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Register Your Business (TCR Phone Registration)

Updated

New Phone Registration Requirements

In an effort to combat spam and abuse, the major telecommunications carriers (including Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T) are requiring phone numbers used for business purposes to be registered and verified.

All organizations on Spruce must register if they use a Spruce phone number for calling or SMS text messaging. This requirement includes organizations that do not have a federal tax ID or formal business structure. Calls and text messages from unregistered organizations will be subject to blocking or being marked as spam by the major carriers.

Any organization on Spruce with a phone number will be prompted to register, with a prominent banner in the Spruce app. Administrators can complete this information on the web via the banner, or by going to Settings Phone & SMS Phone System Settings Phone Registration. In the Spruce mobile apps on iOS or Android, the phone registration settings can only be accessed via the banner.

The registration information that you submit to Spruce must exactly match your official business information, as it is listed in tax filings or other governmental records. A third-party enforcement body, acting on behalf of the major carriers, will verify that the information submitted is correct. If inaccurate or non-matching information is submitted, the registration will be rejected and will need to be resubmitted with corrected business information.

General FAQs

Business Information FAQs

A2P10DLC Brand and Campaign Registration for SMS Text Messages FAQs 

Registration Fee FAQs

General FAQs

Why do businesses need to register their phone numbers?

Under pressure from the FCC and angry consumers, the major telecom carriers (Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile) have increased their efforts to identify unwanted commercial phone calls and SMS messages by blocking them outright or labeling them with cautionary caller IDs, such as "Spam Risk" or "Scam Likely."

To make sure that only legitimate business phone traffic is taking place on their networks, the telecom carriers have implemented policies that require phone numbers used for business purposes to be registered and verified with a third party. 

It is very important for organizations on Spruce with phone numbers to successfully complete their phone registration because the telecom carriers are beginning to block calls and SMS messages from unregistered business phone numbers. 

We know how important it is for medical communication to be reliably delivered without disruption and without burdensome administrative requirements. Spruce is making every effort to help organizations on our platform comply easily with these new industry regulations to prevent your calls and text messages from being blocked or labeled as spam. 

How do I register?

If your organization has not yet completed phone registration, a prominent banner will be displayed in the Spruce app. Clicking the link in the banner will take you to the phone registration page.

On the web, the phone registration form can be reached anytime from Settings Phone & SMS Phone System Settings Phone Registration. In the Spruce mobile apps on iOS and Android, the phone registration settings can only be accessed via the banner.

Please note that only organization administrators can complete the registration form.

What information do I need to register?

The information you must provide includes: 

All information you submit must exactly match your official business information, as listed in tax filings or other governmental records, and it will be verified by the major carriers. If your registration is rejected due to inaccurate information, you may be subject to additional fees for any necessary resubmissions.

How long does the registration process take?

The registration process involves mandatory vetting and approval by a third party, the Campaign Registry, which can take up to 8 business days to complete, under typical conditions. If the Campaign Registry determines that submitted registration information is incomplete or erroneous, further delays may occur.

The Spruce app will guide you through the registration process with automated status updates, and our support team is also available and ready to assist you, as needed. We're here for you!

Why am I being charged a registration fee?

The Campaign Registry, the governing body that the major telecom carriers use to track how businesses use SMS text messaging, has set non-negotiable fees for registering and verifying business phone numbers. Every phone service provider, including Spruce, is subject to the Campaign Registry’s new registration rules and fees.

Spruce is passing on the registration fees without markup and your organization will be charged a one-time $19 fee after your phone registration is approved. This $19 fee includes the $4 Brand Registration fee and the $15 Campaign Verification fee charged by The Campaign Registry. These fees are not related to Spruce services and are being passed along without markup. 

Please note: if you cancel your Spruce subscription and then sign up again at a later date, you'll need to go through registration again, including paying the fee. 

When will the registration fee be charged? What if I am still in my free trial period?

The $19 registration fee will be charged immediately, even if you are still within the 2 week free trial period. This fee is non-refundable even if you decide not to sign up for a subscription. This charge is required for processing your registration and is not a payment for Spruce services.

Where is this information being registered?

Registration requirements vary by size of business and volume of SMS traffic. Some or all of the following registrations will take place for your business:

  • A2P10DLC Brand and Campaign Registration - A2P10DLC was developed by US phone carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) to allow businesses with 10-digit long-code phone numbers (10DLC) to send application-to-person (A2P) SMS messages. Without A2P10DLC registration, SMS messages you send risk being blocked by the phone carriers. Registration for A2P10DLC is verified through The Campaign Registry, a governing body that the telecom carriers work with to track how businesses use phone numbers for messaging. 
  • SHAKEN/STIR Caller ID Authentication - SHAKEN/STIR is a framework for an industry-wide caller ID authentication technology. Verification of a phone call's caller ID by SHAKEN/STIR protocol is critical for phone number reputation, and numbers obtained through Spruce start with an elevated level of trust via this mechanism. After you register your complete business information with our platform, we then work behind the scenes on your behalf to improve your SHAKEN/STIR "attestation level" to the most trusted status.
  • "Analytics Provider" Registration - The major telecom carriers rely on phone number reputation information that is collected and curated by third-party "analytics provider" services. Spruce will register your phone numbers with these analytics providers to ensure a satisfactory reputation score for your phone numbers.

Will my number be listed in a public directory or registry?

No, your number will not be listed in a public directory. The information that you provide will be sent only to the telecom infrastructure partners that Spruce uses and that are required for the platform's function. 

The business information entered on the form will not affect how the name of your organization appears on Spruce and it will not impact your caller ID name.

What if I registered my business with a different phone service provider before I switched to Spruce? 

Business registration information does not transfer with your phone number when you change service providers. This is not under the control of Spruce or any other service provider. You will need to re-register your business through the Spruce phone registration form and pay the registration fee. 

Can I opt out of registration?

You cannot opt out of phone registration if your Spruce organization has a phone number that you use for phone calls or SMS messages. If you no longer use Spruce for any phone activity, and you wish to have all phone numbers removed from your organization, please contact Spruce support. 

If you do not use Spruce to send SMS text messages, the phone registration process will allow you to opt out of A2P10DLC registration, as this aspect of registration is only relevant to SMS texting. Learn more about opting out of A2P10DLC.

What happens if I don't register?

The following restrictions and limitations will affect your organization on Spruce until your phone registration is submitted, verified, and approved:

  • SMS text messages cannot be sent from any of your Spruce number.
  • Phone calls that you make from your Spruce numbers will be blocked or labeled as spam by most telecom carriers.
  • You cannot transfer an existing phone number to Spruce.

Do all of the teammates in my organization have to fill out the phone registration?

Only one administrator on your Spruce account needs to submit the phone registration form. Learn more about managing teammates and the administrator role here.

Do I need to register separately for each phone number?

No, your business registration applies to all phone numbers owned by your account. You will not need to register again if additional numbers are added in the future. The $19 fee covers all numbers; you are not charged by number.

I’m not an administrator but I’m still being prompted to register. What can I do? 

If you are seeing a banner about incomplete registration, you must contact an administrator of your organization to complete the registration process.

To identify your organization’s administrators, go to Settings Teammates.

If you are unable to reach an administrator in your organization, contact Spruce support.

Can I fill out the phone registration form on my phone?

Yes, in the Spruce mobile apps on iOS or Android, administrators can access the Phone Registration form  via the banner at the top of the screen. If you don’t see the banner asking you to complete the phone registration, your phone registration is complete. 

Why am I being asked to re-register my business information? 

The major telecom carriers have been actively updating their phone number registration policies and requirements. Spruce continues to track these changes and make updates to our platform to help you keep your business registration compliant and your business phones working.

We acknowledge that this is a frustrating change, and we know how important it is for medical communication to be reliably delivered without disruption and without burdensome administrative requirements. Spruce is making every effort to help organizations on our platform easily comply with these new industry regulations to prevent your calls and text messages from being blocked or labeled as spam. 

Why did my registration fail? 

The information submitted through the form must exactly match your official business information, as listed in tax filings or other governmental records. It will be verified by a 3rd party on behalf of the major carriers. Inaccurate information will result in a registration failure and will require the registration form to be resubmitted with the correct information. 

We frequently see rejections due to the business name or address not matching official records. If you are unsure of the accuracy of your registered business information, view the tips we have on how to locate it below. 

What if I'm not located in the United States?

You will see a dropdown menu to select your state or province. If you have any trouble, message us in Spruce Support.

Business Information FAQs

What is a federal business registration number (Employee Identification Number or EIN)?

This is a unique identifying number assigned to your business when you register it with the federal government.

In the United States, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number. This will never be your personal social security number (SSN), even if you use your SSN when filing your business taxes. 

It's free and fast to get an EIN for your business. You can apply online, and if the automated IRS system is able to validate your information, your EIN will be issued immediately. Learn more about obtaining an EIN on the IRS website.

In Canada, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) uses a Business Number (BN).

How do I locate my business registration number (Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Business Identification Number (BN))? 

United States: Your EIN, business name, and address can be found on an SS-4 form, W-9, or filed tax documents. If you’re unable to locate any documents with your business information, visit the IRS website for how to find your business information. 

Canada: Use the Government of Canada website to locate the information that your business has registered with the government.

What if I don’t have a business registration number, such as an EIN?

If you do not have a business registration number, such as an EIN (or BN if you are a Canadian organization), select the “I DO NOT have an EIN or BN” option when you are filling out the registration form.

IMPORTANT: Due to telecom carrier restrictions, registering without an EIN or BN will prevent your organization from having multiple phone lines or large amounts of telecommunication traffic. If you register without an EIN or BN, and later decide to add one, you will need to submit a new registration request and pay all registration fees again.

I use my Social Security Number to file taxes; can I use that?

In the United States, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number. This will never be your personal social security number (SSN), even if you use your SSN when filing your business taxes.

How do I get a business registration number?

It's free and fast to get an EIN for your business. You can apply online, and if the automated IRS system is able to validate your information, your EIN will be issued immediately. Learn more about obtaining an EIN on the IRS website.

If you’re in Canada, apply for a BN via the Government of Canada website.

How long does it take to get a new EIN? Will there be a delay in my registration if my EIN is new?

Applying online is immediate, but the IRS database may take up to 4 weeks to update carriers, so there is generally a 4 week delay before we are able to submit your registration for verification.

If I register without an EIN, what will happen?

The process for registering without an EIN is similar; you will select ‘I do not have an EIN or BN’ when completing your submission. The information you provide will be the same, there will simply be no EIN field in the form. The processing time is also roughly the same. However, please note that your registration will be rejected if the IRS determines that you should have an EIN. Please use this IRS tool to check if this will be required before submitting your registration without an EIN.

If you choose to register as a Sole Proprietor and are approved but then re-register with an EIN at a future time your organization will lose SMS functionality for several days while this change is processed. If you submit registration without an EIN and need to resubmit with one (either because it is rejected or because you obtain an EIN at a later date and wish to re-register), you will be subject to the $19 fee again.

What business name should I use? 

You must use the official legal name of your business that matches your business registration number (EIN or BN), if you have one. This may be a different name than your Spruce organization name, and what you enter in the Phone Registration form will not affect your organization name in Spruce or what your customers see when you call or message them.

If your business name is shown on two separate lines, like in the image below, enter line 1 in the "Business Name Line 1" text field and line 2 in the "Business Name Line 2" field. Do not include "Sole MBR" if that is shown on your SS-4. 

What if my SMS registration is being blocked by an issue with my business name?

If you are registering to send SMS text messages (A2P10DLC registration), your business name must not contain terms that violate telecom carrier policy for business SMS message content, including cannabis-related terms. If your official business name, as listed in government records, contains such prohibited terms, then you will not be able to register for outbound SMS messaging at this time.

Please note that your business name only affects whether your organization will be able to register for outbound SMS messaging. Your ability to use secure messaging, video calling, telephone service, fax, inbound SMS messaging, and other services on Spruce will not be impacted by your business name.

If your SMS registration is being blocked by an issue with your business name, and you feel that your business name DOES NOT violate telecom carrier policy, please contact Spruce support (either in the Spruce app directly or at support@sprucehealth.com) to discuss the situation. When feasible, we will work with our infrastructure partners to attempt to get your organization registered for SMS messaging.

If your SMS registration is being blocked by an issue with your business name, and your business name DOES violate telecom carrier policy, then you will need to change the official name of your business before you will be able to register successfully for any app-based business SMS messaging service, including but not limited to Spruce. We apologize for any inconvenience and frustration related to this.

What business address should I use?

This must be a physical address and must match the business information that you've registered with tax authorities. If you are working as part of a larger organization, as an employee or independent contractor, use your personal mailing address.

The address you enter on the Phone Registration form will not affect your Spruce billing address. 

How do I locate the legal name or address of my business? 

Your EIN, business name, and address can be found on an SS-4 form, W-9, or filed tax documents. If you’re unable to locate any documents with your business information, visit the IRS website for how to find your business information. You may also be able to search your state’s Secretary of State website to locate your registered business name and address. 

If your business name is shown on two separate lines, like in the image below, enter line 1 in the "Business Name Line 1" text field and line 2 in the "Business Name Line 2" field. Do not include "Sole MBR" if that is shown on your SS-4. 

What if I don’t have a business website? 

If you don’t have a business website, use your professional or business profile listing on a site such as ZocDoc, Yelp, or Google Maps. 

You can also use your public Spruce Health profile once it’s been completely filled out. To update your Spruce profile, go to Settings Organization Profile. 

A2P10DLC Brand and Campaign Registration for SMS Text Messages FAQs

What is A2P10DLC registration?

A2P10DLC registration allows businesses to send SMS text messages using applications like Spruce.

If your organization sends SMS text messages, you must complete the A2P10DLC registration and pay the registration fee to use Spruce for sending SMS text messages.

When you register for A2P10DLC, your business information is verified through The Campaign Registry, a governing body that the telecom carriers work with to track how businesses use phone numbers for messaging.

Can I opt out of using SMS for my organization?

When completing the registration form, you can choose to opt out of A2P10DLC registration if your organization does not use Spruce to send SMS text messages. 
If you opt out of A2P10DLC registration, your organization will not be able to send any SMS text messages through Spruce, and you will not be subject to the $19 registration fee. Phone numbers in your organization will still receive inbound SMS communication.
If you later  decide that you would like the ability to send SMS text messages, you can always opt into A2P10DLC registration at any time by returning to the phone registration form in Settings Phone & SMS Phone System Phone Registration. 
Phone numbers in your organization will still be able to receive text messages, but you will not be able to reply to those messages. 

What is an opt-in process for sending SMS text messages?

Phone service carriers require that we collect information describing how people opt into receiving SMS text messages from your organization. 

There are a variety of ways to have someone opt into receiving text messages. A few examples include:

  1. Users opt in by accepting the terms outlined in your organization's standard agreements, such as your new-patient agreement.
  2. Users opt in by visiting your website and entering their phone number into an opt-in form. They then check a box agreeing to receive text messages from your organization.
  3. Users opt in by texting START to your phone number to opt in.

Spruce recommends having SMS opt-in language in your standard organizational agreements, such as your new-patient agreement. 

If you select this option during phone registration, you must ensure that your agreements include terms for SMS opt-in. 

If your terms do not yet have such language, you are free to use and adapt the following template language in your agreements:

[org_name] SMS Text Messaging Terms of Service

These SMS Text Messaging Terms of Service (these "SMS Terms") are incorporated into all agreements between you and [org_name] ("our organization", "us", "we"), including any agreements that are preexisting and any agreements that might be enacted contemporaneously with these SMS Terms.

[org_name] might use SMS text messaging, from time to time, for certain types of communication with you, including potentially for administrative issues, such as billing, or for health-related issues, such as care reminders.

You agree to receive (you "opt in" to receiving) SMS text messages from [org_name], related to services that we are providing to you. Message and data rates may apply, and message frequency varies. You may text us STOP at any time to opt out of receiving SMS text messages from us. You may text us HELP at any time to receive help.

SMS text messages from [org_name] may originate from our organizational phone numbers, including: [list_of_organizational_phone_numbers].

There may be terms in other agreements between you and us that also apply to our organization's use of SMS text messaging, such as general terms related to privacy and data handling for our organization that are not specific to SMS text messaging. You agree that you have reviewed all agreements that we have provided you.

Please Note: This template is not legal advice and is provided for general guidance ONLY. Please consult with legal counsel to consider the specifics of your situation.

Registration Fee FAQs

What is the registration fee? 

The registration fee covers the mandatory industry fees that are required to register and verify business phone numbers that will be used to send SMS text messages. This fee is not a fee related to Spruce’s services, and Spruce is collecting and passing along the fees without markup, as a one-time charge for each organization. 

The one-time $19 dollar registration fee includes:

  • $4 Brand Registration Fee 
  • $15 Campaign Verification Fee

The Campaign Registry, the governing body that the major telecom carriers use to track how businesses use SMS text messaging, set these non-negotiable fees. Every phone service provider, including Spruce, is subject to the Campaign Registry’s registration rules and fees.

Where does the fee go? 

The fee Spruce collects is passed along to our telecom infrastructure partner, who then pays the fee to The Campaign Registry to verify your business information. 

When do I pay the fee? 

Your organization will be charged the $19 fee when you submit the phone registration form for the first time. This fee is not related to Spruce services and will be charged even if your organization is in its trial period.

What if I transferred or ported my number to Spruce and paid a registration fee with my previous phone service provider? 

Business registration information does not transfer with your phone number when you change service providers. You will need to re-register your business through the Spruce phone registration form and pay the registration fee. 

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