Porting or transferring your existing number to Digital Voice for Business
Recently purchased one of our Digital Voice for Business packages? You can move your existing phone number (or numbers) to your new service by porting or transferring it.
Number porting and transferring – what’s the difference?
Number port: you’re moving your number from another provider to BT Business.
Number transfer: you’re already with BT and want to move your number from one BT service to another. For example, from a traditional phone line (PSTN) to Digital Voice for Business.
What you need to do
- Tell us you want to move your phone number
You’ll confirm this when placing your order. If you’d prefer to wait, no problem – you can move over your number (or any additional numbers) at a later date. - Complete the form
You’ll receive a secure link to our Customer Request Form (CRF), where you’ll need to:
- Enter your phone number details.
- Tell us your contact details and site address postcode.
- Tell us whether you’re moving numbers from a different BT service or from another provider.
- Let us know which existing phone number (or numbers) you’d like to port or transfer to your new service, and which Digital Voice for Business number (or numbers) you want to replace. - Confirm you’re authorised
When you’re filling in the form, let us know you’re approved to make the request for your business or organisation.
Once these steps are completed, we'll check your details and progress your number port or transfer.
If your numbers are coming from another provider, we’ll contact them on your behalf to arrange the number port. Note that this may result in a delay in your port date and time, but we’ll let you know if this happens.
If something is missing or doesn't match, we'll reach out to help fix it.
What to expect if your request is approved
- You’ll receive a confirmation with your expected port or transfer date and time.
- We’ll send you a reminder 24 hours before the port or transfer.
- On the day, your existing number will be ported or transferred (and will automatically replace the Digital Voice for Business number we gave you as part of your new purchase).
- You’ll receive a message confirming it’s ready to use.
- You’ll then just need to restart any equipment (like handsets or main base stations) so your ported or transferred number is ready to go.
Frequently asked questions about porting or transferring your number
General questions
What is number porting and transferring?
Porting (numbers with another service provider) and transferring (from another BT product) allows you to bring over your existing UK geographic numbers to use with Digital Voice for Business.
If you state that you want to bring over existing numbers, you’ll receive an email that will guide you through the process.
Will I definitely be able to keep my existing number?
In most cases yes, you can keep your UK geographic number when switching to Digital Voice for Business, as long as it’s still active and eligible to move.
A UK geographic number is any number beginning with 01 or 02.
Please note: some non-geographic numbers and a small number of geographic numbers may not be portable or transferrable. Submit your request and we’ll let you know if there’s an issue.
Will there be any downtime?
There may be a short break in service on the day of the port or transfer – likely a maximum of two hours, and typically less than this.
If you’re worried about downtime, you can log in to the Digital Voice for Business portal to set up call forwarding while the short break in service is taking place. Find out more about setting this up in our Call Forwarding help guide.
We prioritise the incoming existing number to make sure it ports or transfers smoothly. The number being swapped out may stop working earlier in the day, ahead of the final port or transfer. You’ll receive a reminder the day before, along with an estimated time for the port or transfer.
Who do I contact if something goes wrong?
Go to our contact page to get in touch with our team, who’ll be able to assist you via email or over the phone.
How do I port or transfer my number (or additional numbers) at a later date?
You can port or transfer your main UK geographic numbers (or additional numbers) to your Digital Voice for Business service at any point.
Go to our contact page to get in touch with our team, and let them know the numbers you want to move over to your new service. They will process the request on your behalf, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Before you start
What information do I need to provide?
You will need to provide us with:
- Any existing numbers you want to port or transfer.
- Your site address postcode.
- The Digital Voice for Business number (or numbers) you want to swap out.
- Confirmation you’re either currently with BT or another provider.
- Confirmation you’re authorised to act on behalf of your organisation.
- Your contact name and phone number.
Do I need to contact my existing provider?
No – we’ll handle the port or transfer for you. Just make sure you don’t cancel your existing service until your number has been successfully moved.
Do I need to provide a Letter of Authority (LOA)?
No. We’ll automatically generate a digital LOA based on the details you provide. This confirms we’re authorised to act on your behalf.
When will the number port or transfer take place?
You’ll receive new numbers at first, to help you use Digital Voice for Business straight away. Soon after, you’ll receive an email inviting you to start the porting or transferring process once your service has started.
You’ll need to just fill out the form we provide you with – once approved, you’ll receive a confirmation confirming your port or transfer date and time.
There may be a short break in service on the day of the port or transfer – likely a maximum of two hours, and typically less than this.
During that time, you can log in to the Digital Voice for Business portal to set up call forwarding while the short break in service is taking place. Find out more about setting this up in our Call Forwarding help guide.
What if I use my phone line for other services like alarms or broadband?
If you’re currently using a traditional phone line (also known as a PTSN – Public Switched Telephone Network), you’ll need to check if other services such as broadband are connected to it, and other services such as:
- Alarm systems.
- PDQ/card machines.
- Pendant alarms.
- Fax machines.
If any of these are currently connected to your traditional phone line, you'll need to get in touch with your existing equipment provider to upgrade them to digital-compatible versions. This is part of our wider switch from traditional to digital phone lines.
Just let them know that we're transforming our phone services to be fully digital and they'll run you through what (if anything) you need to do to minimise any impact to your business.
If you specifically use equipment related to health, check out our article on what to do if you have a healthcare alarm, disability or additional needs. Here you’ll find more information on how we can support you.
What are all the steps involved in number porting or transferring?
- Service setup. Start by getting your new, BT-provided Digital Voice for Business numbers up and running.
- Request submitted. Send us your request to port or transfer your existing numbers, whether it’s from another provider or between BT services.
- Transfer confirmation. We’ll check with your previous provider and confirm when they’ve accepted the port or transfer request.
- 24-hour reminder. We’ll send you a reminder 24 hours before the scheduled port or transfer.
- Port or transfer completion. On the day of the port or transfer, we’ll email you to let you know once it’s taken place.
- Restart devices. Finally, restart any equipment (like main base stations or handsets) so your number is ready to go.
- Removal of new, unused numbers. We’ll arrange for the removal and deletion of any unused Digital Voice for Business numbers that we gave you when you placed your original order.
During the process
How long does the process take?
It depends how many numbers you’ve requested and where they are coming from.
Timeframes for number ports from other providers:
- Single-line numbers will take at least 7 working days.
- Multi-line numbers (for example, DDI ranges) will take at least 10 working days.
- 31 or more multi-line numbers will take at least 22 working days.
Timeframes for number transfers (from another BT service):
- Single-line numbers will take at least 4 working days.
- Up to 30 multi-line numbers (for example, DDI ranges) will take at least 7 working days.
- 31 or more multi-line numbers will take at least 10 working days.
We make every effort to port your phone number to Digital Voice for Business in a timely manner. However, the actual time of your port depends on the co-operation and release of the number from your current service provider.
We’ll send you an email with expected dates and times as soon as we know them.
How will I know my request has been accepted?
We’ll send you a confirmation email once your request is validated, scheduled, and approved. This will contain all the key information you need including the scheduled date and time.
Will I get a reminder before the port or transfer?
Yes – you’ll get a reminder 24 hours before the scheduled port or transfer, with the expected time it will take place.
What happens if there’s a problem with my request?
If anything doesn’t match – like the number, postcode, or provider – we’ll get in touch using the contact details you gave us to help resolve it. Please note, if something doesn’t match then this may delay the port or transfer.
After the number port or transfer
How will I know when my existing phone number has been ported or transferred?
We’ll confirm by email when your number is active on Digital Voice for Business. Note that approval is dependent on your current provider.
There may be a break in your service on the day of your port or transfer. If this outage lasts for an extended period of time, please go to our contact page to get in touch with our team, who’ll be able to assist you via email or over the phone.
Once you receive the confirmation message or text, we recommend:
- Restarting any equipment.
- Testing the phone number by asking someone to call you on it, and making an outbound call from your Digital Voice for Business device to confirm that your ported or transferred number is working correctly.
What will happen to the new Digital Voice for Business number I was provided with when I placed my order?
We’ll deactivate it once your existing number has been successfully ported or transferred.
Will my emergency services location be updated?
Yes – after your number’s been ported or transferred, we’ll make sure to update your emergency services location details.
Can I delete unused numbers?
There’s no need to delete numbers that are being switched out as part of a port or transfer. We will take care of this for you.
If there are any unused numbers you want removing later on, you’ll need to contact us and we’ll delete them on your behalf.