Cheapest prepaid to use to port a # to GV

[Dulanic]

OK so basically here is what I need to do. I have MJ and hate it. I love my MJ # as it is super easy to remember.

So my goal is to port to a supported carrier prepaid phone as GV only supports porting on Alltel, ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile & Verizon so it needs to be one of those. I have done a little searching, but does anyone know off the top of their head what the cheapest option would be? Then I can port my MJ there then port from there to GV.

I picked up a Obi100 for cheap and it works great with GV now I just want a cheap option to get my # where I want it

 

[DaWhim]

i use tmobile prepaid, gold status (fill up with 1 year). my prepaid balance is good for 1 year. after 1 year, i can just fill up with $10 to have the whole balance extend for another year. to me, this is the cheapest but the upfront cost is probably the highest

 

[Dulanic]

Yeah I will never use it ever so I am looking for cheapest upfront cost. I don't even care if I physically have a phone... I just need to it to port the # and then right out.

 

[Dulanic]

OK that was odd... I replied to you yet it shows i was first? Is this forum bug back again? I remember this a couple years ago.....

 

[pm]

T-Mobile's $5 months prepaid plan? I think it's ~$20 total to start the account and port your number. It's been a while since I did this, though, so check before you commit.

 

[DaWhim]

oh...go to ebay and shop for a prepaid sim card that's cheaper. tmo sometimes has good deal to get a sim.

dont you at least need a phone for people to reach you if you have no wifi around?

 

[Dulanic]

oh...go to ebay and shop for a prepaid sim card that's cheaper. tmo sometimes has good deal to get a sim.

dont you at least need a phone for people to reach you if you have no wifi around?

I'm not using it as a phone. I am porting the # to the prepaid then porting my # straight out to GV. It is a home phone # that I am using a OBi110 device to place and receive free calls with. I have a separate cell phone that I use also. The GV # will ring my home phone through the OBI and it will also ring my cell phone /w call forwarding in GV if I am not home.

Would it be possible to just buy a SIM from tmobile for $3 and use it to activate an account, port in and then port out? It would cost me what $10 for the first $30 and $3 for the SIM?

 

[webdave]

I'm not using it as a phone. I am porting the # to the prepaid then porting my # straight out to GV. It is a home phone # that I am using a OBi110 device to place and receive free calls with. I have a separate cell phone that I use also. The GV # will ring my home phone through the OBI and it will also ring my cell phone /w call forwarding in GV if I am not home.

Would it be possible to just buy a SIM from tmobile for $3 and use it to activate an account, port in and then port out? It would cost me what $10 for the first $30 and $3 for the SIM?

I've ported a number out to Vonage and returned all the equipment within 30 days and was changed nothing in the end.

 

[Dulanic]

I've ported a number out to Vonage and returned all the equipment within 30 days and was changed nothing in the end.

GV doesn't support anything besides Alltel, ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile & Verizon. It looks like I can just get the sim from Tmobile and do it that way for pretty cheap, think I will try that method.

 

[Dulanic]

Bah guess you need a phone too to do it with tmobile... hmmm time to keep looking on the cheaper way. Anything cheaper than $22 to do this?

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-a107-...0OIQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1327948208&sr=8-4

 

[cronos]

On AT&T website you'll sometimes find a refurb GoPhone for $10 or less (which includes a SIM card).

I'm still not really clear of what you want to do though. Are you saying that you can't port this number to GV unless it's coming from the cell carriers you mentioned? I guess I've heard before that GV won't port in a home phone number, but are you sure the restriction will be lifted if it's activated on a cell carrier? (i.e. is it the origin of the number, or is it the number itself that's restricted?)

Added:
Also an option is AT&T MVNOs like H2O wireless. The SIM card is regularly sold on eBay for $2 or less. You obviously won't get a phone, but as soon as you received the SIM card, you just need to call their support to port your number in (using the information on the SIM card). As soon as the port goes through you can then port it right back out to GV (although my question above still stands. I really don't know the answer).

 

[Dulanic]

On AT&T website you'll sometimes find a refurb GoPhone for $10 or less (which includes a SIM card).

I'm still not really clear of what you want to do though. Are you saying that you can't port this number to GV unless it's coming from the cell carriers you mentioned? I guess I've heard before that GV won't port in a home phone number, but are you sure the restriction will be lifted if it's activated on a cell carrier? (i.e. is it the origin of the number, or is it the number itself that's restricted?)

Added:
Also an option is AT&T MVNOs like H2O wireless. The SIM card is regularly sold on eBay for $2 or less. You obviously won't get a phone, but as soon as you received the SIM card, you just need to call their support to port your number in (using the information on the SIM card). As soon as the port goes through you can then port it right back out to GV (although my question above still stands. I really don't know the answer).

Right, GV won't allow a port unless it is from one of the previously mentioned carriers. That is straight from Google. My goal was to get my MagicJack phone # to GV by using a prepaid as a middle man.

However, I decided to say screw it and just pay google $10 for a better google voice # that is close to my old number. Not to many people know know magic jack # so it really wasn't worth it. My google voice # is my home phone # as I have a Obi100 which basically is a sip device but it also works very well with google voice to act as a home phone for free.

 

[soccerballtux]

OK so basically here is what I need to do. I have MJ and hate it. I love my MJ # as it is super easy to remember.

So my goal is to port to a supported carrier prepaid phone as GV only supports porting on Alltel, ATT, Sprint, T-Mobile & Verizon so it needs to be one of those. I have done a little searching, but does anyone know off the top of their head what the cheapest option would be? Then I can port my MJ there then port from there to GV.

I picked up a Obi100 for cheap and it works great with GV now I just want a cheap option to get my # where I want it

they can port from straight talk.
wait no they can't. weird. I just checked last night I thought.

 

[manly]

I used a new T-Mo prepaid SIM I already had. When you activate it, they throw in about 10 minutes so you don't even need to buy any airtime. These are known as prepaid activation kits, and you can buy them on eBay or Amazon for just a few bucks.

T-Mo has a porting department that you can call directly, but many of them are offshored reps. I had a rep in New England call me back to finish a landline to T-Mo prepaid port, and she was more knowledgable than the offshore reps.

 

[MotionMan]

I am trying to port my home number to Google Voice (and cancel my home service).

I want to make the port to AT&T or T-Mobile (I have a spare iPhone 4).

From what I can tell, the cheapest option for a pre-paid account/SIM is $100 for the 1st year and $10 after that.

Is that correct, or are there cheaper options?


After the port from the mobile to GV is done, does the SIM just go inactive? Do you need to keep the physical SIM around for any reason?

MotionMan

 

[cronos]

I am trying to port my home number to Google Voice (and cancel my home service).

I want to make the port to AT&T or T-Mobile (I have a spare iPhone 4).

From what I can tell, the cheapest option for a pre-paid account/SIM is $100 for the 1st year and $10 after that.

Is that correct, or are there cheaper options?


After the port from the mobile to GV is done, does the SIM just go inactive? Do you need to keep the physical SIM around for any reason?

MotionMan

If you are porting your home number to prepaid *just* to have it eligible to port to GV, there is no need to open an account with $100/year, just create a paygo account (you don't even have to buy minutes if it's T-Mobile. for AT&T you can buy the lowest, $10 PIN), and then port out to GV right away in the next few days.

There's actually no need to have a phone for this, just the SIM card to create a new account.

When you port the number out to GV, the prepaid account is automatically closed, the balance forfeited, and the SIM died. There's no reason whatsoever to keep it.

 

[MotionMan]

If you are porting your home number to prepaid *just* to have it eligible to port to GV, there is no need to open an account with $100/year, just create a paygo account (you don't even have to buy minutes if it's T-Mobile. for AT&T you can buy the lowest, $10 PIN), and then port out to GV right away in the next few days.

There's actually no need to have a phone for this, just the SIM card to create a new account.

When you port the number out to GV, the prepaid account is automatically closed, the balance forfeited, and the SIM died. There's no reason whatsoever to keep it.

If I open an AT&T Go account, then port my number, then let the account expire, doesn't my phone number go into some sort of never-never land with AT&T where they could recycle it?

I thought your GV number had to be associated with an active mobile or home account?

MotionMan

 

[cronos]

If I open an AT&T Go account, then port my number, then let the account expire, doesn't my phone number go into some sort of never-never land with AT&T where they could recycle it?

I thought your GV number had to be associated with an active mobile or home account?

MotionMan

Yes to the first question.

But why do you wait until the account expires if your final goal is to port out that number to GV? As soon as the first port is done just port it out to GV right away. $10 PIN on GoPhone paygo lasts for a month, and if for some reason you're still not ready to port this number to GV after almost a month, just add $10 more to extend it one more month.

For the second question, your GV doesn't *have* to be associated to any number, technically. You could have it not associated with any actual phone number and just have it as a voice mail box, or you could forward it to 'Google Chat' and pick up incoming calls on Google Hangouts from the desktop client.

Now, if you wanted to use the GV as an actual phone number where you'll be receiving phone calls, then you just setup the forwarding to whatever phone number(s) you're actually using (mobile or home, doesn't matter).

 

[MotionMan]

Yes to the first question.

But why do you wait until the account expires if your final goal is to port out that number to GV? As soon as the first port is done just port it out to GV right away. $10 PIN on GoPhone paygo lasts for a month, and if for some reason you're still not ready to port this number to GV after almost a month, just add $10 more to extend it one more month.

What I mean is, AFTER I port the number from the mobile account to GV.

Maybe I am unclear on what happens to that account when the port to GV is complete. Does that account automatically close?

For the second question, your GV doesn't *have* to be associated to any number, technically. You could have it not associated with any actual phone number and just have it as a voice mail box, or you could forward it to 'Google Chat' and pick up incoming calls on Google Hangouts from the desktop client.

Now, if you wanted to use the GV as an actual phone number where you'll be receiving phone calls, then you just setup the forwarding to whatever phone number(s) you're actually using (mobile or home, doesn't matter).

I would probably want it set up to just go straight to VM and e-mail me the transcript/voice memo. Sounds like that is doable?

MotionMan

 

[cronos]

What I mean is, AFTER I port the number from the mobile account to GV.

Maybe I am unclear on what happens to that account when the port to GV is complete. Does that account automatically close?

Yes. That's what I said above: "When you port the number out to GV, the prepaid account is automatically closed, the balance forfeited, and the SIM died. There's no reason whatsoever to keep it."

By that time your number is out though, so you have zero concern about that account anymore. Which is why I suggested you just opened it with a $10 balance. Because whatever balance you had in that account when you ported the number out to GV, will be gone.

I would probably want it set up to just go straight to VM and e-mail me the transcript/voice memo. Sounds like that is doable?

Yes. In fact that's what I'm doing to two old cell phone numbers in the family (my wife's and mine).

 

[MotionMan]

Yes. That's what I said above: "When you port the number out to GV, the prepaid account is automatically closed, the balance forfeited, and the SIM died. There's no reason whatsoever to keep it."

By that time your number is out though, so you have zero concern about that account anymore. Which is why I suggested you just opened it with a $10 balance. Because whatever balance you had in that account when you ported the number out to GV, will be gone.

OK. I was at AT&T and T-Mobile yesterday and they both said I would lose the number if I let the account expire. That just did not sound right to me.

Thanks.

MotionMan

 

[cronos]

OK. I was at AT&T and T-Mobile yesterday and they both said I would lose the number if I let the account expire. That just did not sound right to me.

Based on the wordings, they're not wrong. If you "let the account expire", you will lose the number.

However that's not how the account got closed, it got closed automatically because you ported out to Google Voice. In which case your number is already safe.

 

[Tipsy McStagger]

BUMP for up-to-date info:

Like the OP, I'm simply looking to port a number (currently in use as a Vonage number) to a prepaid T-Mobile account so I can ultimately port this number to Google Voice.

I just ordered a T-Mobile Kyocera Rally T-Mobile pre-paid phone. I'm looking for the cheapest option available to get this phone activated using my current Vonage number.

What is the cheapest sim-card and pre-paid T-Mobile plan option I can buy to achieve this?

TIA.

Tipsy

 

[pmark]

I'm in the middle of doing this right now. I ordered and received a SIM from t-mobile for around $4: http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/sim-card. Obitalk themselves provide this link in their "port your number to Google voice" so its legit. If you don't go through this link then the SIM cards are more expensive.

 

[monkey333]

Don't port, just forward it to whatever cell you want. I have 2 cell phones and my gv rings on both. Not messing with porting. 1 ringplus and 1 freedompop, $0 a month.