Porting existing IDmobile number to a new IDMobile Contract

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
September 21, 2025
3 replies
385 views

Just discovered this abuse of market completion when buying a new iPhone 17 from mobilesdirect with an ID mobile contract just as my existing IDmobile fixed contract was coming to an end. Stupidly I thought it would be be easier to terminate my existing contract and just port my number using IDMobile systems or even via an internal PAC to my new phone. Wow, how wrong could I have been.The only way IDMobile said this was possible was if I upgraded (unfortunately IDmobiles upgrade offers were around £200 more expensive over 24mths) or port my number to a third party using an old phone and then porting that back to IDMobile.

As per that suggestion (confirmed elsewhere on the internet) I then ended up driving to Sainsburys just before closing time, buying a 99p EE pay as you go sim. Finding an old phone, charging it up, putting a basic installation on it, loading the new sim, activating the sim, creating an EE account, loading a £10 minimum top up, requesting a new PAC code from IDMobile (stupidly I thought cancelling the IDMobile contract might have helped). Requesting a PAC transfer via the EE app and now waiting upto 5 working days to accomplish something IDmobile should have been able to do in minutes.

This should not be a fair business practice albeit many other providers (other than O2) do the same.

Tyler C

iD Mobile Employee

Hi there @Mudge00a, this is the same with all networks I’m afraid, and not something limited to iD Mobile, where internal number transfers between contracts aren’t possible I’m afraid. To keep your number with any network, you’d always need to perform an upgrade or plan change via your account. The triangle port method you’ve had to do is a workaround we advise customers on if they decide to take this route.

Sorry you feel this way and thank you for your feedback.

Thanks,

Tyler

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S

sounds2k

New Contributor

I’ve just done this, there are cheaper options than a 99p SIM and having to load £10 credit though - many other companies do monthly contracts and you can pay about £5 for those, given that you only need your number in that network for a day before porting it back to iD mobile on your new contract.