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Signing Up for eFax With Your HP All-In-One

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HP makes a line of printers, the All-In-One series, that are set up to link users directly to an eFax account. The printers that support eFax are the Envy 110 and 114, The Photosmart 7510 and 7515, and the Photosmart eStation.

The partnership allows you to get limited free faxing through the HP printer – 20 free incoming or 20 free outgoing pages per month – or to simply use the printer’s touchscreen to send faxes through a paid eFax account.

You can either sign up for eFax through the printer, or sign up separately through eFax and use the account with the printer. Which method you choose depends on your faxing needs.

If you’re looking for low-volume faxing and will use 20 pages or fewer each month, it’s probably easiest to sign up through the printer’s touchscreen. As long as the printer is connected to a wireless network, it should only take a few minutes to get a fax number.

It’s also possible to use the free account that comes with the HP and eFax partnership on the eFax site, separately from the printer. However, some users have complained that eFax automatically charged them for an upgrade when they used the free version. Based on reviews, HP did work with those customers to resolve the issue.

If you think you’re going to be doing a higher volume of faxing through your printer and eFax, it makes sense to sign up separately through eFax and use your account with the HP printer. Some HP users complained that signing up for a paid account through the printer was difficult.

eFax has two paid subscription tiers, Plus and Pro. Plus includes 150 inbound and 150 outbound pages per month for $16.95 per month, or $14.13 with the annual discount. The Pro plan includes 200 inbound and 200 outbound pages each month for $19.95 per month, or $16.63 with the annual plan.

HP did have an issue with its eFax-supported printers earlier this year that left customers with the eFax models unable to use eFax to send faxes from their printers, although incoming faxes were not affected. As of April 2015, HP has said it has worked with eFax’s parent company, j2 Global, to identify and fix the problem, which was due to an updated security protocol.

Glitches aside, the service has been well received by both eFax and HP customers. The partnership made it easy to send Internet faxes through a well-regarded fax service provider, and offered a great deal for would-be faxers who didn’t need enough volume to be interested in a paid subscription.

Top Online Fax Services With eSigning

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eSignature

If you run a small to medium-sized business, you may be on the hunt for an online fax service that doesn’t cost a lot. While it’s easy to find plenty of plans and services that offer low rates, it’s a little harder to find one that also includes good features. The ability to electronically sign (eSign) a document in particular is one feature that can add value to a plan. eSigning with an online fax allows you to respond more quickly and saves you the hassle of having to print, sign and scan a document that simply needs your signature. Here, we take a look at plans with low monthly costs that also let users eSign faxes.

eFax – Plus Plan

eFax’s Plus plan includes 150 inbound and 150 outbound pages at $16.95 per month. While all of eFax’s the services are both feature rich and reliable, that’s significantly pricier than other fax services.

eFax offers the ability to eSign documents and fax them back, and its services are HIPAA compliant. It also offers apps for iPhones and Android phones, as well as Microsoft Office integration and 24/7 phone support. eFax is the only company to include all of those features in one service.

HelloFax – Home Office plan

HelloFax’s primary selling point is their smooth eSigning capability. In fact, they also own HelloSign, which is a service that specializes in eSigning various types of electronic documents. HelloFax’s Home Office plan costs $9.99 per month, or $8.33 a month with an annual prepayment. That includes 300 pages inbound and outbound, unlimited storage of sent and received faxes, and unlimited users. This plan lets you eSign documents from your browser, and also gives a preview of faxes before sending.

Other notable features in this plan include tight integration with Google Drive and no startup fees. HelloFax offers local numbers in 42 states, and has U.S.-based (email-only) customer support. However, they do not offer phone support or any mobile apps, and also will not let you store contacts online. HelloFax will port your existing fax number into their service for $15.

 

(RingCentral No Longer Offers eSigning) RingCentral – Fax 700

At $8.99 per month – or $7.11 per month with an annual prepayment – for 700 inbound and outbound pages, this RingCentral plan is a great value. The Fax 700 plan offers a host of features, including the ability to eSign documents from your browser, faxing to international numbers, iPhone, Android and Blackberry apps, 24/7 phone support, and bundled service options (like RingCentral Professional and RingCentral Office- business phone systems that include online fax capability).

The plan also includes a 30-day free trial, local fax numbers in 49 states, and unlimited storage of sent and received faxes. Porting a number is free, and the plan also includes contact books.

 

Top Online Fax Providers With Smartphone Apps

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The advent of online fax services meant no more being tethered to a fax machine. Then smartphones came along, and furthered the mobility aspect of online faxing. Smartphone faxing apps turn your device into a fax machine on the go, allowing you to create, send, receive and manage faxes. Here, we take a look at the fax providers that offer apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry devices.

MetroFax: All three of the plans MetroFax offers include apps for iPhone and Android. Its Essential plan includes 500 total pages for $7.95 per month, the Value plan includes 1,000 total pages for $12.95 per month, and the Professional plan includes 2,500 total pages for $35.95 per month. All three plans come with a 30-day trial. MetroFax’s plans are a great deal, and are among the most competitively priced out there.

MetroFax has won praise for its very intuitive iOS and Android apps. The service also offers HIPAA compliance and Office integration, allowing you to fax directly from programs like Word, Excel, and Outlook. Its optional desktop software, MetroFax Printer, lets you print faxes automatically and sync with Yahoo! Mail contacts, among other features.

RingCentral: RingCentral is another feature-laden service with three tiers of plans. Its Fax 700 costs $8.89 per month and includes 700 total pages, the Fax 1000 plan includes 1,000 total pages per month for $17.99, and the Fax 2500 includes 2,500 total pages at $59.99 per month. Its 700 Plan is a fantastic deal, although its high volume plan is pricier than those of competitors. But RingCentral does provide very good reliability and support, and a wide range of features.

In addition to the smartphone apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry, RingCentral’s plans include electronic signatures (eSigning) and Microsoft Office integration.

eFax: eFax offers two plans, Plus and Pro. Plus includes 150 inbound and 150 outbound pages at $16.95 per month, and Pro includes 200 inbound and 200 outbound pages at $19.95 per month. While the services are both feature rich and reliable, that’s significantly pricier than other fax services.

eFax offers apps for iPhones and Android phones, and its services are HIPAA compliant. It also offers the ability to eSign documents and fax them back, as well as Microsoft Office integration and 24/7 phone support. eFax is the only company to include all of those features in one service.