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

July 7, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

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.

Using OneSuite to Pay-As-You-Go

June 16, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

There are myriad services to pick from when considering online fax options, from feature-rich plans that fit almost any industry’s needs to services that fit an individual’s budget. For users who may need to provide a fax number and receive faxes, but rarely need to send them, OneSuite’s pay-as-you-go plans offers a very inexpensive online fax solution.

OneSuite’s Fax Plus plan runs $2.95 per month, and includes unlimited incoming faxes. To send faxes, users have two options: you can use WebFax, OneSuite’s browser-based fax platform, or OSFX driver, a downloadable program. WebFax works with both Macs and PCs, and OSFX driver works only with PCs.

OneSuite charges each sent fax by its transmission duration, in 1-minute increments. Rates for toll-free and lower 48 U.S. states are 2.5 cents per minute. International rates vary from 1.8 cents to 4.8 cents per minute.

The two fax platforms OneSuite offers are similar to each other, although WebFax supports a few more file types. Both OSFX and WebFax support all the standard file types, including Microsoft Office, Adobe, and image file types. Only the OSFX driver will let users create a fax cover page.

The service also lets you monitor outbound fax records going back 90 days, and lets you receive faxes in up to five email addresses.

Incoming faxes go to a user’s email address. To send faxes, you go through whichever platform you’ve set up.

It is worth noting that the company has received bad reviews for customer service, with some users complaining that there was a significant lag in time between paying for initial service and getting their accounts activated.

A Step By Step Guide To Porting a Fax Number

April 22, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

If you’re interested in signing up for an online fax service but are hesitant because you don’t want to change your established land line fax number, there’s good news: many services allow you to port over your existing fax number. Porting a fax number simply means transferring an existing fax number in to a new provider. That way you’re set up with a new service that saves you the money you were spending on a landline, and no one faxing to you or receiving faxes from you will know the difference.

Here’s what that process would look like.

To quickly learn which online fax services offer fax number porting, visit FaxCompare Internet fax list page and select the feature filter box marked “fax number porting.” This will automatically rule out any services that don’t offer that feature.

You can get a closer look at the differences between each company and plan by clicking the “mark to compare” box beside each service provider, for up to five comparisons at a time. You then can see individual plans side by side, like this:

Once you’ve browsed the information about each provider and selected the one you want to sign up with, click the red “visit website” button to go to that provider’s site and sign up.

Depending on the provider, you might be able to sign up with a free trial, or go directly to whichever plan you’ve selected. Either way, you’ll be asked to provide your payment and contact information to get started. Once you’re signed up, you should contact customer support to start the process of porting your existing fax number, either by phone, email, or a chat. Many services will initiate the offer of a chat to answer questions during the signup process.

Let the provider know that you want to port your existing fax number into the service. The representative will request your number and will verify that it is portable before setting up the porting. Typically, in order to port an existing number into a service, you must first verify that the number is eligible for transfer, and that transferring the number won’t affect other services or contractual agreements you have with your current provider.

You might be asked to fill out a request form, but the new provider will handle the actual transfer. The process may take up to a few days, after which time you’ll be notified that the porting is complete. And then you’ll be up and running!

Which Fax Providers Are Most Active on Twitter

April 9, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

Thanks to social media, people and businesses have myriad channels of communication – and that extends to customer service. Today it’s expected that companies, including online fax providers, will have a presence on Twitter, and actively monitor that account to effectively communicate with their customers. While most companies do have a Twitter handle, it’s not a given that all of them are active.

Here’s a look at the online fax companies who are most active and responsive to their customer service requests on Twitter, and which ones let their Twitter feed languish.

The Most Active

MetroFax: MetroFax doesn’t post prolifically, but it does a good job of responding to customer queries and complaints, and following up with updates or conversations through direct messages. Follow the company @MetroFax.
RingCentral: This company has a very active Twitter feed, with lots of content and specific replies to questions. Follow the company @RingCentral
Nextiva: Nextiva has some very impressive customer service activity on its Twitter feed, with responses and follow-ups, and even replies to customers posted in video form within Twitter messages. Follow the company @Nextiva
MyFax: MyFax appears to have robust customer service through its Twitter feed. The company answers specific questions quickly, and also makes it easy to find numbers for phone support. Follow the company @myfax_
HelloFax: This provider has a quick response time, upbeat tone, and an active Twitter feed. Follow the company @hellofax.

So-So Activity

eFax: eFax doesn’t post a Twitter tab on its website, but a quick search in Twitter brings up its feed. The company is very active and responsive on Twitter, but the timbre of the messages the company replies to – and the number of apologies it posts – suggests that customers are contacting eFax on Twitter mostly to vent about frustrating phone support experiences. eFax also apparently has a Twitter feed dedicated to customer service – “eFax Can Help” – but it’s been inactive since 2010. Follow the company @eFax.
SRFax: Most of SRFax’s Twitter feed shows glowing customer reviews from one review website. There’s not much else in the way of content, and very few exchanges with customers. Follow the company @SRFax.

Barely Any Pulse

Faxage: Faxage’s Twitter activity seems to be sporadic, and most of its Twitter feed is taken up with positive reviews from its own website. Follow the company @faxage.
Fax.com and RapidFax: We couldn’t find any active accounts for these providers, both of which are owned by j2.
MaxEmail: MaxEmail didn’t join Twitter until 2011, and has apparently not used the account since 2012. Follow the company at @MaxEmail.
Fax87: Fax87’s Twitter feed hasn’t been active since December 2013, and even then, its activity was lackluster. We found only a few customer correspondences, and those had a defensive and sloppy tone. Follow the company @fax87.

j2 Global Acquires SugarSync

April 5, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

Updated September 1, 2016 to reflect additional recent j2 acquisitions.

j2 Global Continues Acquisition Streak with Purchase of Online Backup & File Sharing Service SugarSync

j2 Global, primarily know for their brands Ziff Davis and eFax, has been expanding its cloud backup business, and this March the company purchased the popular cloud file sharing, file sync, and online backup services company SugarSync.

j2 already has a significant presence in the cloud services and digital media field, with past purchases in cloud services divisions including Internet fax, virtual phone, hosted email, email marketing, online backup, and unified communications. The company’s purchase of SugarSync adds to j2 Global’s cloud back portfolio of LiveDrive and KeepItSafe and could signal more acquisitions in this space. The company’s Mergers and Acquisitions page specifically names online data backup, voice services, email and email marketing, Internet based fax solutions and digital publishing as prime targets. The page also notes interest in collaboration, document management/ archiving, domain registration and web hosting.

j2 has been buying companies at an accelerated pace in recent years. Here is a complete history of j2’s acquisitions (list updated September of 2016):

MaxEmail, August 2016
SMTP email marketing, 2nd quarter 2016
Game Trailers, 2nd quarter 2016
Publicaster, 2nd quarter 2016
Electronic Vaulting Services, 2nd quarter 2016
Safebackup, 2nd quarter 2016
24sevenbackup, 2nd quarter 2016
VaultLogix, 1st quarter 2016
Callstream, 1st quarter 2016
Yotta280, 1st quarter 2016
Mailout Interactive, 1st quarter 2016
GDV server backup assets, 1st quarter 2016
Backup Solutions server backup assets, 1st quarter 2016
Offers.com, January 2016
SugarSync, March 2015
Nuvotera, February 2015
UnityFax, February 2015
Firstway (distributor for FaxBox), February 2015
Excel Micro, October 2014
Web24 Group, September 2014
MXSweep, August 2014
City Numbers, February 2014
LiveDrive, February 2014
NetShelter (which owned AndroidCentral.com, MacRumors.com, Neoseeker.com, SlashGear.com and TechSpot.com), May 2013
MetroFax, March 2013
IGN Entertainment (which owned 1UP.com, UGO.com and AskMen.com), February 2013
Ziff Davis (which owned PCMag.com, ComputerShopper, ExtremeTech, Toolbox.com and Geek.com), November 2012
MyFax (which had already absorbed Packetel), My1Voice and Campaigner (all were subsidiaries of Canadian company Protus) December 2010
KeepItSafe, October 2010
FuseMail, May 2010
TrustFax (which had already absorbed FAXaFILE), February 2010
CallWave, February 2009
RapidFax, December 2007
Send2Fax, July 2006
Fax.com (which had already absorbed FaxMicro, OneFax and 101Fax) and SmartFax, July 2005
OneBox, August 2004
eFax, April 2000 (j2 Global was then operating under the name JFax)

In its brief press release, j2 did not make a statement about what its purchase might mean for current SugarSync customers, but so far SugarSync’s customers have not been posting complaints. SugarSync release a new desktop app in March, and customers have responded well to that, as well as praising prompt technical support, on the company’s Twitter feed.

However, some SugarSync employees have been less than thrilled with changes in the company post-acquisition, complaining that there have been significant layoffs in the engineering, product, and operations teams. When j2 has purchased purchased online fax companies, customer complaints have skyrocketed around issues of billing and service. Whether or not that pattern will continue with SugarSync remains to be seen.

Faxing Software Versus Online Fax Services

March 3, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

There are a few different ways to fax from your computer. You can of course use an online fax service, which for a monthly fee, allows you to send, receive, and manage faxes anywhere you have Internet access. Another way is to use fax software. This software uses a landline to essentially turn your computer into a replacement of a physical fax machine.

When you use fax software, you’ll need a few things before getting started: most importantly, you need to have a phone or fax line. You’ll also have to be able to connect your computer to that line with a modem or fax board.

Windows users can use programs like Windows Fax and Scan. It allows you to send and receive documents just as a standalone fax machine would, and lets you custom design cover pages. Here’s a simple step-by-step overview of how to use Fax and Scan.

Unfortunately for Mac users, the USB fax/modem that Apple used to offer is no longer compatible with OS X, which means you cannot use fax software with the system.

Online fax providers offer a different faxing experience than you would get if you downloaded software and used your computer. Because they offer the ability to fax directly from the Internet, you don’t need a dedicated phone line to use them. Online fax services also let you manage faxes from a number of devices, like tablets or smartphones, and will assign you a number.

Downloading software can be a good choice for small businesses using PCs that don’t want to pay for a subscription and don’t have frequent faxing needs. For larger businesses that need more constant access to fax services, an online fax service is probably a better fit.

image via Creative Commons

Comparing HelloFax and FaxNgo

February 3, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

As online faxing’s popularity grows, new service providers are entering the marketplace. Here we take a look at two of those newer providers, FaxNGo and HelloFax.

HelloFax is pricier than some of its competitors, with monthly plans at $9.99 per month for 300 total pages, $19.99 per month for 500 total pages, and $39.99 per month for 1,000 total pages. That’s more money for fewer pages compared with plans that other providers offer, but HelloFax does offer international faxing, unlimited storage of sent and received faxes, and eSignatures.

HelloFax also says it offers HIPAA-compliant features, which means an additional level of safety when faxing sensitive documents like medical records. However, the company won’t sign a Business Associate Agreement, so if HIPAA security is one of your primary faxing needs, read up on exactly what HelloFax’s HIPAA compliance does and doesn’t apply to.

HelloFax has also received a lot of attention for its partnership with Google, allowing users to fax any document right from Google Drive. The company was started by Joseph Walla and Neal O’Mara, who also formed the eSignature service HelloSign.

FaxNgo, like HelloFax, has a sleek design, and is relatively new to the market. It offers only one package: for $12.90 per month, users get unlimited incoming faxes, and can send up to 150 faxes per month. FaxNgo also offers Android and Apple mobile apps. Because of the low volume included in the plan, this provider might be best for small businesses or sole proprietors with few faxing needs.

FaxNgo features include international fax coverage, eSigning, and 24/7 customer support. FaxNgo is owned by ClickMeIn, which is based in Israel.

Unfortunately, there are a few technical glitches that have made signing up for FaxNgo difficult. The website asks for a location in order to assign you a local fax number, but it has not been generating geographically accurate numbers – for example, an attempt to sign up from Austin, TX, ended in a number that’s local to Austin, MN. A few users have also noted problems with the provider not recognizing the account holder’s email, or not letting a would-be user complete the signing up process with their email address.

Hopefully these glitches are growing pains from a new company, and will be addressed quickly.

At least for the time being, HelloFax seems like a more reliable and more established service. However, FaxNgo has some promising features, and with its simple package and reasonable price, it could be a great service once its technical details are ironed out.

Porting A Number

January 21, 2015/in Online Fax /by KateH

What Is Fax Number Porting, And Why Would You Need It?

Porting a fax number means transferring an existing fax number in to a new provider, or porting out a fax number to a telecom or another fax provider.

Why would you want to port a number? If you have an existing fax number that’s printed on marketing materials and that customers or other businesses already know, it makes sense to keep that number. Likewise, it would make sense to take your existing number with you, should you switch providers.

Porting A Number Into A Fax Service

Most fax companies make this an easy process, and some even provide it for free. Among providers that charge a fee, many will offer a discount if you’re looking at a large number (more than 50, for instance) of ports.

Typically, in order to port an existing number into a service, you must first verify that the number is eligible for transfer, and that transferring the number won’t affect other services or contractual agreements you have with your current provider.

If you are able to port your current number, you would then sign up for service with the online provider you’re interested in and contact the provider to let them know you’d like to port a number in. You’ll need to fill out a request form, and then the new provider will handle the transfer for you.

Porting A Number Out Of A Fax Service

Porting out a number can be more complicated. While some fax companies have a policy that a number belongs to a customer and they may do with it as they please, others say the exact opposite. Fax providers owned by j2 Global – which include major brands like eFax, MetroFax, MyFax, TrustFax, RapidFax, Send2Fax, and Fax.com – fall under the latter category. Providers owned by j2 Global expressly prohibit the transfer of a number assigned to you to another provider. If you try anyway, you may be subject to a $500 fee.

There is an exception to the non-porting policy: if you ported in a number, it is yours to port out as well. And if your provider is a traditional phone company of VoIP service, you should also be able to port your number out relatively easily.

Typically porting out a number is similar to porting one in: keeping your service active while you complete the transfer, you would request a letter of agreement from the new provider, which will then contact the current provider. Once portability is verified, the new provider will make the switch.

image via Creative Commons

Which Virtual PBX Services Include Online Faxing?

December 18, 2014/in Online Fax /by KateH

Virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) services give businesses the ability to use a range of features without traditional hardware. Virtual PBX is software-based, and will work with existing phones – like mobile and home phones – allowing workers to connect with business services like conference calling and call management features from anywhere, and without equipment. Some virtual PBX companies also offer online fax services along with phone services. Here’s an overview of a few Virtual PBX services that include online faxing:

RingCentral Professional

In addition to virtual PBX features like call forwarding, auto-receptionist, and extensions, RingCentral Professional allows you to use your number for online faxing. Online faxing features through this plan include the ability to attach files from your computer of from cloud storage, the ability to send faxes from Microsoft Office applications, and a mobile app.

All three RingCentral Professional plans include online faxing: Pro, for $9.99 per month, Pro Plus for $19.99 per month, and Pro Power, for $24.99 per month.

Phone.com

Phone.com’s virtual PBX features include toll free and local numbers, auto attendant, mobile apps, call forwarding and scheduling, call conferencing, unlimited extensions, and Internet fax. Faxes are converted to PDF files and sent to your inbox, and you can upload documents from your computer in different formats to send as faxes.

Plans include a basic plan $9.99 per month for one number, a pay per minute plan that charges 2.5 cents to 3.9 cents per minute, and an unlimited plan, for $19.99 per month per extension.

VirtualPBX.com

VirtualPBX claims that it offers the widest array of features in the industry, and it certainly does offer a thorough set. Features range from online faxing, data security and call recording, to personal greetings, automatic callback and auto attendant.

Online faxing works from the your phone number, with a certain number of outbound faxes included in each plan. Inbound faxes use plan minutes. Faxes can be viewed online or through email, and can be uploaded and sent from a VirtualPBX online fax library.

Office plans start at $33.99 per month for one line, and go up: $24.99 per line, per month for two-19 lines, $22.99 per line, per month for 20-99 lines, and $19.99 per line, per month for 100-plus line. All office plans include 1,000 outbound fax pages.

Virtual PBX offers three Anywhere Plans: Startup is $9.99 per month, with 10 outbound fax pages included, Pro is $19.99 per month with 50 outbound fax pages included, and Premium is $24.99 per month with 100 outbound fax pages included.

image via Creative Commons

Top Large Volume Online Fax Services with HIPAA Compliance

August 5, 2014/in Online Fax /by KateH

When you’re choosing the right online fax service for your company, it helps to narrow things down by looking at services based on your specific needs. Fortunately, there are plenty of services out there that offer a range of features. Here, we take a look at large volume fax plans that offer Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. While encryption and security are often included in online fax plans, HIPAA regulations adhere to a specific set of guidelines. The following services offer both large volume plans, and comply with HIPAA regulations.

SRFax is a user friendly, HIPAA compliant fax service that will also sign Business Associate Agreements on request. They offer several different pricing plans, the largest of which is the Business 2500 plan that includes 2,500 sent and received fax pages for $39.95 per month or $329.40 per year (effectively $27.45 per month).

SRFax also has a Business 1500 plan that includes 1,500 pages for $29.95 per month or $287.40 per year (effectively $23.95 per month).

For companies that need more than 2,500 fax pages per month, SRFax offers customized plans that are quoted individually via the contact form on their corporate fax solutions page.

SRFax doesn’t charge a setup fee and offers a 60 day free trial to test their services.

FaxAge is another online fax provider that offers several large volume plans, all with HIPAA compliance. Its “Toll-Free 1500” plan runs $19.95 per month, and includes 750 incoming pages and 750 outgoing pages for unlimited users. If your business sends a large number of faxes and prefers a toll-free number, this is a good plan.

FaxAge’s “Small Office” plan gives you 5,000 pages in and 400 pages out for $29.95 a month. While that plan is somewhat less flexible than others, it’s a great option if you know you’re only going to be sending a moderate number of faxes compared with what you’ll need to receive.

FaxAge also offers two Unlimited plans: “Unlimited Inbound,” which for $19.95 a month gives you 5,000 incoming pages and 0 outgoing pages, and “Unlimited” for $64.95 a month, which includes 5,000 total incoming and outgoing pages.

All of FaxAge’s plans are HIPAA compliant, and include unlimited storage of sent and received faxes and the ability to preview faxes before sending. Local numbers are available in 48 states, and primary customer support is U.S.-based. However, FaxAge’s plans do not include a free trial, and do include a $5 start up fee.

(HelloFax removed their HIPAA compliance option) HelloFax’s “Small Business” plan is HIPAA compliant and includes 1,000 total pages to unlimited users for $39.99 per month, or $33.33 per month with an annual prepayment.

HelloFax’s pros include the ability to eSign documents from your browser, a 30-day free trial, and the ability to preview faxes before sending. Cons include no phone support and no mobile apps, and a relatively high price for the number of pages included in the plan.