Are Any Free eFax Services Really Free?

Copyright 2006 Titus Hoskins

Internet fax or email fax services are becoming extremely popular among small business owners, large companies and even among the ordinary Internet user. Everyone seems to be discovering the advantages of using Internet fax.

Internet fax is simple to implement or setup, it is easy to use, and it can be very cost effective for the small business owner. No second phone lines, no bulky fax machines, no more messy inks, no more paper jams or busy signals and no more return trips to office at 10 o'clock at night to retrieve that important fax.

This is one business service that's here to stay. Mainly because Internet faxing is faxing done right!

You can fax anywhere, anytime. You can send and receive your faxes where ever you access the Internet. And these days that's just about anywhere and everywhere on the planet.

* But Are There Really Any Free Efax Services?

Yes and No! There are some companies like eFax which has a free faxing service but it is only free for receiving faxes - you will have to upgrade to a paid service in order to send faxes. Granted, each fax you send will only cost a few cents but this will quickly add up, especially if you send international faxes which have higher rates than domestic ones. So please be aware of this fact, free if you only receive faxes, not free if you want to send faxes.

* Free eFax Trials

Many online faxing providers do have or offer a free trial (usually one month) of their services. One such faxing service provider that offers a free trial is TrustFax. Offering a free trial is a common business practice used by many services; try before you buy.

A free trial period or trial run can be a very good way to check out your faxing provider. You can check out the quality of your faxes and see for yourself what kind of support a provider has; how well do they respond to any problems that you may encounter? Can you reach them 24/7?

With a business service like faxing, superior performance and quality service is required for the smooth running of your business. A free trial is one way of assuring you only get the best Internet fax service possible.

* Toll Free Fax Numbers

Many Internet fax providers also offer Toll Free Fax Numbers to their patrons or clients. Check before you sign up for any one faxing service and find out what kind of phone numbers they provide. Most offer local phone numbers and 'never busy' numbers.

* Free Online Storage

Some email fax providers offer online storage where you can store your faxes. Usually around 15 MB to 20 MB, but this is another feature you should always check out before you sign up to any one faxing service provider. Depending on the nature of your faxes, it is never a good idea to leave vital information on the web - delete your faxes regularly if they're of a sensitive nature.

* Before You Sign On The Dotted Line

Very few things in life are really free! This includes your Internet fax service - check out any free offer or service very closely before you sign on the dotted line. Make sure you know exactly what that free efax service is going to cost you?

Dump Your Fax Machine, Send Faxes Online

Tired of paying for a fax line and maintaining your fax machine? There’s a better way to send and receive faxes using internet fax services. Internet fax services enable you to receive faxes in your e-mail and to send faxes. One of the most popular internet fax services is eFax, which has over 9,000,000 users. But not all fax services are created equal. Here are some things to consider: 1. Does the fax service provide a toll free or local phone number? Are there extra charges for receiving faxes on your toll free number? 2. How many faxes can you send and receive for your monthly fee? 3. In what format are faxes sent? Are they delivered as .pdf files in your e-mail or do you have to view them in proprietary software? In order to decide which internet fax service is best for you, consider how many faxes you send and receive each month. Some services are best for heavy fax users, while others, like TrustFax, offer great plans for light fax users. Many of the online fax services offer free trials so you can try before you buy. Most services charge month-to-month and you can typically cancel at any time. Although fees vary, you can expect to pay $5-$20 per month. You are allowed a certain number of pages. If you go over your page allotment you can expect to pay 10 cents for each additional page received. With the advent of e-mail and attachments, many people predicted that the fax was doomed. But it turns out it was merely the fax machine that was doomed. Today, business use internet fax services to send and receive faxes almost as frequently as they used a standard fax machine a decade ago. One often overlooked benefit of internet faxing is that you don’t have to print out every fax you get. You can view faxes on your computer and decide which ones you want to print or delete. It’s a good idea to review the many internet fax companies before pulling out your credit card. With a little research you will hopefully find the best one to meet your faxing needs.