This guide explains how to find mobile account number for porting to Cmobile. Switching to Cmobile doesn’t mean changing your mobile number. In most cases, you can bring your existing Australian mobile number with you.
This process is called mobile number porting.
To transfer your number successfully, we need to confirm whether your current service is prepaid or postpaid. If it is postpaid, we’ll also need the account number used by your current mobile provider.
This sounds straightforward, but account numbers can sometimes be difficult to find—especially when providers use different names for them.
What information does Cmobile need?
The information required depends on the type of mobile service you currently have.
| Your current service | Information needed to transfer your number |
|---|---|
| Prepaid | Your date of birth |
| Postpaid, billed or account-based | Your account number |
The information you give us must match the details held by your current provider. If it doesn’t match, the transfer may be rejected or delayed.
Am I prepaid or postpaid?
Many people are unsure whether their current service is prepaid or postpaid.
You are probably prepaid if:
- You recharge your service before using it.
- Your service stops or becomes restricted when your recharge expires.
- You purchase a set number of days, such as a 28-day recharge.
- You do not receive a regular mobile bill or invoice.
If your service is prepaid, Cmobile will need the date of birth registered with your current provider.
Be careful if someone else originally activated the service. For example, the registered date of birth may belong to a parent, partner, employer or another family member.
You are probably postpaid if:
- You receive a monthly bill or invoice.
- Your payment is automatically deducted each month.
- You have an account with your provider.
- You pay for your usage or plan after—or as part of—a monthly billing cycle.
- Your phone is being repaid through a device payment arrangement.
If you receive a bill or have an account-based mobile plan, Cmobile will need the account number associated with the mobile service.
Even if your plan is automatically paid in advance each month, it may still be treated as an account-based or postpaid service for porting purposes.
Where can I find my Telstra account number?
Telstra can be particularly confusing because it may not display the words “account number.”
Depending on where you look, the number may be called a:
- Payment Reference Number
- PRN
- Customer ID
- Account number
Finding it on your Telstra bill
Download or open a recent Telstra bill and look for the Payment Reference Number or PRN.
Telstra describes the PRN as your unique billing account number. It may appear near the payment information or BPAY details on your bill.
Do not use the BPAY biller code. You need the individual reference number connected to your Telstra account.
Finding it in the My Telstra app
In My Telstra:
- Open the My Telstra app and sign in.
- Select Profile.
- Select Your details.
- Select Personal details.
- Look for your Customer ID.
Telstra refers to the account number shown in this part of the app as your Customer ID.
If you have several Telstra services or accounts and are unsure which number applies to your mobile, contact Telstra and ask:
“What account number should I give my new provider to port my mobile number?”
You can also view Telstra’s current explanation in its guide to understanding your Telstra bill.
Where can I find my Optus account number?
Optus postpaid customers can usually find their account number in the My Optus app, through My Account or on a bill.
In the My Optus app
- Open the My Optus app.
- Select Account in the bottom-right corner.
- Your account number should appear near the top-left of the account screen.
On your Optus bill
Your Optus account number is normally displayed in the top-right corner of the first page of your bill.
Optus confirms that its prepaid services do not have an account number. If you are an Optus prepaid customer, your registered date of birth is normally used instead.
See the official Optus account-number instructions.
Where can I find my Vodafone account number?
Vodafone describes this as your Customer Account Number. It is generally a nine-digit number assigned when you sign up for a plan.
Your account number appears on your Vodafone bill. To download a bill through My Vodafone:
- Sign in to the My Vodafone app or website.
- Find the Highlights section.
- Select the Amount due tile or View details.
- Find your most recent bill.
- Select Download bill.
- Look for your Customer Account Number on the bill.
See Vodafone’s official Customer Account Number guide.
What if my provider uses a different name?
Other providers may describe the number as an:
- Account number
- Customer account number
- Billing account number
- Customer ID
- Payment reference number
- PRN
The safest place to look is usually a recent mobile bill or invoice. Make sure the number belongs to your mobile service, particularly if you also have internet, home phone or other services with the same provider.
A receipt number, invoice number, mobile number or BPAY biller code is generally not the account number required for porting.
If you are still unsure, contact your existing provider and specifically ask for the account number needed to port your mobile number to another provider.
Important: Don’t cancel your old mobile service
Do not cancel your existing mobile service before the transfer is completed.
Your number must remain active with your current provider so it can be transferred to Cmobile. Once the port is completed, the old mobile service associated with that number will normally be disconnected automatically.
You may still receive a final bill from your old provider. Any outstanding device repayments, contract charges or other account balances remain your responsibility.
What happens after Cmobile submits the transfer?
As part of Australia’s security requirements, a verification code will generally be sent by SMS to the mobile number being transferred. You’ll need access to that service so the code can be verified.
This additional check helps protect customers against unauthorised number transfers and mobile porting fraud.
Most straightforward transfers are completed relatively quickly, but delays can occur when:
- The account number is incorrect.
- A prepaid service is submitted as postpaid, or vice versa.
- The registered date of birth doesn’t match.
- The number has already been disconnected.
- The service is registered under another person or business.
- The transfer is submitted outside the relevant processing hours.
The ACMA advises that industry requirements call for 90% of mobile ports to be completed within three hours and 99% within two business days. These are industry targets rather than a guarantee for every individual transfer.
Quick checklist before switching to Cmobile
Before placing your order, check that:
- Your existing mobile number is still active.
- You know whether the service is prepaid or postpaid.
- For prepaid, you have the date of birth registered on the service.
- For postpaid, you have the correct mobile account number.
- Your personal details match those held by your current provider.
- You can receive an SMS on the number being transferred.
- You have not cancelled your old service.
Keep your number and switch to Cmobile
Cmobile makes it easy to keep your existing mobile number while changing providers.
With a choice of mobile networks, month-to-month plans and Australian-based customer support, you can select a plan that suits your needs without giving up the number your family, friends and customers already know.
If you’re unsure whether your current service is prepaid or postpaid—or you’re having difficulty finding your account number—contact the Cmobile team before submitting your transfer. We’ll help you identify the information you need.
Ready to switch? Explore Cmobile’s mobile plans and bring your existing number with you.