Here’s how to fax documents online without a fax machine or phone

You may think that fax machines are a thing of the past, but businesses and government agencies still occasionally require using the device for sending important documents. While libraries are the only places that may still have (albeit, dusty and neglected) fax machines available for public use, you can actually digitally sign a document and fax it from your computer for free.

As faxing was invented before the internet, the fact that fax machines are connected to telephone lines proves to be a bit of an issue in modern times. In the olden days, you had to print out a document and scan it into the fax machine, which then sent the form over the phone line. As email and other secure sending methods are available now, a concern with using fax is the security of sending something back and forth — someone overseeing the phone line could easily intercept any documents.

The main requirement for modern faxing is a service portal that accepts documents via the internet and transmits paperwork to a fax machine. Below, we’ve compiled some of the best methods of going about faxing without an actual machine.

1) Using your computer

Nowadays, a computer can carry out almost any function for you, and faxing paperwork is no different. You could embrace the old-fashioned routine and use Microsoft Windows’ Fax and Scan application to send documents, but this requires a dial-up fax modem, a landline phone, and even telling your family to stay off the phone when you’re sending documents. Unless you’d like to experience a real technological throwback, this particular process only works for someone who regularly has to send faxes, which makes it not too ideal.

2) Scan your document

Believe it or not, the faxing process could require very little effort on your part. Try scanning your paperwork as if you were sending it over email, and then send the digital version to a service that will fax it for you. An ideal service is RingCentral Fax, which offers a 30-day free trial, security features, and even support for multiple users with separate fax lines. A paid plan begins at $7.99 a month; this plan also includes 500 free faxes per month. The system is even integrated with Outlook, Google Drive, and Dropbox. For less frequent users, MyFax allows you to send up to 10 free pages without having to pay. If you do have to send more pages in a month, the site also offers the option of upgrading to a regular plan for $10 a month.

3) Find a paid service if you receive faxes often

Maybe you’re the person on the other end who has to retrieve faxed documents from someone. RingCentral and MyFax both offer paid services that will set up a phone number for your fax line, with RingCentral even having 30 days of free fax receiving. There’s also the option of signing up for a trial account and then cancelling it when you fulfill your faxing needs.

Although it’s an archaic system, faxing has clung onto society, causing users to scramble for solutions of how to use it alongside modern technology. Thankfully, it’s not often required when sending documents, but easy usage methods are still available when the need arises.

Source: How-To Geek, Microsoft Windows, RingCentral Fax, MyFax