How to fax over the internet: Online fax makes it easy

Although the fax machine isn’t as ubiquitous as it once was, global organizations and select industries still rely on faxing as an important form of communication. Only now, many of us fax over the internet instead. 

Traditional faxing transmits scanned printed materials over phone lines using audio-frequency tones, with the receiving line able to interpret those tones to reconstruct the image as a paper copy. Today, many people who don’t have access to a fax machine but need to send, say, a contract with a physical signature, can turn to an online fax service to do so.

But how exactly do you use it, and what should you look for in an online fax provider? Read on to find out.

Also known as internet fax or e-fax, online fax allows you to send documents to a traditional fax machine using a virtual fax number. Many business phone providers that use voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology, like Zoom Phone, have online fax as an integrated feature. Other online fax providers include free or paid fax apps like eFax, Dropbox Fax, FaxZero, and more.    

While this process might differ based on the online fax service you’re using, here are the basic steps to sending a fax over the internet:

1. Input the fax number of the recipient. Many providers allow you to send a fax to multiple recipients at once.
2. Attach the files you want to send just like you would upload an email attachment. 
3. Press send to send your fax!
4. (Optional) Check the status of your fax to make sure it was successfully transmitted.

If you’re on the fence about giving up your physical fax machine, here are some of the benefits you can reap by switching to online fax.

• No specialized hardware required: You don’t need a dedicated fax machine or landline to fax online. All you need is a computer and internet connection, which you probably already have, making it an easy and convenient option. It makes sense for offices that have already transitioned away from on-premises phone equipment to a cloud VoIP phone system, or for individuals who don’t send enough faxes to warrant a standalone machine.
• Works with physical fax machines: Sending a fax over the internet bridges the gap between digital and analog technology. You can still send and receive faxes from a fax machine that’s several decades old.
• Paperless: When you get faxes, they will be received as digital attachments that you can open on your computer or phone. If you need to send a fax, you don’t have to print your document out first. You can reduce costs associated with paper and printer ink while being more eco-friendly.
• Convenient: You can send a fax from a compatible desktop, laptop, or smartphone as long as you have an internet connection. You don’t have to be at an office or somewhere with a traditional fax machine.
• Secure: Faxing is often seen as a more secure option for sending certain communications, but if you work in an open office, your fax could be accidentally picked up and read by a colleague. With online fax, the file is sent directly to your email or online fax portal so sensitive information isn’t intercepted.
• Digital storage: It’s easy to lose a paper fax. Online fax providers often provide some form of storage for faxed documents so a user can access old faxes in their account.

Benefits of online faxing by industry

Many industries choose fax over email or other communication methods because of its security and because signatures are generally legally recognized in faxed documents. These industry-specific use cases include:

• Healthcare: Patient documents, insurance forms, and requests for records
• Legal: Legally binding documents like contracts and agreements
• Manufacturing: Sending purchase orders, invoices, and contracts to vendors, as well as internal work orders and inventory updates
• Financial services: Financial documents, loan applications, approvals, statements, disclosures, and reports, maintaining compliance with regulations using encrypted faxing
• Government: Agency communications, incident reports, warrants, and emergency orders, supporting compliance with public records regulations
• Education: Student records and transcripts, financial aid forms, and enrollment documents

When comparing online fax providers, you might find that not all are created equal. Some offer a simple, no-frills fax service for free, while others may have features that could save you time or offer greater security or convenience. Here are some considerations to keep in mind:

• Support for large files: If you often need to fax long contracts or other documents with lots of pages, check the maximum number of pages and the largest file size the online fax service can handle. Some providers charge per page when you go above a certain number of pages, which can add up!
• Multiple attachments: Sometimes you may want to send multiple documents to the same recipient, so the ability to include multiple attachments in one transmission can save you some time.
• Multiple recipients: If you often have to send the same document to multiple recipients, look for the ability to add them all at once to help you save time.
• Storage and data retention: Do you want to be able to access faxes that have been sent and received? Consider the storage limits of fax providers to make sure they meet your needs.
• Secure transmission: Look for a provider that uses security features like TLS encryption to protect data in transit.
• (Optional) Included as part of a platform: While this isn’t a necessity for everyone, businesses large and small can benefit from choosing an online fax service that is integrated with other business communications, like your VoIP phone system. This often means one less vendor portal to deal with and fewer tools for employees to learn — plus you only need one phone number for calling, texting, and faxing.

Online faxing is built into Zoom Phone, our cloud VoIP solution, providing an easy and seamless way to send documents. Because it’s part of the Zoom Workplace platform, you don’t need to download a separate app — you can easily navigate from a video meeting to a phone call to your Fax tab.

With Zoom Phone’s online fax feature, you can send files up to 50MB and 300 pages to 50 recipients at once. If not everyone in your organization needs access to fax services, you can selectively enable fax for certain users. And employees won’t need to worry about having a separate fax line when their Zoom Phone number can be used to make calls, receive faxes, and send texts. Check out this demo video to see how easy it is.

If you’re already a Zoom Phone customer, you can start using our online fax service once it’s enabled by an account admin. Not a Zoom Phone customer? Check out our plans.