Gone are the days of fax machines. You can now send and receive faxes over the Internet. It’s an easy way to send confidential and important documents through a fast and secure channel. It’s especially handy for sending documents to government agencies and slow-growing businesses.
In this article, we’ll show how to send and receive faxes over the Internet using a Web-based service.
Why Faxing Over the Internet Is Worth It
Email and other forms of electronic communication have largely replaced faxing, but the method is still not outdated — and for good reason.
We live in a world where data breaches and cyber threats seem to lurk around every corner. So when you need to send legally binding documents with a high degree of security, tax collection online remains the most reliable and safe option.
Or maybe you may need to sign an agreement or contract quickly, and faxing again is the most efficient option to send a form and fill it out and get it back to you in a short amount of time.
Here are some other reasons why sending faxes over the Internet is worth the effort, even in 2022.
Save time and money
Internet Faxing lets you send and receive documents from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to a device with a strong Internet connection.
In terms of money, you don’t have to buy an actual fax machine that typically costs more than $300, and you’ll also save on toner, paper, and storage space to store documents.
Easy organization and record keeping
Faxing over the Internet has another key advantage: easy storage and organization.
With digital storage of faxes sent over the Internet, you don’t have to worry about losing important paperwork, damaging high-priority files, or not receiving faxes at all—everything is taken care of.
how? Internet Fax enables you to save sent and received faxes online. So if you need a specific document or fax, you can just look it up on your computer or phone instead of sifting through endless piles of paper.
What’s more, many online fax services allow you to sort all documents by date, sender/recipient, or even specific keywords, which further eliminates the headache.
Sign documents electronically
Online fax services also allow you to sign documents electronically. You don’t have to manually print and fill out anything, and you can sign off on important materials quickly.
Open the attachment to the fax you received or click the file to sign the file, add an electronic signature, and then proceed to fax the file to the intended recipient. Some online fax services allow you to sign or sign PDFs and attach documents instantly on your mobile device.
Environmental friendly
Faxing over the Internet makes it easier than ever for businesses to go green. Your office can go paperless, and you and your employees will almost never need to print hard copies anymore. Not only does this save you a lot of physical storage space, but you can also do your part to reduce the stress on our environment.
HIPAA and other forms of compliance
Many businesses have invested in cloud storage and internet faxing to meet established security and privacy standards, such as HIPAA compliance in healthcare.
Sending a fax over the Internet is an encryption process. In other words, your fax and document control activities automatically add an extra layer of security to reduce hackers’ access to them.
and some online fax providers Specializing in solutions for highly regulated industries and use cases. Healthcare and legal professionals need to be aware of HIPAA, GDPR and other secure fax regulations.
Investment required for faxing over the Internet
There are several reasons why Internet faxing is cheaper than traditional faxing.
For starters, you pay a flat monthly fee instead of paying as you go and having to spend money on materials like paper and toner. In addition to the monthly fee, you also have to pay for WiFi, but you probably already do.
Signing up for an online fax service costs money, but it depends on the company and plan you choose. Generally, prices start at around $4.95 for 400-500 pages, and $400 for pages over 20,000. Additional pages over the allowed amount may be $0.03 to $0.10 per page, but may be higher if you choose a toll-free number instead of a local number for faxing.
Some services also offer free plans for very basic faxing needs (think no more than 10 pages per month). Be sure to read the fine print, as some services only offer free incoming faxes and outgoing fax charges.
Although rare, some companies bill by the minute rather than by the page, with the average fax taking less than 40 seconds per page.
4 steps to fax over the Internet
Are you ready to learn how to fax over the Internet?
Below we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide to help you understand how Internet Faxing works. let’s see.
#1 — Create an account with an online fax service
Before you can start successfully sending and receiving over the Internet, you must sign up for an online fax service such as Nextiva or Ooma.
Registration should take no more than two minutes and typically requires entering your name, business name, address, email, phone number and credit card information.
If you are confused about which service is worth your money, you can check Our pick of the best online fax services. We reviewed some of the best options on the market that offer reliable service and affordable plans.
#2 — Choose a business number for faxing
After creating an account, you must choose your fax number.
In most cases, you can choose your area code and choose from several available fax numbers. But online fax companies can also assign you a toll-free or regular fax number. Give this number to anyone who wants to fax you.
#3 — Attaching files
Once you have an online fax number, you can send faxes over the Internet in two ways:
- Via the online fax service’s dashboard — In your dashboard, follow the prompts to enter the recipient’s fax number. Then, attach the document, PDF or image you want to fax.
- Use your standard email service – In your email account, attach your document to a new email. Enter the recipient’s fax number in the To: field, followed by the name of the service you are using.For example, it would be [fax number]@nextivafax.com for Nextiva fax users.
Once complete, your fax message will be converted into a format readable by the fax machine on the receiving end of the message.
#4 — The recipient receives the fax document
Give it a few minutes after you send your fax, and the recipient will receive what you sent. If the recipient also uses an online fax service, they will receive an email or notification on their smartphone about incoming faxes.
Next step
If you want to make your office paperless and efficient, internet faxing is a no-brainer.
All documents you send and receive are automatically stored in the cloud. Plus, anyone on your team with the correct login information can access it anytime, anywhere.
However, if your documents are sensitive and have a higher priority, make sure your team follows diligent data security practices to protect your documents.
You may also consider using best file management software and The best cloud storage services Simplify and organize your documents and materials. These services not only keep files safe from prying eyes, but also ensure access anytime, anywhere.
