SWITCHING MADE SIMPLE: COME TO CONSUMER CELLULAR AND KEEP YOUR NUMBER

If you’re considering switching to Consumer Cellular and wondering if you can keep your phone number, let us provide some reassurance. In short, yes! It’s not only possible but really quite simple to move service over to Consumer Cellular while holding onto the number you’ve used for years.

The process of switching to Consumer Cellular and carrying over your phone number may vary slightly depending on where you live and your old service provider. However, in general, you can follow these five tips for a successful transfer:

  1. First off, do not cancel your existing cellular service right away—your phone number must remain active during the transfer process.
  2. When you’re ready to set up your new Consumer Cellular account, you’ll want to refer to an invoice from your existing provider. Having it on hand will make it easy to relay all the key information from your old account, including the account number, account holder’s name, billing address, and any password or PIN.
  3. To start your number transfer, give us a call at (888) 345-5509, and we’ll be happy to assist. You can also sign up on our website where our checkout process will walk you through plan options, invite you to select a device, and prompt you to answer questions including, “Keep your existing phone number?” Simply select “Yes” before adding to the cart and checking out.
  4. For your convenience, your number transfer will automatically be started 7 days after your phone ships.
  5. Once the number is transferred to Consumer Cellular, it should automatically be disconnected by your old service provider—you may want to call them to confirm.

Be aware that if your number is tied up in a contract, you may be charged an early termination fee by your old service provider.

In addition to hanging onto your old phone number, most people can also keep their phone when switching to Consumer Cellular. Click here to learn how easy it is to use a SIM card to keep the smartphone you know and love while making the switch to savings and award-winning customer service with Consumer Cellular.

Have questions or want to get started now? Give us a call today at (888) 345-5509. We look forward to welcoming you to Consumer Cellular while keeping your phone number. And we’ll do all we can to make the transfer as quick and streamlined as possible.

61 Thoughts on "SWITCHING MADE SIMPLE: COME TO CONSUMER CELLULAR AND KEEP YOUR NUMBER"

  1. Ellen Foster says

    I have always used AT&T for my phone service and comcast for my internet. prices are going crazy. Can you provide phone, cable, and internet service? I’m living on a fixed income and am VERY un-tech savvy. I need a company that can provide all 3 services at decent price. I am currently paying $128.00 for these services. HELP!!!!!

    • Hi Ellen, thanks for your interest in our service! We don’t offer cable or internet services, we only offer our cell phone plans. If you’d like to take a look at those though, you can do so by going to our website here. Let us know if you have any questions though!

  2. Donald Hayes says

    Can you have more than one device on your service , I’m interested in replacing my A T & T land line but I have multiple people devices ?

    • Hi Donald, thanks for your question! If you’re using a unit for your landline that has multiple devices, you can use it with our ZTE Home Base. If you want to use a cell phone with that line, only one cell phone can have a specific number assigned to it at a time.

  3. Juan Ramirez says

    100% Satisfied highly recommended! After years of dealing with all these other companies! Definitely happy I am with the right one ☝️

  4. RLC says

    Hi. If I switch to Consumer Cellular and buy a phone plan and a smart phone from your website, would I be able to surf the internet from my Consumer Cellular phone? Sorry if this question is foolish, but I really don’t know. Thanks in advance.

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      That’s a great question, RLC. If you buy one of our smartphones, and have a plan that includes data service, you can browse the web with it.

  5. John says

    How long does it normally take for the data setup? I bought a new phone thru CC , with the 10gb. Plan, wi-fi works, but no data, it’s been 24 hrs. They tell me it’s still ‘processing’

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      Thank you for reaching out, John. Transfers typically complete within 24 hours if all of the information provided is correct. We can check on the delay if you give us a call at 888-345-5509 or chat with us here.

  6. Miriam Hack says

    Voice mail with CC is really squirrelly. Sometimes they are days late; sometimes I never receive them. Just finally got 2 at the same time, one left yesterday and one left a few hours ago. Never had this happen with Verizon. CC is less expensive, but at the cost of unreliable voice mail.

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      It’s definitely frustrating when you don’t get your voicemails in time, Miriam. This can sometimes be affected by the signal. We’d be happy to take a closer look if you give us a call at 888-345-5509 or chat with us here.

  7. Mykal Brass says

    Hello I am thinking of switching to CC but not aware of the service features available. Do you have spam blocker, name id, caller id, text to voice mail, visual voicemail, to name a few. I know CC has text and data but what else is offered please?

    • Hi Mykal, thanks for your interest in our service! We do not have a feature for blocking spam, but you can download an app to help filter that if you are using a smartphone. We do offer caller ID, visual voicemail, call forwarding, and many others. To get a better idea of our services, check out our website here for further assistance.

  8. Pat says

    Where can I go in person to check phones out?

  9. Mykal says

    Thank you Jacob

    I did check out the link but was unable to see the features offered. I want to change but not loose some key features like visual voicemail, caller id blocking that allows me to block certain calls like telemarketers or unwanted callers.

    How will my name id be listed for callers to see? Do you offer any name to be listed as long as it is legal? Ex I have a business name one of my lines

    • Hi Myka, the caller ID would show as wireless caller with the number. We do not have the option to change it to something else. While the phones can block numbers while they come in, we don’t have a program that blocks numbers before they make that call.

  10. dennis wilson says

    If I activate a plan in zip code 85501 will I have service in zip 99901 when I travel

    • Thanks for your interest in our service, Dennis! the best way to view our coverage is by going to our website here. You can enter your address or other locations you visit frequently and view the coverage we offer. If you have any questions about the coverage or map at all just let us know.

  11. Chris dupont says

    So can I surf the Internet on your service and can I keep my old iPhone that I have as well : my wife and I would get the service what would the total price be for us to and is there any extra charge for the Internet service specifically I like to listen to podcasts while I’m taking my walk on my phone how does this work with pricing
    Thanks ,
    Chris

    • Hi Chris, thanks for your interest in our service! If your phone is unlocked from the provider, is GSM-compatible, and VoLTE capable, it may work on our network. We can’t guarantee compatibility for all models, but we have had good experiences with iPhones switching over as long as it meets the mentioned requirements. The costs are going to depend on the exact plan that’s picked out for the account. Check out our plan options and their costs by going to our website here. Just let us know if you have any questions!

  12. Pam says

    Do your services run on AT&T towers or Verizon?

  13. Andrew says

    I have been a CC customer for several years. Very satisfied overall. I recently added a new line the data started being used up quickly with that line. I log in to the CC account on line to turn the data off on that line. That line was still able to use data. Come to be informed from CC you also have to turn off data in the phone settings. What good is the switch on line in their system if it don’t turn off the data on one phone.

    • Hi Andrew, thanks for your post. In general, switching that switch off for data should turn the feature off for that line, but there are times where something on the back end doesn’t get switched off, so turning it off in the phone as well is just an extra layer to make sure the phone isn’t able to get that connection. We appreciate your feedback on this process though and have passed it along for you. Thanks!

  14. Karen says

    I have an AT&T prepaid phone. How do I switch over to CC? Can you keep my same phone number?

    • Hi Karen, thanks for your interest in our service! You can switch over by going to our website here or by giving us a call at 800-686-4460 to place an order for service. If you’re wanting to keep using that same phone, you will want to make sure it’s unlocked from AT&T, is GSM-compatible, and VoLTE capable. We can’t guarantee compatibility for all models, but we’ll do all we can to see if we can get it connected for you. As long as the number remains active with the current provider during the transfer process, you can switch it over. We will also need the current account number, PIN number if there is one, billing address, and the account holder’s first and last name to submit to your current provider so that they will release the number to us so we would recommend having a bill readily available for this process.

  15. Patricia Newton says

    Since changing to Consumer Cellular, we no longer have phone service where we used to when we fish along the coast. We will have to switch phone services, again.

    • Hi Patricia, thanks for your post. I’m sorry to hear that you’re thinking of switching services. We’d be happy to look into what is going on with service in that location if you’d like and assist with that. Give us a call at 800-686-4460 or chat with one of our live agents here to follow up on this.

  16. Edward G Lee says

    Phone plans

  17. Margaret J Swall says

    Waiting for phones to arrive for my new CC service. I know if I call someone with a cell phone, my name is whatever they call me in their contact list, or no name at all if I’m not in their list. For landlines, I usually see a name. I would like to know what name will appear in a land line caller ID when I call somebody?

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      Hi Margaret, when you call someone with a landline the name shown should say “Wireless Caller” and the phone number.

  18. Bruce says

    Hello, We have been CC customers for years and love our cell service. We are looking into a home base to use as our “home phone”. If we order a CC home base will Consumers Cellular assign our area code plus a new number for that base? I’m not sure we want to keep our old AT&T number due to so many “robo” calls. A new number should put a stop to them. Thanks.

    • Hi Bruce, thanks for your question! If you’re wanting a new number, we would assign one that is local to your area for you. If you’d like to transfer your number over, we can also help with this as well.

  19. Margaret J Swall says

    Can that be changed to our names instead of Wireless Caller?

    • Hi Margaret, thanks for your question. We don’t have an option to change caller ID information from wireless caller to a name. I’d be happy to pass that suggestion along for you though for in the future.

  20. Rae King says

    How do I tell if a phone I am bringing is VoLTE capable? They do not say it on the description where I am purchasing but I noticed the phones on Consumer Cellular descriptions do not state VoLTE either…I need help understanding. Rae (I am currently a Consumer Cellular customer, just getting a new phone)

    • Hi Rae, thanks for your question. If you have a question about a specific model you can contact us about it to see if it’s an option. Otherwise, if you have the IMEI of the device you’re wanting to use you can check on it by going to our website here.

  21. John says

    I have a Trac phone. I don’t know the carrier. Can I use this phone and the number I have with this phone?

    • We appreciate your interest in our service, John! If your phone is unlocked from the carrier, is GSM-compatible, and VoLTE capable, it may work on our network. We can’t guarantee compatibility for all models, but we’ll do all we can to see if we can get it connected for you. As long as the number remains active with the current provider during the transfer process, you can switch it over. We will also need the current account number, PIN number if there is one, billing address, and the account holder’s first and last name to submit to your current provider so that they will release the number to us so we would recommend having a bill readily available for this process.

  22. Faith says

    I’m looking at switching from AT&T. I’ve been trying to unlock my phone and AT&T is giving me the run around. My phone from AT&T is paid off. Not sure what I can do to get switched.

    • Hi Faith, thanks for your post. I’m sorry to hear about the trouble that has been taking place with that process. Unfortunately, we aren’t able to contact them to have it unlocked or unlock it ourselves. If you want to use this existing phone, we do need to have it unlocked which would need to be done by AT&T. Otherwise, a new phone can be purchased from us to use with our service.

  23. David Stephenson says

    How easy is it to switch an IPhone 8 with Verizon to Community Cellular?

    • Hi David, thanks for your interest in our service! You’ll want to make sure that the phone is unlocked from Verizon, is GSM-compatible, and VoLTE capable. We can’t guarantee compatibility for all models, but we have had good experiences in the past with iPhones switching over that meet that mentioned criteria.

  24. John Smith says

    Good evening. I am a former customer. I’m with aaanother carrier, however, when asked if my two phones were compatible to the 5G network? The representative infformed me “yes they were.” It never did and my service isn’t good. I left here because of misinformation given to me. I am a senior citizen and would consider returning back as a customer. Please provide me with information.

    • Hi John, thanks for your post. If you’d like, you can find information on our service by visiting our website here. If you have any questions, just give us a call at 800-686-4460 or chat with one of our live agents here and we’d be happy to follow up in more detail.

  25. Laura says

    We want to do away with our landline. Can we get our same phone number on a CC phone?

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      Great question, Laura! You can transfer your number to our service as long as it’s still active.

  26. JR says

    How long does it take to port the phone number over?

    • Hi JR, thanks for your question! If all the transfer information is correct, it can generally take cell numbers 24 hours to transfer over but it can depend on the company. If you have any questions about this at all, give us a call at 800-686-4460 or chat with one of our agents on our website here and we’d be happy to follow up.

  27. Susan says

    If a potential customer is using a Cell number that is on someone elses account with ATT can they move the Cell number they have been using. The account at ATT is not in their name and the person whose name is on the account is not switching to CC.

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      Hi Susan, in order for a number to be transferred from any carrier, account information with that carrier is required which would need to be provided by the account holder.

  28. Marvin Hamilton says

    Is my Samsung a25 phone compatible with consumer cellular?

    • Nicole at Consumer Cellular says

      Great question, Marvin. To use your own Samsung Galaxy A25 with our service, it will need to be a VoLTE-capable, unlocked, and GSM-compatible phone. If you have the phone’s IMEI, you can check if it should be compatible here”. Please keep in mind that we cannot guarantee compatibility for all phone models, but we will do all we can to get it working.

  29. Karl says

    Please help. I’ve been trying for the past 4 days to get my phone back up and running, even ordered a new iPhone at full price. My fault for loosing the previous one…well “loosing is a loose therm, it was under my car seat haha”, anyways. I got a new phone and you guys never sent me a new sim card for it. Was told to go buy one from the store. Did so, but the rep at the store is telling me it’s going to give me a new number? I already have an account! I tried calling but your customer service is closed. Please someone help !

    • Hi Karl, I’m sorry to hear about the trouble taking place with your activation. All of our phones come with a SIM already installed, except for the iPhone 14 since it uses an eSIM card. If you need to activate the phone still, you can do so via the online account here or you can also give us a call at 888-548-6490 during our business hours and we can help with this. Alternatively, you can also chat with us here and we’d be happy to help.

  30. Karen says

    We are considering dropping our landline phone. Is it possible to replace the phone number of one of our existing Consumer Cellular phones with our landline number?

    • Hi Karen, thanks for your question! We can definitely move your landline number onto a cell phone as long as it remains active through the switching process. We will need to get a SIM card ordered for that number to do it which you can do by giving us a call at 888-548-6490 or by going to your online account here. We will also need the current account number, PIN number if there is one, billing address, and the account holder’s first and last name to submit to your current provider so that they will release the number to us so we would recommend having a bill readily available for this process.

  31. Larry. Justice says

    I would like your phone service and use my phone and my same number .

    • Hi Larry, thanks for your interest in our service! As long as your number remains active through the transfer process, we can help with bringing it over to our network. If your phone is unlocked, is GSM-compatible, and VoLTE capable it may work on our network. You can check to see if the phone may be compatible by plugging the IMEI into our website here. Just keep in mind we can’t guarantee compatibility for all models, but we’ll do all we can to see if we can get it connected for you.