This post answers: “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 Faxing may feel outdated, but many businesses still require it, especially legal, financial and health-related businesses.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. This includes cheap options and more extensive print services based in your area.
There may be fax centers near you that provide fax 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.
Office Supply Stores
Almost every large office supply store chain, including Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Staples, 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 have self-service print machines where you can scan, print, and even fax documents using professional print machines. Not all stores offer the ability to receive faxes, however; they only offer services to send faxes.
These print centers charge you per-job. In other words, if you fax a document, you’ll pay somewhere around $3 per fax, depending on the number of pages. 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.
Banks and Credit Unions
If you have an account at a bank or local credit union, you may 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. 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? 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.
Shipping Stores
Stores like UPS, FedEx, and USPS 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, and $5 per page sent internationally.
Libraries
It’s well known that public libraries have computers that you can use to browse the web and printers that you can print documents with. 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. 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 sending personal information to a public place wouldn’t be wise. The cost to send faxes domestically within the US can be as little as 10 cents per page at some libraries, but may get more expensive depending on the library. There may also be a wait to use the fax machine, as this is a popular option.
Hotel and Airport Business Centers
If you’re traveling and need to make an emergency fax, we recommend trying out a hotel or airport business center.
Almost every larger hotel will have a business center that you can use if you’re a guest. Business centers have a couple of computers, a printer, and occasionally a fax machine for their guests’ use. These business centers usually aren’t very private, as they’re in the lobby of a hotel, but you may not have to pay to send a fax.
Larger airports, especially international ones, also 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.
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.
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. But if you know how to use it, and the manager is ok with personal use of the machine, this is an excellent solution!
Alternatives to Local Fax Services
Fax.Live
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.
When you use Fax.Live, you simply need a PDF that you’d like to fax. If you’ve already scanned or taken a picture of your document, you simply have to convert it to a PDF format to fax it through Fax.Live’s service. You can store all of your past faxes, as well as fax multiple files at a time, with email confirmation receipts once the fax is successfully sent.
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.