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Making the Switch: Saying Goodbye to Your Phone Carrier

Valeria

Valeria

 

February 24, 2020

Making the Switch: Saying Goodbye to Your Phone Carrier

If you've been keeping up with the news in the telecom space, then you've probably heard rumblings of some carrier shut downs. More specifically, Virgin Mobile USA. While the news are not as bleak as the title suggests—VM customers will simply be migrated over to Boost Mobile's services—we believe this to be a good opportunity to combat the fears you may have about making a switch. Whether it's forced or voluntary.

What About My Phone Number?

One of the biggest fears around switching carriers is losing your number. We know that it's more than just a number, and is an integral part of your daily routine. Luckily, there is an easy solution to this problem: Number porting. When you're ready to switch carriers, you can request that your current phone number be ported out to your new carrier. There are a few caveats to keep in mind when doing so:

  • Your account must be active to port out the number. If your account is closed due to non-payment, or you close the account yourself before porting the number, you will likely lose it.
  • You may not be able to transfer numbers outside of their originating region (such as if you are moving to a new state)
  • Your new carrier may charge you an extra free for porting in your number

It’s possible for this simple process to turn into a cumbersome escalation. But at TextNow, we believe in giving our customers the power to stay connected without all the added fine print. Which is why you can port in your number to our Free Nationwide Talk & Text service with ease. For free. And if you’re ever thinking of switching again, or simply would like to move your number to a secondary line, you can port it out anytime, regardless of payment.

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What About My Phone?

Almost as important as your number is your actual phone. Most, if not all, carriers will have an option to BYOD— Bring Your Own Device. If compatible, your phone can activate on the new carrier’s network using one of their SIM cards.

We also support this program, but we like to make the process as seamless as possible. If you already have a Sprint (Virgin Mobile and Boost Mobile included)- powered phone, you can activate it straight through the TextNow app. Just tap on the “Free Coverage” button in the menu. No additional SIM card required, no activation fees, and no hassle!

But if you do find yourself in need of a new SIM card (perhaps yours is lost or broken), we can ship you one for a one-time fee of $9.99.

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What About My Billing?

One of the most important aspects of budgeting is knowing exactly what and exact when an amount is being deducted from your account. Switching carriers can upset this delicate balance, resetting your billing cycle, pushing you to shuffle some funds around. Well, this is an area where we can't speak for other carriers, but we can speak for ourselves. What we do know is that with TextNow, you don't have to worry about a billing date because there won't be one. You can have service everywhere you go for free through our ad-supported technology. And if you do find yourself in need of extra data, you can contact us for help with shuffling your billing date around. Because at TextNow, it truly is phone service for everyone.

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