Quick Guide to Choosing an Online Fax Service
Choosing an online fax service means you can ditch the fax machine and the expensive phone line that goes with it, since you can use your computer or mobile device to send and receive faxes.
If you’re beginning the process of searching for an online fax service, here are some considerations that will help you narrow down your search and find the right provider for you:
Do You Already Have a Fax Number That You Want to Keep?
If you already have business materials with an existing fax number printed on them, you’ll most likely want to keep that number. If this is the case, look for a service that allows you to port your old fax number into their email system.
How Much Faxing Will You Do?
Most services offer several tiers of plans, with a set number of pages included that vary according to plan. While some offer you a certain number of pages that can be any mix of inbound and outbound, other plans divide up how many inbound and outbound pages you get per month. And all will charge for going over the set number of pages, so it’s worth doing the math to compare which plan will get you what you need.
Think About Which Features You Need
The features available to you through online faxing vary from provider to provider, and also from plan to plan. Features can include 24/7 phone customer support, electronic signing ability, smartphone apps, and integration with other cloud storage services, like Dropbox. Before you pick a service, consider how you use faxing, and what you anticipate your needs will be. If you only need to send and receive the occasional fax, the plan and provider you choose will be much different than that for say, an international or growing business.
HIPAA Compliance
If you work in the medical field, it’s worth taking the time to study the fine print for providers that say they offer HIPAA compliance. Not all providers who say they are HIPAA compliant will sign a Business Associate Agreement. Click here for more on what a BAA does and what it means when it comes to service providers.
If you’re looking for more interactive help in finding the right online fax service, this tool can get you started.
image via Creative Commons
