> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.pharmatools.ca/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Starting a port
> Submit a Letter of Authorization to move an existing number to PharmaTools.
If a customer wants to keep their current fax number, port it to PharmaTools. Start from **Port Existing Number** on either the fax profiles page or the port status page.
**Before you start, gather:**
* The customer's **most recent invoice**, dated no more than 30 days ago
* A **list of every number** on the account, with Transfer / Leave as Is / Disconnect decided for each
* The **service address** — where the numbers are in use, which is often *not* the billing address
* **Current provider details**: account holder name, reseller name (if any), and account ID
## Field by field
| Field | What to enter |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Account owner | Exactly as it appears on the current provider's invoice |
| Account number | The account ID from the invoice — call the provider if unsure |
| Service address | Where the numbers are in use, not necessarily the billing address |
| Authorized name | Full name of the person authorized to approve the transfer |
| Signature / date | Signed and dated after reviewing the completed form |
| SMS / MMS | Not required / SMS only / SMS & MMS |
| Fax (T.38) | Not required / Required |
| Transfer | Numbers to port into PharmaTools |
| Leave as is | Numbers staying with the current provider |
| Disconnect | Numbers to cancel with the current provider |
| Requested port date | A request, not a guarantee — the provider confirms the final date. Earliest available is 5 business days out. |
## Submitting the request
Enter the pharmacy name, their current provider (Bell, Rogers, Telus, and so on), the phone type, and the **service address** — the address where the line is physically installed, not the billing address.
Account owner exactly as it appears on the invoice, account number, authorized name, date, and a requested port date at least 5 business days out. The service address auto-fills from the section above.
The customer's most recent invoice, dated within the last 30 days. Ports are rejected without it.
Select whether **SMS / MMS** and **Fax (T.38)** are required, then list every number on the account. For each one choose **Transfer**, **Leave as is**, or **Disconnect**. Use **Add Number** for additional lines.
Clicking **Submit Port Request** opens a checklist you must confirm item by item. Fees apply for rejected numbers, so this is worth reading rather than clicking through.
**You can't download the LOA until we approve the request.** After you submit, it sits at **Pending Approval by PharmaTools** while we check that the details were entered correctly. Only then does the **Download LOA** button become available in the port drawer. Plan for that gap before promising your customer a signature-ready document.
## Pre-submission checklist
* Invoice dated within the last 30 days
* All numbers from the same provider / same invoice
* Account holder name matches carrier records exactly
* Account number verified
* Reseller name included, if applicable
* Cascade / sequential routing disabled
* Dry loop requested if internet is on the same invoice
* Toll-free numbers ported first, if they point to these numbers
* Service address provided (not billing address)
* LOA fully completed, signed, and dated
* All numbers active
* Copy of invoice attached
**Do not cancel the phone service before porting.** If the customer's internet runs over the same copper line as their phone (a wet loop), have them contact their ISP to convert to a Dry Loop (Naked DSL) first, and ask the ISP to assign an administrative number to keep the internet signal on the line. This does not apply to every customer, but skipping the check risks unplanned internet downtime.
## Common rejection reasons
Fees apply for each rejected number, and every one of these is avoidable.
| Rejection reason | What to verify |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Name / company name invalid | Must match exactly what the carrier has on record |
| Incorrect account number | Copy directly from the invoice; verify with the provider if unsure |
| Address invalid | Use the service address, not the billing address |
| Number inactive / not in database | Every number must be active at the time of submission |
| Reseller name missing or incorrect | Include the reseller name exactly as it appears on the invoice |
| Incorrect associated number | Confirm all listed numbers belong to this account |
| Stranded services | Disable cascade / sequential routing before porting |
| More recent authorization | Do not submit duplicate LOAs for the same account |
## Fee schedule
| Event | Amount | Applies when |
| ------------------------- | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Cancelled porting attempt | \$34.95 CAD | Per event, if cancelled after initiation |
| Failed porting attempt | \$15.00 CAD | Per number, if rejected by the current carrier |
| Local DID cancellation | \$5.70 CAD | Per number, if removing an active number |
## FAQ
Use the **service address**, where the numbers are physically in use. It's frequently different from the billing address printed on the invoice, and an invalid address is one of the most common rejections.
It's on the invoice, usually near the account holder name. If it isn't obvious, have them call the provider and confirm it before you submit — a guessed account number means a failed port and a \$15.00 fee per number.
Submit a separate request per provider / invoice. Mixing them on one LOA gets the request rejected.
Both — the account holder name as the carrier has it, plus the reseller name exactly as it appears on the invoice. A missing reseller name is a rejection reason on its own.
No. Five business days is the earliest date the form will accept, and the requested date is a request rather than a commitment — the carrier confirms the firm date once it validates the account.
Mark them **Leave as is** to keep them with the current provider, or **Disconnect** to cancel them. Every number on the account needs a disposition.
No — not until the port completes. Cancelling early can strand the numbers and, on a wet loop, take the pharmacy's internet down with it.
Don't send a second LOA for the same account — duplicate authorizations get rejected. Contact PharmaTools with the request ID instead.
Track progress, upload the signed LOA, and confirm the cutover.