The Phone and SMS add-on gives your practice a US phone number for two-way texting. Clients can text you back, and their replies show up in your Carepatron Inbox. US carriers require your business to be verified and registered before any number can send texts. Approval usually takes a few days.
This article is for workspace admins at practices in the United States on a paid plan. If you don't see Settings > Phone, contact your workspace admin.
Topics covered:
Overview
Setup has three stages, covered in the five steps below. You do the first and the last, and the carriers do the one in between:
You verify your business once for the whole workspace.
The carriers register your business for texting. Carepatron files this for you.
You get a number, connect it to an inbox, and start texting.
You do the first box and the last two; a rejection sends you back to fix and resubmit your details.
Phone and SMS is a flat monthly or yearly fee for your whole team, not per seat. You aren't charged until the carriers have registered your business.
Before you start
You need a workspace in the United States, a paid plan, access to all workspace settings, and your business's US registration details.
You need | Details |
A workspace in the US | Phone and SMS is only available to workspaces in the United States. |
A paid plan | Free plans and trials see an upgrade prompt instead of setup. |
Workspace settings access | Your role needs the "Everything" level for workspace settings to see Settings > Phone. |
Business details | Legal business name, entity type, Employer Identification Number (EIN), industry, website and business address. |
An authorized representative | Name, email, phone, job position and business title of someone who can act for the business. |
Important: Enter the legal name and EIN exactly as they appear on the business's IRS records, because the carriers check them.
Step 1: Open Phone settings
Go to Settings > Phone (described as "Phone number and SMS setup" in the menu), or open app.carepatron.com/Settings/Phone/Sms directly. The page has two cards side by side.
Number details says "Text clients and hear back faster" and shows the Phone and SMS price for your team. The Get a number button stays disabled until setup is complete.
Requirements lists Business verification, which you complete once for the whole workspace.
Phone and SMS costs $7.50 a month, or $72 a year on a yearly plan, for your whole team. Prices are in US dollars before tax. If your plan bills in another currency, the Number details card shows your amount.
On a free plan or a trial, the page shows Text your clients and hear back faster with an Upgrade button instead. Upgrade your plan to unlock Phone and SMS.
Step 2: Verify your business
You verify your business once, and it covers every number in the workspace.
On the Requirements card, click Business verification. Its status reads "Verify your business".
Enter your business details: legal business name, entity type, Employer Identification Number (EIN), industry, website and address.
Under Authorized representative, enter the first name, last name, email, phone, job position and business title of someone authorized to act for the business.
Click Submit.
The status changes to In review, and the panel says "Your verification is in review with the carriers. This usually takes a few days." You can close the panel and come back later. Nothing else needs doing until the review finishes.
Once the carriers approve it, the status reads Verified.
Note: The panel is read-only while your details are in review. Once they're Verified they're locked, and to change them after that, contact support.
Step 3: The carriers register your business for texting
There's nothing to do in this step. As soon as your business is verified, Carepatron registers your messaging with the carriers for you.
In review (the carriers check your details) → Verified (Carepatron registers your messaging) → Registered (Get a number turns on).
If your business verification is rejected, go to If your business verification isn't approved.
While this happens:
The Business verification row reads Verified.
The Number details card says "We're finishing your texting setup with the carriers" and "We'll let you know when you can get a number."
Get a number stays disabled.
When registration is complete, you'll get an in-app notification and an email, and Get a number turns on.
Step 4: Get a number
Each workspace gets one US local number that sends and receives SMS.
On the Number details card, click Get a number. You can also use the Get a number button in the approval email or notification.
Under Choose number, browse the available numbers. To narrow the list, type a city or area code in Search by city or area code.
Select a number, then click Next to go to Review.
Optionally, give the number a name, such as "Front desk".
Click Get this number.
The Number details card then shows the number, its name and its capabilities (SMS). A new number isn't connected to an inbox yet, so the card says "This number isn't connected to an inbox" and shows Edit. Until you connect it in Step 5, messages sent to the number have nowhere to arrive.
Step 5: Connect your number to an inbox
Your number sends and receives texts through one inbox. Connect it on the same card where you got the number.
On the Number details card, click Edit.
Open the Inbox dropdown, which starts at "Not connected", and choose the inbox your team works from. The list shows the inboxes you're a member of.
Click Save.
The card then shows the inbox with View settings, and client replies land in that inbox.
Note: You connect a number here once: after that, Edit no longer shows. To move the number later, click View settings, click Remove next to the number, then connect it to a different inbox.
If you aren't in an inbox yet, the card says "Create an inbox to connect this number" instead of showing Edit. Click Go to Inbox, create an inbox, then connect the number here or from the new inbox's settings.
From the Inbox instead: open the inbox's Inbox settings, click Add channel under Connected channels, then on the SMS card click the button with your number (for example Connect (503) 555-0117). The number then appears under Connected channels. If it's already in another inbox, the SMS card says "Already in" and that inbox's name, and can't be clicked.
If the number isn't ready yet, the SMS card shows Set up SMS or Continue SMS setup and takes you back to Phone settings.
Billing
The Phone and SMS add-on starts billing automatically on the day the carriers register your business. There's no separate purchase step.
Price: $7.50 a month, or $72 a year on a yearly plan, in US dollars before tax. It's one flat fee for the whole team, not per seat, billed to match your plan. If your plan bills in another currency, Phone settings shows your amount.
Before approval: nothing is charged while your business verification and carrier registration are in review.
On approval: the notification says "Your Phone add-on starts billing now", and the email says "Your Phone add-on starts billing today for your team." Phone and SMS then appears on your subscription summary in Billing.
Texting needs the add-on: if a text can't send because the add-on isn't active, you'll see "Texting needs the Phone and SMS add-on. It starts once your business verification and carrier registration are approved. If they already are, check your payment method in Billing."
Per-message SMS usage over your allowance is billed separately, every month, even on a yearly plan.
Notifications and emails
Every workspace admin gets an in-app notification and an email at two points: when your business is registered for texting, and when your business verification fails. Staff members don't get them.
When | Email subject | What it says | Button |
The carriers register your business | Your business is registered for texting | The carriers have registered your business for texting. Get a number to start sending text messages. Your Phone add-on starts billing today. | Get a number |
Business verification fails | Your business verification was unsuccessful | Carriers weren't able to verify your business for sending text messages, followed by the reasons. Update the details and resubmit to continue setup. | Review verification |
At registration, the in-app notification reads "Your texting setup is complete. Get a number to start sending text messages. Your Phone add-on starts billing now."
There's no email when you submit your details or when verification succeeds. Phone settings shows those stages.
If your business verification isn't approved
If it's rejected, you'll get an email and a notification. Fix the details and resubmit from the same panel.
Open Settings > Phone. The Business verification row reads Resubmit in red.
Click Business verification. The carriers' reasons are listed at the top of the panel. If you're not sure what to change, click Contact us in the same alert.
Correct the details they name.
Click Resubmit. The status goes back to In review.
If your details are rejected later in setup: you'll see the carriers' reasons and Resubmit in the same panel. Correct the details and resubmit. Once they're approved, click Send again under Finish texting setup.
If carrier registration is rejected: there's no email. Carepatron files the registration, so our team fixes and refiles it for you.
FAQ
Can I get a number outside the US?
Not yet. Phone and SMS offers US local numbers only, to workspaces in the United States.
How many numbers can I have?
One per workspace.
Does the number support calls or picture messages?
No. Phone numbers send and receive SMS text messages only.
Who sees the approval and rejection emails?
Every workspace admin.
Our team is here to help with any questions or concerns. Just open a conversation through the Help channel in your workspace.