FAQ
Common questions about buying, porting, and paying for premium numbers
Selection, Order & Payment
Three ways to choose a number:
- Search online: On the "Search" page, filter by state, area code, digit pattern, or meaning (e.g., couples' numbers, birthday numbers)
- Custom request: Contact us with your preferences (e.g., "626 area code, ending in 8888, budget under $500"), and we'll handpick from 1M+ numbers
- Visit a store: Our 9 stores in CA/NV, staff can help you pick and demo on the spot
Yes, once you complete checkout, the number is permanently yours. GreatNumber is a one-time payment, own forever model — no monthly fees or renewals.
One thing to note: after porting info is generated, you get 15 days free custody. If you haven't ported to a carrier after 15 days, a $9.99/month custody fee applies. We recommend porting as soon as possible.
Contact our support with your preferences (area code, digit preferences, budget), and we'll search our 1M+ number inventory for you.
If our current stock doesn't meet your needs, we can source specific numbers through partner channels, typically 2-7 days for results.
We accept multiple payment methods:
- Credit Cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express (via Stripe secure payment)
- Digital Wallets: Venmo, Zelle, Alipay
- Cryptocurrency: USDT (TRC-20, ERC-20)
- In-Store: Cash, credit card at our 9 CA/NV stores
All payments are SSL encrypted. We never store your card information.
Yes. Go to User Center → Account Settings → Invoice Info, fill in company name, EIN, and address. All future orders will use this info automatically.
Download PDF invoices anytime from "Orders & Invoices". Invoices include:
- Great Number LLC full name, registered address (Alhambra, CA), and EIN
- Customer info (company/individual name + address)
- Number details, unit price, tax, and total
- Stripe payment confirmation number
To modify an existing invoice, contact support.
Usually within 24 hours. We'll notify you via email and User Center. Info includes:
- Account Number
- Transfer PIN (valid for 2 weeks)
- Billing ZIP
Special cases (holidays, large orders) may take up to 36 hours. Need it urgently? Contact support to expedite.
Port to Carrier
Normally 1-24 hours. Special cases (info verification, carrier delays) may take 1-7 business days.
By carrier:
- T-Mobile / Verizon / Mint: Usually 1-12 hours
- AT&T / Cricket: Usually 2-24 hours
- Google Voice: 1-3 days (slower processing)
- Panda Mobile / ENC / Capy (small MVNOs): Usually within 24 hours
Almost all US carriers are supported, including:
- Major carriers: T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon
- MVNO / Budget brands: Mint, Cricket, Metro, Visible, Boost, Google Fi
- Chinese-community brands: Panda Mobile, ENC Mobile, Capy Mobile, Ultra Mobile, Lyca Mobile
- VoIP services: Google Voice, Vonage, Skype Number
Toll-Free numbers (800/888/877 etc.) cannot be ported to personal mobile carriers — only to VoIP or business phone services.
Three ways:
- Online self-service: In your new carrier's app or website, enter the 3 pieces of info we provide (Account Number, PIN, Billing ZIP), wait 1-24 hours. See our Porting Guide for details.
- Visit carrier store: Bring your ID, phone, and porting info. Use our bilingual dialog scripts to avoid communication issues.
- Visit our stores: 9 stores in CA/NV, free porting assistance, Chinese-speaking staff, no appointment needed.
80% of cases are due to these two reasons that you can fix yourself:
- Wrong or expired PIN (45%): Our PIN is valid for 2 weeks. Log into User Center, click "Regenerate PIN" on the number card for a new PIN instantly.
- Address mismatch (35%): Copy our address exactly as provided — don't change the format (e.g., don't change "Street" to "St.") and don't let autocomplete modify it.
Other rare cases:
- Account number format error → Try removing hyphens
- Account holder name mismatch → Use the name from your GreatNumber registration
- Carrier system delay → Wait 1-2 hours and retry
Transfer PIN is valid for 2 weeks. After expiration, it can't be used for porting, but you can regenerate it instantly:
- Log into User Center
- Click "Regenerate PIN" on the number card
- New PIN takes effect immediately, validity resets to 2 weeks
The number you purchased from GreatNumber is a brand new number that has never been used by any carrier, so there's no "old number" concept.
If you're also using another number (e.g., your current phone number), it is not affected by this port. We recommend:
- Complete the new number activation first
- Confirm the new number works properly
- Then decide whether to keep/cancel your existing number
No. Google Voice is one-way port-in — once a number is ported to Google Voice, it cannot be ported out to traditional mobile carriers like T-Mobile or Verizon.
1. Charges a $20 one-time port-in fee (charged by Google, not us)
2. Cannot receive short code SMS (e.g., Chase bank 6-digit verification codes)
If you're unsure about long-term Google Voice use, we recommend first porting to T-Mobile Prepaid or Ultra Mobile — you can always port to Google Voice later.
After porting to a regular mobile carrier (T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, etc.), you can receive all SMS verification codes normally:
- WeChat, WhatsApp, Telegram messaging apps
- Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo banks
- Google, Apple, Microsoft two-factor authentication
Fees, Credits & Referrals
Custody fee is our service charge for keeping unsold numbers reserved in our system. Rules:
- First 15 days free (from porting info generation date)
- Starting day 16, $9.99/number/month
- Auto-deducted from your Store Credit or account balance
How to avoid it?
- Port ASAP after receiving porting info (usually 1-24 hours to complete)
- If unsure which carrier, port to Ultra Mobile or similar low-cost prepaid (monthly fee may be less than $9.99)
- Visit our 9 stores — done in 15 minutes, zero cost
Store Credit is your balance in your GreatNumber account. Main sources:
- Referral rewards (auto-credited when friends purchase)
- Customer service compensation (rare order issues)
- Refund to Credit (some refunds can be stored as Credit)
Usage rules:
- ✓ Can be used to offset future purchases
- ✓ Can be used to offset custody fees
- ✓ Never expires
- ✗ Cannot be withdrawn to bank or WeChat
- ✗ Cannot be transferred to other accounts
When friends complete a purchase through your referral link, you earn Store Credit (same schedule as our Referral page):
- Order under $199 → you get $20
- Order $199 - $300 → you get $30
- Order $300+ → you get 10% of the order (capped at $1,000)
Credit rules:
- Auto-credited after your friend's payment completes
- Reversed if the order is refunded
- Store Credit never expires
Find your referral link at the bottom of User Center — one click to copy and share.
GreatNumber fees:
- Number purchase (one-time, already paid)
- Custody fee: $9.99/month starting day 16 (if not ported in time)
Third-party fees (not charged by us):
- New carrier monthly plan ($10-$90/month depending on plan)
- New carrier activation fee (usually $35, some plans waive it)
- Google Voice port-in fee $20 (GV only)
- AT&T / Verizon new customer deposit (immigrants without SSN may need $500-$750)
Eligible for refund:
- Within 8 hours of order and porting info not yet generated — full refund
- GreatNumber failed to deliver porting info
- Number unusable due to our error
Not eligible for refund:
- Order cancellation after porting info has been sent
- Porting failure due to customer input errors
- New carrier rejection (credit check, deposit issues)
- Customer delayed porting beyond reasonable time
See full details in our Refund Policy.
Carriers assign randomly generated numbers — typically ordinary numbers.
GreatNumber offers curated, scarce numbers:
- Quad repeats (e.g., XXX-8888)
- Lucky combinations (e.g., 8886, 6688)
- Couples', birthday, anniversary numbers
- Rare area codes (e.g., 212 New York, 213 Los Angeles)
These numbers require 15 years of industry resources and sourcing expertise to acquire and hold, hence the premium. You pay once and own it forever — it's a scarce asset, not a rental.
9 Locations · Free Porting Assistance
Yes, we are one of the few premium number providers in the US with physical retail locations:
- 8 stores in California (LA area, San Gabriel Valley, Irvine, San Diego, etc.)
- 1 store in Nevada (Las Vegas)
✓ No appointment needed: Walk in and get it done in 15-30 minutes
✓ Chinese-speaking staff: No language barrier
✓ No SSN required: No credit check, perfect for new immigrants
Just bring 3 things:
- ID: Driver's license, passport, or state ID
- Your phone: Any unlocked phone for new SIM activation
- GreatNumber purchase info: Log into User Center to view, staff can also help you log in
Not needed: Appointment, SSN, credit history, bank account, or US ID proof.
Our stores support 10 major prepaid carriers for instant activation:
- Major prepaid: AT&T Prepaid, Verizon Prepaid, T-Mobile Prepaid
- International calling: Ultra Mobile, Lyca Mobile
- Chinese-community brands: Panda Mobile, ENC Mobile, Capy Mobile
- Value plans: Gen Mobile, Simple Mobile
Most stores are open:
- Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Hours may vary by location. Check our store page for details.
We recommend visiting on weekday mornings — fewer customers, usually done in 15 minutes.
Yes. Store staff can help you:
- Search our 1M+ number inventory on the spot
- Recommend numbers based on your preferences (area code, digits, meaning)
- Place order and pay right there (cash, card)
- Generate porting info or activate to your chosen carrier on the spot
The entire process from selection to activation usually takes less than 30 minutes.
Legality, Privacy & Number Sources
Completely legal. Our services strictly comply with FCC (Federal Communications Commission) regulations.
- Great Number LLC is officially registered in California with full EIN
- Numbers are legally sourced through authorized channels
- Porting complies with FCC's Local Number Portability regulations
After purchase, you receive full usage and porting rights, protected by US federal law.
Our numbers come in two types:
- Brand new (majority): Never used by anyone — the cleanest option
- Recycled (minority): Released after FCC-mandated Quarantine Period. Original owner cannot reclaim them.
We note the status on the product page. Recycled numbers may occasionally receive the previous owner's SMS or calls (e.g., bank texts) — this is common in the US phone system and typically fades within 3-6 months.
If this concerns you, choose numbers marked as "brand new" when ordering.
No. We implement strict security measures:
- Full-site SSL encryption for secure data transmission
- Port-Out info (Account Number, PIN) is encrypted in storage
- PIN validity is only 2 weeks, reducing long-term exposure
- You can regenerate PIN anytime in User Center (old PIN invalidated instantly)
- Staff can only access your account info when you initiate contact
We only store info necessary to provide our service:
- Required: Name, email, billing address (for FCC compliance and invoicing)
- Optional: Phone, WeChat (for notifications)
- Payment info: Processed by Stripe — we never store your card number
- Not collected: SSN, driver's license number, date of birth, or other sensitive data
See our Privacy Policy for details. You can contact support anytime to request account and data deletion.
Absolutely. GreatNumber doesn't require SSN — just an email to register.
For porting, we recommend these prepaid carriers for new immigrants (no credit check, no SSN):
- Cricket Wireless, Mint Mobile, Metro by T-Mobile
- Ultra Mobile, Lyca Mobile (international calling advantage)
- Panda Mobile, ENC Mobile (Chinese-community brands)
Contact Info & Account Management
We offer multiple contact methods with 1-hour response time:
- Toll-free: 1-888-559-9999 (US)
- International: 1-909-999-9992
- Text: 1-909-999-9992
- WeChat: GreatNumber2
- Email: [email protected]
- Live chat: Bottom-right corner of website
- Best option: Walk into our 9 stores
Support hours: Mon-Sat 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM PST. For urgent issues, email or WeChat anytime.
Register: On the registration page, enter email and password, confirm via verification email. No phone number needed.
Forgot password: Click "Forgot Password" on the login page, enter your email, and we'll send a reset link (valid for 30 minutes).
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): User Center → Account Settings → Security Center. Your premium numbers are valuable assets — an extra layer of security is worth it.
Yes. After successful port-out, a "Download Porting Certificate" button appears on the number card in User Center.
Certificate includes:
- Full number record (area code, number, port-out date)
- Destination carrier name
- Great Number LLC stamp and EIN
- Ownership transfer declaration
Useful for: business registration, contract signing, ownership proof, and other official purposes.
Within 8 hours of ordering and order status is "Preparing" (porting info not yet generated) — contact support for a full refund cancellation.
After 8 hours or once porting info has been generated, the order cannot be cancelled.
This is because: once we start processing, the number is reserved for you in our system and can't be sold to others.
Yes. Contact support to submit an account deletion request. We'll process it within 7 business days.
Before deletion, please note:
- All numbers under your account must be fully ported out (we can't hold numbers for deleted accounts)
- Store Credit balance will be cleared to zero (non-withdrawable)
- Order history and invoices will be purged from the system after 6 months
If you just want a break, there's no harm in keeping your account — no annual fee, and you can purchase again anytime.
