Phone Numbers, Porting and Regulatory Policy
This Policy forms part of the Terms of Service and applies to every phone number (“Number”) you obtain through, port to, or use with the Services.
1. Numbers are assigned, not owned
1.1 Numbers are a public resource administered by national regulators. When we provide you with a Number, we assign you the right to use it while your Account is in good standing and you pay the applicable fees. You do not acquire ownership of, or any property right in, the Number.
1.2 Numbers are obtained through upstream carriers and wholesale number providers, including our wholesale number supplier, which in turn hold them under licences or allocations from regulators. The rules of those providers and regulators apply to the Numbers.
1.3 We cannot guarantee that a specific Number, number range or area code will remain available, or that you will be able to keep a Number if a regulator or upstream provider withdraws or changes it.
2. Regulatory and identity requirements
2.1 Many countries require proof of identity, business registration, a local address, or a statement of intended use before a Number can be assigned, and some require ongoing proof that the end user is present in the area. Requirements by country are summarised in Country Requirements and shown in the console when you order.
2.2 You must provide accurate and complete information and documents, and keep them current. You confirm that the information relates to the actual end user of the Number, which may be one of your End Users if you are a reseller.
2.3 We share the information with upstream providers and regulators as required to assign and maintain the Number. Processing of personal data is described in the Privacy Policy.
2.4 If documents are missing, expired, rejected or found to be false, we may decline to assign a Number, withhold activation, or suspend or reclaim an assigned Number, in line with the provider’s or regulator’s requirements.
3. Number fees
Numbers incur setup and recurring monthly fees as listed on our pricing pages. Recurring fees are charged in advance from your Wallet. If your Wallet cannot cover a renewal, the Number may be suspended and, if the balance is not restored within the grace period shown in the console, released. Fees are not refunded for partial months.
4. Porting numbers in
4.1 You may request to port a Number to the Services from another provider where porting is supported for that country and number type.
4.2 You must submit a letter of authorisation (“LOA”) signed by the person or organisation authorised to act for the Number, together with any recent invoice, account number, PIN or other details the losing provider requires. You confirm that the information is accurate and that you are authorised to request the port.
4.3 Port timing depends on the losing provider and the regulator. Rejections commonly result from mismatched names, addresses or account numbers. We will tell you the reason for a rejection where it is given to us.
4.4 Keep your service with the losing provider active until the port completes. We are not responsible for service interruptions caused by the losing provider or by inaccurate information in the request.
4.5 You must not request to port a Number you are not authorised to control (“slamming”). You will indemnify us for any claim arising from an unauthorised port request you submit.
5. Porting numbers out
5.1 You may port a Number out to another provider where porting is permitted by the relevant country’s rules. We will not unreasonably delay or refuse a valid port-out request.
5.2 The gaining provider must submit the request. We will validate it against the details on your Account; set a port-out PIN in the console where available. A port-out does not relieve you of any balance you owe, but we will not hold a Number hostage for an unpaid balance where the law prohibits it.
5.3 When a port-out completes, the Number is removed from your Account and recurring fees stop. Services tied to the Number, such as call flows, messaging registrations and emergency addresses, stop working for that Number.
6. Release on termination and inactivity
6.1 If you close your Account, or we terminate it, Numbers not ported out before the effective date of closure are released. If you want to keep your Numbers, start the port-out before closing.
6.2 Numbers that receive no traffic for an extended period may be reclaimed in line with the Terms of Service inactivity provisions and regulator rules on unused numbers, after notice to you.
6.3 Released Numbers may be held in a quarantine (aging) period before being reassigned, as required by regulators or upstream providers. We may not be able to restore a released Number even during the quarantine period, and we will not reassign it to you on request unless available.
7. Reclaiming and changing Numbers
We may suspend, change or reclaim a Number, with as much notice as is reasonable in the circumstances, where:
- a regulator, upstream carrier or number provider requires it, including because of a numbering plan change;
- the Number is used in breach of the Acceptable Use Policy or another Policy;
- the regulatory or identity requirements in section 2 are not met; or
- recurring fees are not paid.
Where a reclaim is required by a third party and not caused by you, we will try to offer a replacement Number and will refund the unused part of any recurring fee.
8. No number hoarding or brokering
8.1 You may obtain Numbers only for genuine use by you or your End Users. You must not acquire Numbers in excessive quantities relative to your actual use, reserve Numbers to prevent others from using them, or sell, lease or broker Numbers, including “vanity” or “golden” Numbers, to third parties for a fee.
8.2 We may set limits on the number of Numbers per Account, require justification for large orders, and reclaim Numbers that appear to be hoarded.
9. Caller ID name (CNAM) and directory listings
9.1 For supported US Numbers you may request a caller ID name (“CNAM”) to be displayed to recipients. The name must accurately identify you or the End User of the Number, must not impersonate another person or organisation, and must comply with character limits and carrier rules.
9.2 CNAM display depends on the terminating carrier and its database lookups. We cannot guarantee that the name will be displayed, will update within a specific time, or will appear on all networks.
9.3 We do not list Numbers in public directories unless you request it and the service is available.
10. Use of Numbers
Use of Numbers for voice and messaging must comply with the Voice Services Policy and the Messaging Policy. Emergency calling from Numbers requires a registered address under the Emergency Services Policy. In the US, information about your use of Numbers is protected as described in the CPNI Policy.
11. Contact
Porting and number questions: support@sip.io.