Spruce bills monthly, with an invoice issued at the start of each billing period for the user count on the upcoming month (for example, two users on the Communicator Plan at $49 per user equals $98). Invoices include the base subscription plus telecom taxes and fees: Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF), Federal FCC Fee, state/city/county taxes, Monthly Campaign Fee for business texting, and E911 Registration Fee. Adding or removing teammates mid-cycle is pro-rated on the next invoice. Past invoices live under Settings > Billing > View Invoices on a desktop browser. Tax-exempt organizations can submit a tax exemption certificate to support@sprucehealth.com to waive applicable taxes, though federal regulatory fees such as FUSF and FCC fees still apply.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Understanding your Spruce invoice
- What's included on your invoice?
- How invoicing works with user changes
- Where to find your invoice
- Information for tax-exempt organizations
- Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding your Spruce invoice
Spruce bills on a monthly basis. You will receive an invoice at the start of each billing period that reflects the total number of users you have for the upcoming month. For example, if your billing period starts on the 1st of each month and you have 2 users in your account, on the Communicator Plan (read more about plans here), then you will be billed $49/user/month x 2 = $98 for that month on the 1st of the month.
What's included on your invoice?
Your monthly invoice will include your base subscription charges as well as any legally required sales and telecommunications taxes and related fees. The exact rates and amounts for these additional fees are determined by your billing address and are passed through directly via Spruce, with no markups. Your billing address will be listed on your invoice, and it can be edited from your Settings, under Billing. You can read more about this here.
- Subscription Charges: This is the core cost for your Spruce plan, calculated by the number of users on your account.
- Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF) Fee: This is a federally mandated fee that helps subsidize telecommunications and broadband services for specific groups across the country.
- Federal FCC Fee: This is a federal fee that helps fund the administration and regulation of communication services by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
- State, City, & County Taxes: These are local and state sales and communication taxes, similar to those you might see on other utility bills. The specific taxes and rates are determined by your business address, as required by law.
- Monthly Campaign Fee: This is a standard industry fee for maintaining your business texting capabilities, related to the required phone registration to enable SMS texting on Spruce. This fee helps ensure your messages are reliably delivered to your contacts and protects them from spam.
- E911 Registration Fee: This is a small fee that helps fund the operating costs of providing 911 services.
How invoicing works when you add or remove users
If you add a user (teammate) in the middle of a billing period, then a pro-rated charge will be added to your next monthly invoice, covering the cost for that user over the remainder of the current billing period.
For example, let’s say your billing period starts on the 1st of each month, and you add a new user on January 26th, 5 days before the next billing cycle. Your invoice on February 1st will include a line item for 5 days of usage for 1 new teammate, and another line item covering the charge for all teammates over the Feb 1 - March 1 billing period.
Similarly, if you remove a user from your practice, then the Spruce system will apply a pro-rated credit to your next upcoming bill, covering the portion of the billing period that the user was no longer included in your subscription. This way, you are never overpaying for users who have been removed from your account.
Where do I find my invoice?
Administrators can locate past invoices by logging into Spruce on a desktop computer and then going to Settings > Billing > View Invoices. From here, you can download any past invoice by selecting the Download button.
Invoices are also sent to your organization's billing email address. You can locate or update this email address by logging in to Spruce on a desktop computer and then navigating to Settings > Billing. If you are not able to locate an invoice sent to your email, try searching for support@sprucehealth.com or “Spruce Health.”
To update your payment method or billing email address, follow the steps here.
Information for tax-exempt organizations
If your organization qualifies for exemption from certain sales or communication taxes, you can submit your documentation to have your status reflected on your invoice.
- Prepare your documents. Please have a digital copy (e.g., a PDF) of your valid, signed tax exemption certificate. Ensure the name and address on the certificate match your Spruce account information.
- Contact the Spruce Support team. Email Spruce Support at support@sprucehealth.com, and attach your documentation to your support request, including a brief message stating that you are submitting materials for tax exemption.
- Await confirmation. Once the exemption has been approved and applied to your account, you will be notified by email.
Please note that most federal regulatory fees, like FUSF and 911 fees, and other direct pass-through fees, such as TCR campaign fees, typically apply to all users, and may not be exempted even with a tax-exemption certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taxes and fees weren’t always included on my bill - is this an increase in Spruce's prices?
No, this is not an increase in our subscription pricing. These taxes and fees are collected to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws. Spruce does not profit from these charges. We are legally obligated to act as a collection agent and pass 100% of these fees through to the respective government agencies.
Why am I being charged these fees now?
As telecommunication laws evolve, we are required to comply with them at the federal, state, and local levels. This is a standard and legally required update to our billing practices.
Can I opt out of these fees?
No, these taxes and fees are legally required for all customers and cannot be opted out of. However, if your organization is exempt from sales tax or other types of taxation, please contact us and submit documentation of your legal exemption, and we will update your account to reflect this.
Why is my bill different from a colleague's in another state?
While some federal fees are universal, many taxes and surcharges are determined by your specific business address. Different states, counties, and cities have different tax laws, which is why you will see variations in the total amounts.
How will I know how much I owe in taxes each month?
Your monthly invoice will include separate line items regarding your base subscription charges, and any legally required sales and telecommunications taxes and related fees.
The additional line items could range from federal fees like Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF) Fee, and Federal FCC Fees, to state and local (city/county-level) fees, and other charges such as monthly campaign and emergency services (911) registration fees.
Can I get an estimate of what my taxes will be?
Unfortunately, there is no way to provide an accurate estimate in advance.
The taxes assessed on the Spruce product suite could change monthly depending on varying reasons, such as state or local tax laws changing or changes to your business address.
Where can I find past Spruce invoices?
Spruce Administrators (admins) can download past invoices from Settings > Billing > View Invoices on a desktop computer; invoices are also emailed to the organization's billing email address.
How are mid-cycle user changes billed on Spruce?
New teammates added mid-cycle appear as a pro-rated line item on the next invoice, and removed teammates generate a pro-rated credit.
What fees and taxes appear on a Spruce invoice?
The base subscription plus Federal Universal Service Fund (FUSF), Federal FCC Fee, state/city/county taxes, Monthly Campaign Fee for business texting, and E911 Registration Fee. Tax-exempt organizations can submit a certificate to waive applicable taxes, though federal regulatory fees still apply.