“Where can I go to fax something?”
Someone requested that you fax information to them, and you wonder, “What year is this? 1990?” Faxing may feel outdated, but a few businesses still require it, especially legal, financial and health-related businesses.
So for those of you looking for “fax service near me,” we’ve compiled a list of six places near you that may offer fax services, including cheap options like libraries and more comprehensive print services based in your area.
There may be fax centers near you that provide services for a fee, and these centers may allow you to scan and fax documents. We’ll also explain how you can fax from a computer, without having to drive to a physical location. If you’re interested in trying out an online fax service, you can send a fax through Fax.Live for free today.
Office Supply Store Fax Services
Almost every large office supply store chain — Office Depot, Staples and those that remain in business — has a business center that you can use to fax documents. These fax centers near you aren’t just for larger print jobs like printing brochures or cards. Supply stores can offer self-service printers where you can scan, print, and even fax documents. If you don’t have a physical version of the document that you want to fax, you will need to bring a digital version of your document, usually in the form of a USB drive with a PDF saved on it. Some stores allow you to email documents or upload them from your device to their web-based app. Not all stores offer the ability to receive faxes; office supply stores may only offer services to send faxes.
These print centers charge you per page. In other words, if you fax a document, you’ll pay somewhere around $1.50 to $2 for the first page and $1.20 to $1.80 per additional page. This cost can increase if you need to fax both sides of documents or need to print and scan additional documents. While not the cheapest option available, if you’re in a major metropolitan area, this might be the most convenient option for you.
Faxing From Banks and Credit Unions
Do banks fax for customers? If you have an account at a bank or local credit union, the answer may be yes, and you’ll likely be able to fax documents entirely for free. Some financial institutions offer fax services for non-members who live close to their branches. Banks will sometimes restrict “free” services to inbound only (receiving faxes via the bank’s fax number). If you need to fax a document (sometimes called outbound services) to a third party, the bank may charge a small fee.
Before visiting the branch, call to ask about their fax services. Do they include any restrictions? Do they prefer digital or physical documents? Their fax services may be free, or they may come with a roughly $3 charge or per-page charge for faxes received and/or sent. International faxes are generally more expensive and will incur additional fees.
Fax Services at Shipping Stores
Stores like UPS, FedEx, and USPS may not be your first choice, but will sometimes have print, copy and fax machines for public use. This includes a fax machine near you that can send and receive faxes. Shipping stores will sometimes have self-service machines where you can scan and fax documents on your own. Faxing through a shipping store can get expensive, but it is convenient if you need it for only a one-time use. If you need to regularly send and receive faxes, consider an online faxing service.
The cost of faxing at a shipping store will depend on the store, but it should be around $1-$2 per page sent locally, $2.50+ for long-distance, and $5+ per page sent internationally.
Faxing at Libraries
It’s well known that public libraries have computers and printers that the public can use, but did you know that the library may be the closest fax service to you?
Public libraries may have fax machines that you can use to fax both locally and internationally (restrictions may apply). These fax machines can vary from self-service to worker-assisted. However, according to our research, few public libraries offer the ability to receive faxes. You probably wouldn’t want to do this, as having potentially personal information faxed to a public place wouldn’t be wise.
Libraries may sound like the answer to the question “where can I fax a paper for free?” We’ve found that the cost to send faxes domestically within the US from a library isn’t always free but can be as little as 10 to 25 cents per page. It may get more expensive depending on the library. There may also be a wait to use the fax machine depending on the machine, as the library can be a popular low-cost option.
Faxing From Hotel and Airport Business Centers
Wondering “where can I get something faxed today” while traveling? A business center may be your best bet. If you’re traveling and need to make an emergency fax, we recommend trying out a hotel or airport business center. Expect to pay premium prices, though as most everything associated with travel comes at premium prices.
Many larger hotels have business centers that guests can use. Business centers typically have a couple of computers, a printer, and occasionally a fax machine for their guests’ use. These business centers may not be very private, as they’re in common areas, and whether you have to pay depends on factors like your travel status and the policies of each location.
Larger airports, especially international ones, may have business centers or facilities that have fax and print machines. These business centers are often located within paid entry lounges that require a membership or a fee to enter. You might not have to pay to fax, but you will have to pay to enter. You may also be able to access a fax/photocopy service in the baggage claim area near where you would exchange currency. This would be outside of security, and likely have a fee to use, but is a far more accessible option.
Faxing From Office Fax Machines
Your workplace, or a friend’s, might have a fax machine that’s available for employees’ use. This probably isn’t a long-term solution, and will greatly depend on their office policy. Borrowing someone’s fax office machine can be a cheap fax option near you and the most inexpensive fax service that you’ll find.
Work fax machines will be able to both send and receive faxes, so this can be a convenient one-time free solution. Keep in mind that an office fax machine may not be as easy to use as a self-service machine that you may find at an office supply store or a business center (refer back to the types of fax machines). But if you know how to use it, and the manager is ok with personal use of the machine, this is an excellent solution!
The Nearest Fax is Your Computer: Alternatives to Local Fax Services
If you want to fax documents from the convenience of your home, Fax.Live is the easiest way to both send and receive documents at any time from anywhere. Fax.Live allows you to fax documents using a web browser rather than a large fax machine.
Sending faxes at home
When you use Fax.Live to send a fax, you simply need a PDF form of the document. If you’ve already scanned or taken a picture of your document, you can convert it to a PDF format to fax it through Fax.Live’s service. Fax.Live stores all of your past outbound faxes, as well as inbound/received, and we send email confirmation receipts once a transmission has completed (or failed).
Receiving faxes at home
Fax.Live also allows you to receive faxes via your own dedicated fax number that you can give to other businesses and individuals for receiving faxes. All of your received faxes will be stored in Fax.Live’s inbox so that you can access them from anywhere with an internet connection.
How does online faxing work?
Fax.Live uses modern technology through smartphones and computers, so you don’t need a bulky fax machine to send and receive faxes. With a Fax.Live membership plan, you’ll be able to send (and receive) hundreds faxes every month! Consider starting a free Fax.Live trial today to get started faxing documents.