This article guides you through everything that happens after you submit a request to port your phone number into Pabau: the e-sign authorization email, what each status in Call Setup means, and how to activate your number once the port completes so it starts taking calls in Pabau. If you haven't filed your request yet, we suggest reading our How to Port Your Phone Number to Pabau article first.
What Happens Right After You Submit
For most US local and mobile numbers, your request is filed with our carrier instantly, and you'll see the confirmation screen Port filed with the carrier. Numbers from other countries, and toll-free numbers, are filed by the Pabau team on your behalf — the confirmation screen reads Port request filed, and the request shows as Port requested until our team files it.
Either way, most ports complete in 2-4 weeks, and your number keeps working with your current provider until the switch — so you won't miss a call.
IMPORTANT: Don't cancel your account with your current provider while the port is in progress. The number stays live with them until the switch completes, and closing the account early can cause the port to fail.
The E-Sign Authorization Email
For automated US ports, the port cannot move forward until the port authorization (LOA) is signed. Our carrier, Twilio, emails an e-sign link to the authorized person you named on the request — the email comes from Twilio, not Pabau, so ask them to check their spam folder if it doesn't arrive.
IMPORTANT: The e-sign link expires after 30 days. If the authorization isn't signed in time, the request shows as Port rejected with the note "The port request expired — the authorization (LOA) wasn't signed within 30 days. File a new request to try again."
Tracking Your Port in Call Setup
To check on your port, open the Channel Catalog, then click Manage on the Calls card to open Call Setup. Your port requests appear at the top of the Phone Numbers tab, above your existing numbers, with the provider you're porting from, the date you requested it, and the confirmed port date once the carrier sets one.
Each request carries a status pill:
- Port requested — a team-filed request we've received but not yet filed with the carrier.
- Filed with carrier — the request is with the carrier. You'll often see the note "Waiting for e-signature — the authorized representative has an email from Twilio with the authorization (LOA) to sign."
- Porting in progress — the carrier is working on the transfer, and the note may include an expected port date. If the note reads "Action required — the carrier needs corrections. Check the authorized representative's email.", the authorized person should follow the instructions in that email so the port can continue.
- Port completed — the number has arrived in Pabau and is ready to activate.
- Port rejected — the request was rejected or expired. File a new request to try again.
NOTE: Statuses refresh each time you open Call Setup, so reopen the panel to see the latest from the carrier. To cancel a request you no longer need, we suggest reading our Tracking or Withdrawing a Port Request article.
Porting a number in is free — billing only starts when you activate the completed port, which begins the same monthly subscription a number purchased in Engage carries.
Step 1: Click Activate Number
When the pill turns green and reads Port completed, the row prompts you to "Activate it to start taking calls in Pabau". Click the green Activate number button. The button briefly shows Pricing… while Engage works out the monthly fee — nothing is charged at this point.
Step 2: Confirm the Monthly Fee
The button changes to show the exact fee, for example Confirm · $1.44/mo (prices vary by country and number type). Click it to confirm — the button reads Activating… while Engage sets the number up. We suggest reading our What Numbers Cost: Phone and Fax Pricing in Engage article for how the fee is worked out.
Step 3: Start Taking Calls
Once activation succeeds, the port row disappears and your number appears in the main Phone Numbers list, ready to receive calls and be assigned to your team just like a purchased number. The monthly subscription is billed to your Pabau payment method from this point.
If Activation Doesn't Work- "The number hasn't arrived in your Pabau phone account yet" — this can happen right after the port completes. Wait a little while and try again.
- "Your card was declined, so the number wasn't activated." — update your payment method and try again.
- "Your account isn't set up for self-serve billing yet." — reach out to Pabau and we'll get the number activated for you.
NOTE: A failed activation never takes the number away from you — it's your number, and it stays yours while you sort out billing or try again.
We suggest reading our Tracking or Withdrawing a Port Request article for cancelling an in-flight port, and our Call Setup: Numbers, Team Assignment and Call Settings article for setting up your newly activated number.
For more guides, refer to related articles below, select additional guides, or use the search bar at the top of the page. These guides will help you get the most out of your Pabau account.
Additionally, to help you fully utilize and understand your Pabau account, we recommend exploring additional guides and resources offered at the Pabau Academy.