port-out fraud and SIM swaps.

6. The request did not come from an authorized person

Twilio lists "unauthorized user" as a rejection reason: the request "must be made by an authorized user on the account" ^[2]. At AT&T, only the primary user on a business account can request a Number Transfer PIN ^[10]. Microsoft's checklist asks you to confirm the "name or person authorized to make changes to the account" ^[1].

Fix: have the authorized person sign, or ask the carrier to add the signer as an authorized user first.

7. A partial port left the billing number or other lines unaccounted for

If you move some numbers and leave others, it is a partial port. The billing telephone number (BTN) is the main number the account is billed under. Microsoft's checklist includes "BTN is correct", and when the BTN itself is moving in a partial port, one of the remaining numbers has to become the new BTN ^[1].

TELUS is stricter for business accounts: all numbers on the BTN account (active lines, ADSL, DIDs) must be listed, with instructions for each number not being ported, such as cancel or retain under a new BTN ^[4].

Fix: list every number on the account, mark which move and which stay, and name the new BTN for what stays.

8. The line is disconnected, or another order is open

The FCC's consumer guide says: "Do not terminate your service with your existing company before initiating new service with another company" ^[11]. AT&T says that if you disconnect too soon, you must reactivate the number before the request can complete ^[10]. Microsoft is blunter: "Inactive or disconnected numbers can't be ported" ^[1].

Open orders cause rejections too. Microsoft asks you to make sure there are no open service orders or pending disconnects, and to remove features such as hunt groups or distinctive ring before the port. It also warns that the losing carrier processes port requests for the same account number one at a time, and rejects overlapping ones ^[1].

Fix: keep the old account active until the new provider confirms completion. Cancel pending changes, and if you are moving numbers in batches from one account, wait for each batch to finish before submitting the next.

9. Unpaid balance or port-away fee

In the US, the FCC's rule is that a balance is no ground to refuse a port.

The rule. The FCC consumer guide (last updated or reviewed December 10, 2025) says that once you request service from a new company, "your old company cannot refuse to port your number, even if you owe money for an outstanding balance or termination fee." The same guide says companies may charge you to port, and that early termination fees and balances in your contract remain yours to pay ^[11].

Provider practice. AWS lists "unsatisfactory business relationship" as a common initial rejection, explaining that "this usually means that you have an unpaid balance or the carrier charges a port away fee," and that AWS resubmits after you pay ^[5]. T-Mobile's switching checklist tells customers to "ensure all balances are paid to your current service provider" ^[7].

Fix: ask the losing carrier in writing whether the rejection is about a balance or a fee. If the amount is undisputed, paying is often the fastest path, since you owe it either way. If the carrier holds your number over a balance, cite the FCC guide: it may ask you to pay, but it cannot refuse the port. If that fails, file a complaint (see the table below). In Canada, contract exit charges can also apply: TELUS notes Termination Liability Charges may apply if a contracted number is ported before the term ends ^[4].

10. The LOA is incomplete, or a confirmation went unanswered

AWS's fourth common reason is missing information: "a missing signature, phone number, address information, or other requested information" on the Letter of Authorization ^[5]. Twilio's Canadian requirements also call for an LOA dated within the last 30 days ^[6].

Some ports also need your confirmation. For Canadian ports, Twilio says you must approve within 90 minutes of receiving the port approval text from the losing provider, or the port is rejected ^[6].

Fix: fill and sign every LOA field, re-sign if the date is stale, and have the phone at hand to answer a confirmation text.

When the number cannot move at all

Some rejections are not data errors. AWS notes that specific numbers "might not be portable because of regulatory restrictions or carrier limitations" ^[5]. The FCC guide says you may not be able to keep a number if you are moving to a new geographic area, and that some rural wireline providers may have state waivers from porting ^[11]. In those cases, correcting the paperwork will not help; ask whether another provider covers that area, or plan a number change.

Pre-submission checklist

• CSR or recent bill in hand (in Canada, the Equipment Record or latest bill).
• Name exactly as on the bill, including legal suffix and spelling.
• Service address from the record, not your mailing address; ZIP or postal code matches.
• Account number, not the phone number, and every number to port is on that account.
• BTN identified. For a partial port, every number on the account listed, with instructions for those staying and a new BTN named.
• Port-out PIN generated recently, not expired, not regenerated since.
• Locks and freezes off: Number Lock, Wireless Account Lock, Port Out Protection, account freeze.
• LOA signer is the account holder or an authorized user the carrier recognizes.
• LOA complete: every field filled, signed, dated recently; phone at hand for any confirmation text.
• Old service active, no pending disconnects or open orders, hunt groups and similar features removed.
• Balance question settled: you know whether anything is owed and what you plan to do about it.

What to do after a rejection

Escalation. In the US, the FCC guide says you can file a complaint if you have difficulty porting your number, online at ^[12] or by phone at 1-888-225-5322 ^[11]. In Canada, the Commission for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS) accepts complaints about "problems that occurred when transferring a service from one provider to another," including from small businesses whose average monthly telecom bill is under $2,500 ^[13]. Give the provider a chance to fix it first; CCTS's process starts after that ^[14].

A note for Canadian numbers

The causes and fixes are largely the same. TELUS says the port-out rules are defined by the CRTC's Canadian Local Ordering Guidelines, that a business request needs the business name, service address and all numbers on the account, and that a request with any errors will be rejected ^[4]. For more on how Canadian numbers work with our service, see Auto Attendant in Canada.

FAQ

How soon can I resubmit after a rejection? Once the cause is fixed, not before: each resubmission restarts the losing carrier's response window ^[1]. For realistic timelines once a request is accepted, see how long number porting takes.

My port was rejected twice. Can I still move the number? Usually, unless the number is not portable. A repeat rejection usually means a field still does not match: get the CSR before the third try.

Who fixes the rejection: my new provider or my old carrier? Usually both: the old carrier holds the data and the locks, the new provider resubmits. The corrected values have to come from you and the old carrier.

Auto Attendant runs an instant portability check and an online LOA when you move a number in, and if a port is rejected, tells you the reason so you can correct the details and resubmit.