Creating and Transferring (Porting) Phone and Fax Numbers on Spruce

Introduction to Spruce Phone and Fax Numbers

Phone Numbers

Spruce's phone system has all the benefits and reliability of a traditional phone system with additional features built for healthcare. Spruce protects (masks) your personal cell phone number when you call and text patients. Patient calls to and from your Spruce phone number will route to your personal cell phone, the Spruce app on your computer, or any other number you choose, all without revealing your personal details. 

Patients can call and text your Spruce phone number from their own personal phones, and documentation of inbound and outbound calls, voicemails left, and text messages sent/received will all be captured within your Spruce account. You can get a new phone number or transfer your existing phone number over to Spruce. You decide!

Fax Numbers

Spruce fax is a HIPAA-compliant eFax service that lets you both send and receive faxes. You do not need a physical fax machine to use Spruce fax, but you can send faxes to and receive faxes from physical fax machines, just as if you were using one. You can also use Spruce fax to send faxes to and receive faxes from other eFax services.

Similar to phone numbers, you can get a new fax number or transfer your existing fax number over to Spruce. 

Get a New Phone or Fax Number

Get a New Phone Number

If you do not have a current phone number you wish to transfer to Spruce, or if you prefer to get a new number, you can easily do so using Spruce on a desktop computer or the mobile apps. If you wish to test the phone system and are waiting for your number to transfer over, you can always get a temporary phone number. Our support team can remove your temporary number once you no longer need it, or you can keep it as an additional number. 

Follow these steps to get a new phone number on Spruce:

1. Go to Settings > Phone System > Phone Numbers > Add a Phone Number (web) or Add (mobile)
2. Select Get a New Number
3. Enter your preferred area code, and we will provision you a number with that area code based on what we have available. 
4. Select Done, and you'll be redirected to your new number. Learn more about managing your Spruce phone number. 

Note: If there is not a phone number available with your preferred area code or you see an error message, please contact Spruce Support. 

Get a New Fax Number

If you do not have a current fax number you wish to transfer to Spruce or if you prefer to get a new number, you can easily do so using Spruce on a desktop computer. If you wish to test the fax system and are waiting for your number to transfer over, you can always get a temporary fax number. Our support team can remove your temporary number once you no longer need it, or you can keep it as an additional number. 

Follow these steps from a desktop computer to get a new fax number on Spruce:

1. Go to Settings > Fax > Fax Numbers > Add a Fax Number
2. Select Get a Fax Number
3. Enter your preferred area code, and we will provision you a number with that area code based on what we have available. 
4. Select Next, and you'll be redirected to your new number. Learn more about Spruce fax.

Transfer an Existing Phone Number

Follow these steps from a desktop computer to submit your phone number port request:

1. Go to Settings > Phone System > Phone Numbers > Add a Phone Number.
2. Select Transfer an Existing Number.
3. Confirm that you have read "What to Expect With Number Transfers" by checking the box, then select Begin Number Transfer Request.
4. Under Step 1, select Enter Phone Numbers, then enter the number(s) you wish to transfer to Spruce. We recommend adding a label for each number (this can be updated later). Once you are finished, select Done.
5. Under Step 2, select Begin Business Phone Registration. This will take you to the phone registration form. Follow our step-by-step guide to business registration. If you have already submitted your registration, you'll see View Registration and can skip this step. 
6. Under Step 3, select Begin Number Transfer Form. Read through and fill out the form using the information provided to you by your current phone carrier. Please note: this information must match exactly what your phone carrier has on their end, or your port request will be automatically rejected. 
7. Once you have completed the form, you can download the "Spruce Porting LOA" (Letter of Authorization) for your records, then close this window. You will see an updated status for your port request in the Spruce app, and you will receive an email confirmation from porting@sprucehealth.com once your port request has been submitted.

Please note that before we can submit your port request on our end, your organization must complete and be approved for the business phone registration that is required by the major telecom carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T). This registration requirement is in place to ensure that the number transfer process will not interrupt your ability to make calls or send SMS text messages. Registration typically takes 2-3 days for approval, though rejections can lead to approval in 2-4 weeks.

It is highly recommended that you configure your number before the port completes. You will have the opportunity to do so once we have notified you that your port request was received and submitted to our carrier. Learn more about managing your Spruce phone number. 

Our porting team will keep you updated via email if there are any issues with your request or once they receive the date when the port will be completed. On the day of your port, you will receive a reminder message in the Team Spruce conversation in the app. 

Once the port is complete, we recommend placing a test call to your number to ensure it works as expected. If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact our support team. 

Here is a video overview of the number porting process:

Detailed Phone Porting Timeline 

Transfer an Existing Fax Number

To keep your current fax line, you can request to transfer or port that number to Spruce. Porting is the process of transferring a number from one service provider to another. Porting involves verifying that the person initiating the request has permission to port the number, and the process requires coordination from both the gaining and losing carriers. 

You can port a fax number that is currently being used via a physical fax machine or an eFax service. However, once you port your fax number into Spruce, it will no longer be compatible with a physical machine; you will only be able to receive and send faxes through Spruce. 

If your fax number previously functioned as a phone number and a fax number, it will lose phone capabilities (i.e., calling and texting) once it has transferred to Spruce as a fax number, and it will only function as a fax number in Spruce.

 Follow these steps from a desktop computer to submit your fax number port request:

1. Go to Settings > Fax > Fax Numbers > Add a Fax Number.
2. Select Transfer an Existing Number.
3. Confirm that you have read "What to Expect With Number Transfers" by checking the box, then select Begin Number Transfer Request.
4. Under Step 1, select Enter Fax Numbers, then enter the number(s) you wish to transfer to Spruce. We recommend adding a label for each number (this can be updated later). Once you are finished, select Done.
5. Under Step 2, select Begin Number Transfer Form. Read through and fill out the form using the information provided to you by your current phone carrier. Please note: this information must match exactly what your phone carrier has on their end, or your port request will be automatically rejected. 
6. Once you have completed the form, you can download the "Spruce Porting LOA" (Letter of Authorization) for your records, then close this window. You will see an updated status for your port request in the Spruce app, and you will receive an email confirmation within 1-4 days from porting@sprucehealth.com with an update on your port request. 

The porting process typically takes 1-4 weeks from start to finish. Our porting team will keep you updated via email if there are any issues with your request or once they receive the date when the port will be completed. On the day of your port, you will receive a reminder message in the Team Spruce conversation in the app. 

Once the port is complete, we recommend sending a test fax to your number to make sure faxes are coming in to your Spruce account. If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact our support team. 

Transfer Your Number Out of Spruce

Spruce admins can request to port phone or fax numbers out of Spruce. 

Follow these steps from a desktop computer to submit your request to port your phone number out of Spruce:

1. Go to Settings > Phone > Phone Numbers > select the number you wish to transfer out of Spruce.
2. Select the Number Settings tab, then select Transfer Number Out of Spruce at the bottom of the page.
3. Confirm that you have read the information by checking the box, then select Confirm and Continue.
4. Type or select your new service provider and confirm that you have read the information by checking the box, then select Request to Transfer Number.
5. Our team will begin working on the port and will update you with the next steps in the Team Spruce conversation in the app. 

Follow these steps from a desktop computer to submit your request to port your fax number out of Spruce:

1. Go to Settings > Fax > Fax Numbers > select the number you wish to transfer out of Spruce.
2. Select Transfer Number Out of Spruce at the bottom of the page.
3. Type or select your new service provider and confirm that you have read the information by checking the box, then select Request to Transfer Number.
4. Our team will begin working on the port and will update you with the next steps in the Team Spruce conversation in the app. 

If you'd like to cancel a port out request, please message Spruce support.

FAQs

Can I change my Spruce number after creating an account?

Yes! Just message Team Spruce, and we will be happy to remove your existing phone number from your account so that you can provision a new one (just like you did the first time). Once we remove your number, follow these steps to get a new one.

Can I have more than one number on my account?

On Spruce's Basic plan, your organization can have one number per teammate, plus one additional number. So if you have 3 teammates, you can have 4 total phone numbers, as 3+1=4. On Spruce's Communicator plan, your organization can have two numbers per teammate, plus one additional number. So if you have 3 teammates, you can have 7 total phone numbers, as 3*2+1=7.

Does Spruce support toll-free phone numbers?

Spruce supports toll-free phone numbers, both for phone calls and for SMS text messaging. Please note that the provisioning and commercial registration process for toll-free phone numbers is significantly more complex and demanding than the process for typical phone numbers. Because of this, Spruce currently only supports toll-free phone numbers for at-scale medical organizations on our Communicator plan and with significant utilization of the platform. If you would like to discuss toll-free phone numbers for your organization on Spruce, please reach out to our support team, and we'll be happy to assist you.

Can I still use my phone number during the porting process?

Yes! Up until your port is complete, you will continue to use your number with your current service provider, just as you have before. On the day of the port, calls will ring to who you have set in your numbers to ring list in phone settings. You will see call logs and voicemails show up in the Spruce app, which is how you know it has moved to Spruce.

When should I cancel service with the carrier I’m transferring away from?

As a precaution, our service provider recommends keeping your account active with your current provider for 48 hours after the port is complete if you have confirmed everything is working on Spruce. They ask that you do this in the rare event of an error occurring during the porting process. That way, you won’t lose your number.

Can I port in my personal cell phone to Spruce?

Generally, you will not port your personal cell phone to Spruce as it would render the device you port the number away from useless. In order for your Spruce number to work, you must forward it to a working phone with a cellular plan, either your personal cell or a Spruce desk phone, or use Softphones. If you want to convert your personal cell to now be a work number, you will have to get a new personal cell number from your personal cell carrier in order to have your cellular device be fully functional. If you have any questions regarding this, please reach out to our support team

Can I port my number during a trial? 

No, you must sign up for a Spruce subscription before starting the porting process. Sign up by going to Spruce Settings > Billing or clicking here. 

Can my phone number function as a fax number as well?

No, your phone number and fax number must be two separate numbers on Spruce.