Does your business need a fax number? Do you need a fax number for personal reasons? Today, I’m going to show you how to get any type of fax number for yourself or your business, including a toll-free, local, international, or online fax number.
You Already Have a Fax Number
Faxes are sent over telephone lines. If you have a landline telephone number, then you also have a fax number. Simply buy a fax machine and plug that machine into one of your telephone jacks.
Test your fax number using a free online fax service trial or ask someone to send you a fax. Then, watch as the fax magically appears on your machine.
Some telephone companies charge an extra fee for faxing, while others don’t care. If you plan on sending a large number of faxes, however, then it’s best to pay for an additional number.
How to Get a Local Fax Number
If your home or business already has a local telephone number, then adding a fax number onto your account should be relatively straightforward. Simply call your telephone provider and ask for an additional fax number or look at their fax plans online.
This method only matters, of course, if you don’t want to use your existing phone number as your fax number. If you run a business or plan on sending and receiving a lot of faxes per day, then paying for an additional fax number is a good idea.
Fax lines will add a few dollars per month onto your monthly phone bill, but they’re generally not too expensive – especially if you already have phone, TV, and internet packages with that company. The more you bundle, the more you save, and some local telephone companies may even let you have an additional fax line free of charge.
Sometimes, your phone company won’t even need to install an additional phone line in your house. Instead, the company will be able to create a “dual ring” system where two phone numbers exist on the same line. This is an ideal solution that automatically directs incoming calls from one number to your fax machine and other calls to your phone.
However, some local calling companies no longer offer fax plans, which means you’ll have to rely on other methods listed below, like computer faxing.
How to Get a Toll-Free Fax number
Toll-free fax numbers are useful for a number of different types of businesses. Businesses that frequently send and receive faxes from international locations, for example, will particularly benefit from toll-free fax numbers.
Getting a toll-free fax number is slightly more complicated than getting a local fax number. To get a toll-free fax number, there are two options:
- Pay your local phone provider for a toll-free fax number
- Use a toll-free forwarding number that directs faxes to your local fax number
The first option is what most people use. Call your local phone provider and ask to setup a toll-free fax number. In this case, your toll-free number will complement your local fax number.
You can also get a toll-free fax number online – something that is becoming more and more popular. To learn more about getting a toll-free fax number, read the “How to Get an Online Fax Number” section below.
How to Get an International Fax Number
An international fax number is the same as a toll-free number. If you’re doing business with international clients, then you’ll want to get a toll-free number as explained in the above section.
However, when telling clients your international fax number, you’ll want to use your proper country code. Sending a fax to an international number will require you to dial out of your current country and into the receiving country.
Let’s say you want to send a fax to China from the United States. You’ll need to add the international calling code, which is 011, to the start of your number. This shows that you’re trying to connect to an international number.
Next, you need to add the country code for China, which is “86”. You would type the following number into your fax machine:
011 86 [123-456-7890]
123-4567 is the local fax number you’re trying to dial. When giving a fax number to international clients, make sure you know your own unique country code. For fax numbers within the United States and Canada, that country code is simply ‘1’. Overseas clients would need to dial their own country’s unique exit code along with the number ‘1’ and then your fax number.
How to Get an Online Fax Number
If you already have a fax number and want to switch to email faxing, then you’ll be happy to note that most providers let you keep your number during the switch.
However, if you’re signing up for an online fax service with no number, then that’s okay too. In fact, the majority of online fax providers prefer setting up online faxing on a new number.
Online faxing is more popular today than ever before. It comes with a bunch of valuable benefits, including:
- The ability to send, receive, and edit faxes on-the-go from any internet-connected device
- Convert any email attachment into a fax
- Fax any local or international fax number
- Save money on paper and the costs of printing out faxes
- Avoid paper jams and other physical fax problems
- Save money with subscription rates as low as $12 per month
Due to all of these benefits, businesses and individuals around the world want to know how to get an online fax number. Here’s a simple step by step guide:
Step 1) Research online fax providers
Online fax service providers vary considerably in terms of service, pricing, and quality. We prefer Ringcentral Fax for their low cost, high fax volume, and good customer service. If your still undecided, I would compare different providers is to look at their monthly pricing costs as well as any additional features they might offer. Some fax service providers, for example, have mobile apps that make faxing as easy as possible, while others offer discounted international rates. Consider how you’re going to use your virtual fax account and choose the provider that aligns with your needs.
Step 2) Compare sign-up incentives
If you’re having trouble picking an online fax provider, then compare providers based on their sign-up incentives. Sign-up incentives may include hundreds of free faxes, a month or two of free subscriptions, and no-limit international faxing for the first six months.
Ultimately, all online fax services let you send faxes to and from fax numbers. With that in mind, you should pick the fax service provider that offers the best blend of pricing, quality, and sign-up bonuses.
If you plan on sending fewer than one fax per day, then you might be able to find online fax providers that let you do that without ever signing up for an account. Other providers may offer a free trial that includes one or two free faxes per day. This is an excellent way to save money on your account. However, it won’t give you a fax number – it will only let you send faxes to a fax number.
Step 3) Sign up!
Once you’ve chosen your provider, you’ll need to fill out basic contact and payment information online. Once you’ve done that and activated your account, you will be able to share your online fax number with the world.
Step 4) Test your number
Want to make sure your online fax number is working before you start printing it on hundreds of business cards? Go to one of the free online fax websites you found in steps one and two and send a test fax to yourself. Or, ask a friend to send over a test fax.
That’s it! Out of all the methods listed here, getting an online fax number tends to be the easiest. You don’t even have to leave your office chair in order to do it. Electronic fax providers also prefer it if you sign up without a previous number, as there’s no transfer required. They might even waive the setup fees in this situation.
Whether you already have a fax number or you’re creating one for the first time, online faxing remains the easiest and preferred way to fax in this day and age.
Conclusion – The Best Ways to Get a Fax Number
- If you plan on sending a few faxes to local businesses and individuals, then you can use the current landline phone you have at home or at work
- If you plan on sending more than 1-2 faxes per day, then you’ll likely want to get a dedicated fax line from an online provider or your local telephone service provider
- Whether you’re looking for a local fax number or a toll-free international fax number, online service providers tend to offer the best blend of affordability, convenience, and quality
- Online fax providers like Ringcentral Fax give you a fax number that looks and functions exactly the same as the fax number you receive from a local telephone provider
- When giving your fax number – or any telephone number – to people outside your country, be sure to provide your country code, which is ‘1’ for the United States and Canada and is dialed before your fax number