Free tools / Carrier Lookup

Carrier lookup

Which carrier a number is on decides how you should reach it. SMS routes, A2P registration, call termination rates and even whether a text will arrive all depend on the carrier of record today, not the one that first issued the number. This tool returns the current carrier for any US or Canadian number, with the line type and the rate center it belongs to.

Returns the current carrier of record from the portability database, not the original issuer. No signup. 20 free checks a minute.

Most free carrier lookups guess from the number prefix, which is wrong for every number that has ever been ported. Ours queries the number portability database, which is what the network itself consults to route the call. Routing codes (OCN, SPID, LRN) and porting dates are available on the API for teams that need them for least-cost routing or compliance.

What you get back

Current carrier. The carrier serving the number today. For MVNOs you will usually see the host network, for example a Mint Mobile line shows T-Mobile.

Line type. Mobile, landline, VoIP or toll-free. Combined with carrier, this tells you the right channel for the contact.

Rate center. The city and state the number was issued in, which is what the LRN maps to.

Routing codes (API). OCN, SPID and LRN for telecom teams doing routing, rating or number management.

How to use it

  1. Paste the number. Formatting does not matter.
  2. Press Find carrier. We look the number up in the live portability data, so results reflect ports that happened days ago.
  3. Use the carrier and line type to pick the channel. For the OCN and SPID codes, start a free API trial.

Who uses this

SMS platforms and A2P senders. Carrier-specific throughput limits and filtering mean you need to know which carrier you are sending into.

VoIP and telecom operators. Least-cost routing and rating depend on the OCN and LRN of the terminating number.

Marketing ops. Segmenting a list by carrier explains deliverability gaps and spots blocks of VoIP numbers that came from a bad list vendor.

Same check, in your code

One API key, one credit pool, 1,000 free lookups to start. Phone, email, IP and DNS checks from a single endpoint, and you only pay for lookups that return an answer.

Start free Read the docs

Questions

Why does the carrier differ from what the person told me?

MVNOs ride on host networks. Someone on Cricket shows as AT&T, someone on Visible shows as Verizon. The host network is what matters for routing and delivery.

Does it handle ported numbers?

Yes, that is the point. We query the portability database, so a number that moved carriers shows the new carrier. Prefix-based tools get this wrong.

What is an OCN?

Operating Company Number, the identifier assigned to each carrier for billing and routing. It is in the API response for every US number.

Can I look up carriers outside North America?

For many countries you get the carrier name and mobile network codes (MCC and MNC). Coverage and detail vary by country.

Is there a bulk option?

Through the API, one call per number, with 1,000 free credits to start. Workflow recipes for Zapier, Make and Google Sheets are on the integrations pages.

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