Ah, the fax machines, those bulky, obviously noisy dinosaurs of the ’80s office era, alongside floppy disks and dial-up internet ones. However, guess what? Faxing is still alive! It has simply gone digital.

Forget paper jams, screeching dial tones, or battling with the recalcitrant toner cartridges. Welcome to a world where faxing is done through email, almost like placing an order for tacos with a tap; why not send a fax without leaving your inbox?

In this guide, we are going to show you how to Send and Receive a Fax by Email account(with perhaps a cup of coffee nearby). It’s the simplest, the quickest, and surprisingly satisfying thing. Are you pumped to graduate your fax game? Let’s dive in!

🔑Key Highlights
  • You can send and receive faxes via email using online fax services, eliminating the need for traditional fax machines.
  • Online fax services convert email attachments into fax format, allowing you to send faxes via email and receive them as email attachments
  • It is cost-effective, secure, environmentally friendly, and allows for easy document management and fast communication.
  • Use correct recipient details, supported file formats, secure encryption for sensitive documents, and verify delivery confirmations.

What is Fax by Email?

What is Fax by Email

You can send and Receive a Fax by Email with an email-to-fax service using your email account, similar to fax over VoIP services. This service translates email attachments into fax format and sends them to a fax machine. It’s a practical method of handling faxes without requiring a fax machine.

This service is simple to use. You create an email, add the file you wish to fax, and then send it to the address the provider specifies. The fax is delivered to the receiver exactly like it would be from a conventional fax machine.

Likewise, Sending a fax to someone is quite simple. When fax messages arrive, they are transformed into email attachments, and the provider gives you a virtual fax number. Your process will be streamlined since you can view and control these faxes straight from your email.

Comparison between top online fax services

The below table will provide you with clarity on which fax solution is right for your business.

Online Fax Service Features Pricing Pros Cons
eFax Mobile app, cloud storage integration Starts at $18.99/month Easy to use, reliable, large file support Expensive, limited pages in the basic plan
HelloFax Google Drive integration, electronic signatures Free plan available, paid starts at $9.99/month Great for Google Workspace users, a sleek interface Limited free faxing, no mobile app
MyFax International faxing, email-to-fax Starts at $10/month User-friendly, supports multiple email addresses Higher cost for additional pages
FaxPlus Secure encryption, mobile-friendly Free for limited use, paid from $5.99/month Affordable, excellent security features Limited pages on the free plan
MetroFax Mobile app, bulk faxing support Starts at $9.95/month Cost-effective, good mobile app No free tier, basic design
SRFax HIPAA-compliant, secure transmission Starts at $7.95/month Ideal for healthcare, affordable plans Basic user interface
Biscom 123 Email-to-fax, secure file sharing Starts at $7.99/month Simple setup, strong security Limited advanced features
CocoFax Cross-platform support, encrypted faxes Free trial, paid from $4.99/month Easy setup, integrates with multiple platforms Limited customer support
RingCentral Fax Business-friendly, integrates with VoIP Starts at $17.99/month Great for businesses, reliable service Higher pricing for small users
Nextiva vFax Cloud storage, flexible plans Starts at $7.95/month Good customer support, scalable plans No mobile app, outdated interface

Using third-party apps to send Faxes by Email

While traditional fax machines are on their way out, then modern one-click-on-send third-party apps are revolutionizing the art of sending a fax through your email, thus saving you time, money, and effort.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re working in an office or not. Here is all you need to know about email faxing and many third-party apps to do it.

Third-party fax applications are software platforms that allow you to send and receive faxes online without a physical fax machine. Third-party fax applications act as a middleman in conversions from your emails and attachments into a fax delivered to an ordinary fax machine or other online fax services.

1. Sending a Fax Using FaxZero

Online fax provider FaxZero allows users to send five free faxes daily, each limited to three pages. For $1.99 per fax, users can upgrade to send additional pages and remove advertisements. For infrequent users, it offers an easy-to-use method of sending faxes without needing a real machine.

Here are the steps to follow to send the fax using fax zero:

  1. Go to the website for FaxZero.
  1. Enter the recipient’s email information as well as yours.
  1. Enclosed is the document for faxing.
  1. Write a note on the cover page.
  1. Finish the CAPTCHA task.
  1. Click “Send Free Fax Now“.
  1. Look for a confirmation link in your box.
  1. The delivery of your fax will take a few minutes.

2. Sending a Fax Using Fax Plus

Fax Plus is a flexible online fax solution with capabilities such as electronic signatures, fax scheduling, & cloud storage integration. Up to 10 free pages are offered monthly; extra pages and advanced capabilities are available with premium plans, starting at $4.99 monthly.

This service is perfect for infrequent and frequent customers and guarantees secure, effective faxing.

Here are the steps to send a fax using Fax Plus :

  1. First, register and then log into your Fax Plus account to fax via Fax Plus.
  1. Upload the file that needs to be faxed.
  1. Type in the recipient’s fax number and any other information.
  1. To send your fax effectively and securely, click “Send.”

How to Send a Fax by Email

Choose an Online Fax Service

To fax through email, the first step is to find a trustworthy online fax service. Some common names are eFax, MyFax, and RingCentral Fax. They act as a mediator, converting your email into a fax that can be received by a traditional fax machine.

When selecting an online fax service, make sure to consider its pricing choices, ease of use, security features, and the number of faxes you plan to send. Many fax services will let you test out their features for a limited time for free so you can explore all the features before you commit to their subscription.

Create an Account

Once you’ve settled on an online fax service, you will need to create an account. This usually involves providing your email address, creating a password, and selecting a payment plan if required.

Some services may require additional information, such as your name, company information, or preferred fax number after registration. You may also need to verify your email after registration in order to get your account fully activated. With an account, you can manage your faxes, view sent and received documents, and adjust settings whenever you want.

Compose Your Email

Once you have successfully set up your account, it is time to log into your email application and create a new email. With the fax number of the recipient in the “To” space, type that digit followed by the fax service’s domain (say, [email protected]).

This basically brings your email along this fax gateway or online fax service. Compose your cover letter or message in the body of your email, should you need it. The “subject” line is optional; however, it can be written to indicate the contents of the fax. Do include all details necessary to avoid confusion on the part of the recipient.

Attach Your Document

After completing your fax, attach the document by clicking on the Attachment button in your email. Most online fax services support common file formats such as PDF, DOC, JPG, and PNG.

Confirm that the attachment is the correct document and that it is clear and legibly printed. In the case of multi-page documents, ensure that the pages are correctly ordered. Some services allow multiple file attachments to be sent as one fax.

Send the Fax

Once you have written your email and attached your document, review everything to verify it is correct. Ensure the recipient’s fax number is correct and that all attachments are included. Click Send when you’re ready.

The online fax service will convert your email and attachment into a fax format and send it to the recipient’s fax machine. You will typically receive a confirming email stating if the fax was sent successfully or if it encountered some problem. If there is an error, check the fax number and document format again before you resend.

Find Out: Features Of Dialaxy That Will Set Your Small Business Apart

How to Receive a Fax by Email

Set Up Your Online Fax Service

The very first step to receiving faxes via email is to set up along online fax service. Choose a provider that offers incoming fax abilities, such as eFax, RingCentral, or MyFax.

After setting up an account, you will get your unique fax number, most likely with the option to choose either a local or toll-free number. This number will route incoming faxes straight to your email inbox. Ensure you specify your email settings within the fax service dashboard to provide delivery to the correct email address.

Share Your Fax Number

Once your online fax service is established, disclose your assigned fax number to everyone you oriental needs to send you a fax. Indicate it on your business cards, email signatures, or any company documents.

As this number operates just like a conventional fax number, senders can send faxes from regular fax machines or other online services. While you disclose this number, you should double-check that it is correct to avoid missing any faxes.

Check Your Email for Incoming Faxes

When someone wants to send you a fax, the online fax service will receive it, convert the fax to the most suitable format (usually PDF), and deliver it by email attachment to your inbox. Check your inbox regularly for messages from the fax service provider.

These emails typically include the sender’s fax number, the date and time when it was received, and sometimes a brief message or cover note. Some services also allow you to receive notifications on your phone or at other email addresses for convenience.

Download and View the Fax

In order to see an incoming fax, open the email from your fax service provider and download the attached document, this would usually be either a PDF or TIFF format, which you would need a common document viewer such as Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview on Mac for viewing.

Read the fax carefully to assess its clarity and completeness. If the fax is unclear and/or if there are pages missing, ask the sender for a resend. Save it on your computer or in the cloud for your records.

Benefits of Sending and Receiving Faxes by Email

The benefits of sending and receiving faxes via email are numerous when compared to traditional fax machines, likely to be more efficient, cost-effective, and economical for individuals or companies.

Benefits of Sending and Receiving Faxes by Email

1. Convenience and Accessibility

With email faxing, you can send and receive faxes from anywhere with internet access. Whether you’re in the office, at home, or on the move, all you need is a device such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer.

This means you do not have to be physically present beside a fax machine, making it very useful in cases of remote work or business travel.

2. Cost Effective

Online fax services greatly reduce the costs associated with traditional faxing in that they eliminate the need to invest in fax machines, phone lines, paper, ink, and maintenance.

Many providers have relatively cheap plans based on usage, and a few provide fax services for free, subject to limitations. The advantages will help small businesses in finding ways to reduce their operational costs.

3. Improved Security

Email faxing provides better security options than askew traditional fax machines that easily leave sensitive documents unattended.

Most of the online fax services opt for encrypted safeguarding of documents transmitting and the documents sent go into a secure inbox in the user’s email, adding a little bit of extra level of security to your documents. Some services will also enable password protection and secured cloud storing options.

Also read: 10 Best AI Outreach Tools for Emails and Calls in 2025

4. Environmentally Safe

Since the service is paperless, it greatly determines the reduction of paper waste as an end product and minimizes ink and toner consumption. This moves a step towards environmental sustainability, which sets businesses on the greener beacon.

The archive is purely enabled through digital storage, shedding away the need for filing cabinets and further reducing clutter in the office.

5. Easy Document Management

Faxes received via email are now in easily manageable digital formats, which allow for easy searching, organization, and storage.

You can also easily save, forward, or print these documents without the hassle of scanning paper faxes. This eases workflow, increases document access, and minimizes the risk of losing important files.

6. Fast Communication

Email faxing is both quick and smooth. You don’t have to wait for papers to be loaded, dial up the fax number, or deal with busy signals.

Documents go through instantly, and confirmations are sent to your email once the faxing is done. This eventually leads to the speediest way of doing business and thus improves productivity.

Top Online Fax Services to Consider

Sending Faxes by email is convenient, but ensure that your deliveries happen smoothly and securely by following best practices. Below are crucial tips for successful email faxing:

1. Double-check the Recipient’s Fax Number

It is generally best to confirm that you have the correct fax number for the recipient before sending it. Assuming a wrong digit could easily result in the fax being sent to an unintended party or prohibiting the delivery.

The correct format required by your online fax service should be followed, frequently via fax number followed by a domain (e.g., [email protected]).

2. Use Supported File Formats

Ensure that the document you are sending is in a format recognized by your fax service, such as PDF, DOC, JPG, or TIFF. PDF has always been the standard format since it retains the layout of documents on different machines. When you fax multiple pages, always send them as one document to avoid confusion.

3. Keeping a Clean Professionalism

For faxes that convey a crucial or sensitive matter, ensure that the document is clean, well-formatted, and free from mistakes.

When speaking of a papery fax with handwritten documents or images, ensure it is high resolution for decipherability. Use a cover page when deemed necessary to provide context, such as the recipient’s name, subject, and further instructions if needed.

4. Check Before Sending

Just before hitting “send,” check the entirety of the fax. Ensure the completeness of the document, check attachments, and confirm that you have a correct and professional subject line and message (if included).

This restores peace of mind such that there won’t be the need to resend due to some mistakes that were passed over.

5. Most Secure Method to Protect Information

When faxing any confidential or personal documents, it’s best to do so through a fax service that offers end-to-end encryption. If it could possibly work harder to transmit such information less securely via the email body instead of the fax attachment, such should be avoided.

Password-protect such highly sensitive faxes, then only share the password separately with the intended recipient.

6. Delivery Confirmation

Most online fax services send delivery confirmations by email. Check this confirmation to verify that the fax was sent correctly.

If you do not receive confirmation or see an error message, follow the troubleshooting steps provided by the service provider or contact the recipient to ensure the receipt.

Conclusion

Faxing through email is another solution virtually in cyberspace today, which offers a seamless blend of convenience, efficiency, and security. No longer does one have to be physically present next to a traditional fax machine in order to send or receive faxes; all one requires is either a computer or a smartphone.

Sometimes, especially during business contracts, receiving an email containing confidential information is in itself an advantage of online fax services, all rendered easily using user-friendly settings, cost-effective plans, and high security.

By selecting the right online fax service, maintaining best practices, and implementing modern apps, there’s no reason your fax communications cannot be fast, reliable, and environmentally friendly. The faxing email move will usher you into a very well-organized and accessible future of document transmission.

FAQs

How Can I Send Faxes Online Without a Fax Machine?

You can send faxes online using an online fax service. Simply upload your fax documents, enter the recipient’s fax number, and send the fax directly from your email—no traditional faxing or fax machine is needed.

Is It Possible to Send and Receive Faxes via Email?

Yes, you can easily send and receive faxes via email using an online fax solution. This allows you to manage your fax messages from any device with internet access.

What Are the Benefits of Sending Faxes Online Compared to Traditional Faxing?

Sending faxes online offers convenience, cost savings, and faster fax transmission. Unlike traditional faxing, you don’t need a dedicated phone line or bulky equipment.

Can I Use Electronic Signatures When Faxing Documents via Email?

Yes, many fax solutions support electronic signatures, allowing you to sign fax documents digitally before sending your fax.

How Do I Receive Faxes Online Through My Email?

To receive faxes online, sign up for an online fax service. You’ll get a dedicated fax number (often a toll-free fax number), and incoming faxes will be delivered as email attachments.

Do I Need a Special Fax Number to Send and Receive Faxes Online?

No, but most online fax solutions provide a virtual or toll-free fax number to simplify sending faxes and receiving faxes online efficiently.

Is Sending a Fax via Email Secure?

Yes, fax via email is secure, especially when using reputable services that encrypt fax transmission to protect sensitive information.

Can I Send the Fax to Multiple Recipients at Once?

Yes, many online fax services allow you to send the fax to multiple recipients simultaneously, making bulk fax transmission quick and easy.

Prasanta Raut

Prasanta, founder and CEO of Dialaxy, is redefining SaaS with creativity and dedication. Focused on simplifying sales and support, he drives innovation to deliver exceptional value and shape a new era of business excellence.

Prasanta, founder and CEO of Dialaxy, is redefining SaaS with creativity and dedication. Focused on simplifying sales and support, he drives innovation to deliver exceptional value and shape a new era of business excellence.