The Best Online Faxing Services for Business

What is Online Faxing?

Online faxing is the method of sending and receiving faxes in a digital format through your internet connection, directly from your computer or mobile device. The virtual fax (vFax) process transmits almost any file that can be attached to an email. Virtual faxing can be purchased as a standalone service or as part of a VoIP and UCaaS package.

While traditional faxing requires a dedicated phone line and a fax machine, online faxing only requires an internet connection and a web-connected device. Virtual faxing users can send faxes through a provider’s app or online dashboard, by integrating existing VoIP services with a physical fax machine, or via their work/personal email. The recipient can receive the faxed documents on their fax machine or in their email inbox. Unlike generic file sharing, online faxes are still legally recognized and binding documents.

Most virtual faxing services automatically convert files to a fax-compatible format for easy, frustration-free transmission. Most VoIP solutions include online faxing services, because the T.38 protocol lets users send/receive files through your standard internet connection.

Virtual faxing supports various file types, such as:

• DOC, DOCX, and PDF files for professional documents like contracts and invoice
• TIFF files for clear high quality scanned documents
• JPGs and PNGs for graphics and logos

How Does Online Faxing Work?

Internet faxing works by encoding faxed documents into a digital format and transmitting them over the internet. The fax is then delivered to the recipient via email or by decoding them into an analog format that the recipient’s fax machine can receive and print.

How is Virtual Faxing Different from Traditional Faxing?

Virtual faxing is different from traditional faxing in that it uses the internet to transmit documents virtually as data, while traditional faxing uses the public-switched telephone network (PSTN) to transmit documents in an analog format. While traditional faxing requires a fax machine, virtual faxing does not, as it is powered primarily by the internet and VoIP technology.

Here are the ways that online faxing and regular faxing are different:

• Transmission method: VoIP faxing sends fax over the internet as digital data. The provider handles this transmission, converting the document back into an analog fax format before delivering it to the recipient’s fax machine, email, or virtual faxing dashboard.
• Required hardware: VoIP faxing requires only an internet connection and a web-connected device, while traditional faxing requires a fax machine and a landline connection
• Device compatibility: With VoIP faxing, you can send a fax directly from a computer or mobile device, using your email address or provider’s app. This means that users can send VoIP faxes from anywhere, while traditional faxing needs to be done in-office or near a physical fax machine.
• Provider requirements: To send a traditional fax, you need a dedicated fax phone number, a fax machine, and your recipient’s fax number. To send a VoIP fax, you must be subscribed to a virtual fax service and have the recipient’s fax number.
• Speed and sending multiple documents: VoIP faxing sends documents instantaneously, while traditional faxing can take several minutes per page. VoIP faxing also enables you to send multiple documents at once.

How to Send a Virtual Fax

Here’s a step-by-step guide to sending a virtual fax:

1. Choose a Virtual Fax Service: Sign up for a virtual fax service or use a free trial based on your needs.
2. Prepare Your Document: When you sign up for a service, ensure your document is in one of the supported formats ( PDF, TIFF, DOCX, JPG, etc.)
3. Use the Fax Provider’s Dashboard: Log in and access your virtual fax account using a mobile app or through your web browser. Some services operate directly from your email, be sure you know the recipient’s email address.
4. Enter the Recipient’s Fax Number/Information: Open your email or the dedicated web dashboard. Type in the recipient’s fax number. If sending the vFax via email, follow their number with the vFax domain, as such: 16509876475@ringcentralfax.com.
5. Attach the Document: On the dashboard, there should be an “attach file” button. Attach and upload the document you want to send, including any messages or cover sheets.
6. Review and Confirm: Double-check the recipient’s fax number, your attached document, and any other details for accuracy and to avoid having to resent your documents.
7. Send the Fax: Click “Send” to transmit the fax. From there, the service will process the document and send it to your recipient’s fax machine or virtual fax service. The hard copy file you upload or scan into your computer will be converted to either a PDF or TIFF image file type. It's then attached to the outbound email, which will arrive in the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME). The MIME is the internet standard that allows emails to support non-text attachments.
8. Receive Confirmation: Most services will give you a confirmation email or notification to show whether or not the fax was successfully sent, along with a receipt of what was sent. You can save or archive the fax for your records.

How to Receive a Virtual Fax

Here’s a step-by-step guide to receiving a virtual fax:

1. Sign Up for a Virtual Fax Service: Choose a virtual fax service to get a dedicated fax number, then share your number with the sender.
2. Wait for Incoming Faxes: The sender will transmit their fax to your virtual fax number, and the service will convert it to a digital format.
3. Receive Notification: You should receive an email or app notification when a fax arrives. The fax is usually available via a PDF file or TIFF attachment.
4. Access the Fax: Open the email/notification containing the fax to download the attachment or view the fax directly from your device.

5. Save/Print your Fax: 

   Save your fax directly to device or to the cloud for future reference. You can also print it for a hard copy.

Key Online Faxing Features to Look For

Many online faxing providers offer distinct business features for faxing. When choosing a vFax provider, look for the following features:

• Scheduled delivery: Senders can use the schedule delivery features to send faxes at a future date or time, such as before an appointment or important event
• Electronic signature: Users can digitally sign their names before sending a fax, to ensure a legally binding document

• Group faxing: Lets users blast out a single fax to as many recipients as necessary in one click

• International faxing: Send faxes internationally without incurring the long-distance charges of landline-based faxing

• Number blocks: Create a whitelist of allowed numbers, or a blacklist of specifically blocked numbers to help cut down on the number of unwanted faxes

• Encryption: Ensure that sensitive information, and user profile information, are only visible to authenticated and involved parties using SSL-secured web communications

• Mobile alerts: Receive text-based or push notifications when you receive an inbound fax or successfully delivered faxes, which confirm that their recipient received the fax

• Custom cover pages: A fax cover sheet provides basic information that outlines the content contained within the fax (and if needed, marks it for privacy)

• Local and toll-free numbers: Most vFax providers have a bank of toll-free and local phone numbers from area codes. You can select a business phone number to use as a fax address

The Pros and Cons of Virtual Faxing

Virtual faxing is convenient, saves money, and is good for the environment. However, there are some things to be aware of. Below, we outline the pros and cons of online faxing.

Benefits of Virtual Faxing 

• No Physical Fax Machine Required: Online faxing is powered by the internet and doesn’t require a bulky physical fax machine, providing unparalleled flexibility and cost savings
• Mobility: Access and manage faxes on-the-go using tablets, smartphones, or laptops, ideal for remote work or frequent travelers
• Confidentiality and Security: Online faxing ensures secure transmission of documents thanks to end-to-end encryption (E2EE) and compliance with HIPPA. These measures safeguard sensitive information and meet regulatory requirements
• Lower Operating Costs: Cut down expenditures like paper, toner, phone lines, and maintenance costs, most of these services offer affordable subscription that conform to your specific needs
• Increased Productivity: Make your workflows simpler using fast transmission, digital storage, and easy integration with your favorite cloud services to free up time for other tasks

Potential Drawbacks of Virtual Faxing 

• Requires an internet connection: Regular faxing requires just a phone line and fax machine, which enables companies to send faxes even with no internet. Virtual faxing requires an internet connection from mobile or web-connected device
• Requires a provider subscription: To send a virtual fax, users must subscribe with a virtual fax provider that handles the transmission and converts the fax between data and analog formats. Regular faxing requires only analog phone service, no subscriptions required
• Can lead to a cluttered email inbox: Virtual fax users that don’t use a fax machine receive inbound faxes via their email inbox. If these users don’t organize faxes, they can quickly lead to a cluttered and disorganized email inbox
• Must know recipient’s full address or fax number: When sending a fax via the app dashboard, the sender only needs to know the recipient’s fax number. When sending a virtual fax via email, the sender must input the recipient’s fax number, followed by the provider name as the email domain. Sending a virtual fax via email can make senders susceptible to errors and prevent delivery

How to Choose an Online Faxing Service

Companies that frequently send faxes will certainly benefit by switching from an analog fax system to online faxing. vFax has lower costs, increased flexibility and mobility, and its lack of hardware makes it much easier to maintain.

When choosing a vFax provider, keep the following information and practices in mind:

• Pricing: Some vFax providers charge for each fax, while others have a subscription model. It’s important to take a close look at exactly how companies charge and how much they will be charged.
• Hidden fees: Some subscription services surprise users with hidden and extra fees undisclosed at the time of sign up. While long-distance faxing is made easy through an internet connection, another good point to take note of is any extra costs or fees that might be charged for international or long-distance faxing.
• Limitations or restrictions: Some providers will limit the number of incoming and outgoing faxes that are allowed per month in your subscription package. If your service functions with a limited number of sent and received faxes, it is also possible the provider will charge overage fees for when you go over that predetermined limit.
• Customer service: With all hosted services, customer service is key. When things go wrong, you need someone to help. Ensuring the online faxing provider you decide to utilize has a solid and responsive customer service is key to maintaining your faxing service.
• Free trial: Some internet faxing providers will offer a free demo or trial period for their service. You can generally establish an overall understanding and feel for the service through these demos and trial periods. Trial periods also offer a way to test out the provider’s customer service and full list of features.