How to send a fax: every way, compared.
You can send a fax from a phone or a computer, from a fax machine on a landline, from a store or library counter, by email, or with an app. They differ in what you need, how you pay and what proof you get. Here is each one plainly, including when something other than us is the better fit.
Ways to send a fax, compared.
| Way to send | What you need | How you pay | Proof it went through |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online, from your phone or computer | Internet and the document as a PDF or a photo | $2.99 for 1–5 pages on HelpMeFax, no subscription | Delivery confirmation by email, kept in your fax history |
| A fax machine and a landline | A fax machine plugged into an analog phone line | The machine, plus the phone line every month | The machine’s transmission report |
| A shipping or office-supply store | A trip to a store that offers fax, such as FedEx Office or The UPS Store | Per page at the counter; prices vary by store, so ask first | Ask for the confirmation page |
| A public library | A library that offers fax; some do, so call ahead | A fee set by the library, where offered | Ask for the confirmation page |
| Email-to-fax | An account with a provider that turns emails into faxes | Often a monthly plan | Varies by provider |
| A fax app | An app from the App Store or Google Play | Often a subscription or prepaid credits | Varies by app |
Which one fits you.
Online, from your phone or computer
Best for: One fax, or the occasional one, from home, work or the road.
Watch out: You need the document in digital form. A phone camera is enough.
A fax machine and a landline
Best for: Offices that already have both and fax every day.
Watch out: Many internet (VoIP) and wireless home phone lines do not carry fax reliably.
A shipping or office-supply store
Best for: When you are out with paper and no way to scan it.
Watch out: Your document goes through someone else’s machine, during their opening hours.
A public library
Best for: An occasional fax near home.
Watch out: Availability and hours vary from branch to branch.
Email-to-fax
Best for: People who send faxes from their email all day.
Watch out: The document sits in your email. HelpMeFax deliberately does not do email-to-fax for that reason.
A fax app
Best for: Frequent faxing from a phone.
Watch out: Check the price before you start. HelpMeFax works in your phone’s browser, with no app.
On an internet or wireless home phone line? See why those lines often can’t carry a fax, and how to send one anyway.
How to send a fax online.
The same four steps from a phone or a computer. Device by device: iPhone, Android, computer.
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1
Get the document ready
Save it as a PDF, or take a clear photo of each page. PDF, JPG, PNG and GIF files up to 25 MB work, and several files become one fax.
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2
Enter the fax number
Type the recipient’s fax number, including the area code. US and Canadian numbers, toll-free included, are one domestic price.
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3
Check the price and pay
The page count and price are shown before you pay: $2.99 for 1–5 pages, no subscription. Add an optional cover page if you want one.
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4
Keep the confirmation
You get a delivery confirmation by email when the receiving fax machine accepts it. Busy lines are retried automatically.
Looking for somewhere nearby to fax?
Some shipping and office-supply stores, such as FedEx Office and The UPS Store, and some public libraries send faxes for a fee. Call ahead: not every location offers it, and prices are set store by store. If you can take a photo of the pages with your phone, you can send the fax from where you are instead, for $2.99 for 1–5 pages.
Need to receive one, too?
To receive faxes you need a fax number. A HelpMeFax number is $11.99 a month plus 5¢ per page received, and each fax arrives as a PDF in your inbox with an email alert. Receiving faxes online, toll-free numbers, and bringing the number you have.
Guides for what people fax most.
Sending a fax.
Send your fax from where you are.
No machine, no phone line, no trip to the store. $2.99 for 1–5 pages, no subscription.