March 1, 2021  |   

You've just read those dreaded words in an email: “and we'll need you to send that by fax.” You don't have a fax machine (who does, these days?), and you don't want to drive down to your local office supply store so some kid who barely graduated from high school can send it for you, charging you a couple of dollars a page in the process. What's the answer? Send a fax online with aFax.

Send a Fax Online: It's Simple!

Yes, you can send a fax online. You can't do it directly from your email server, as email servers send things via the internet while faxes must be transmitted over telephone lines according to protocols established by the International Telecommunications Union. That's why you need a third-party service like aFax. 

A third-party server will take your emailed documents and transmit them according to protocols so they'll arrive to your recipient's fax machine just as if you'd sent them using your own machine.

Addressing Your Email

Just link your fax service to your email. You can use Hotmail, Outlook, or Gmail, and once you do this, sending a fax becomes as simple and intuitive as just sending an email. First, you'll compose a new email, and in the TO field, you'll put your recipient's fax machine number, followed by the aFax suffix: @onafax.com. If your recipient is located in the United States, then your TO field will have something like this in it:

  • 8643459343@onafax.com

If your recipient is located internationally, it'll be a little different. First, you need a dial-in code for the country you're faxing to. Let's say that's the UK. In that case, your dial-in code is 44. Then, you'll add the recipient's fax number as normal. So if you're sending something to London, you'll need all these numbers:

  • 44 (dialing in to the UK)
  • 20 (the area code for London)
  • 3376 2273 (the specific fax machine number)

In the end, your address will be: 442033762273@onafax.com

Attaching Your Documents

Your next step is to attach the documents you need to send. You'll do this from your computer, a GoogleDrive account, or your Dropbox account. You can send whatever type of document you want, really, but aFax will turn it into a .pdf for sending, so bear that in mind. That's the best format for good reception on a fax machine.

Composing Your Cover Letter

If you want to send a cover letter, put what you want to say in the Subject field, not the main email body. Your service will have some templates you can use, too, which can be very helpful if you want to send something formal.

And that's it! You're done, and you can just hit “Send.”

What Happens Once I Send It?

Your documents are transmitted to aFax securely, and from there, they're sent on to your recipient in just a few minutes, using faxing protocols accepted worldwide. There's no need for you to hang around waiting to see if things went through. You'll get a text message when it's been sent, so go about your day as normal! If you have to send a fax to multiple recipients, that's no problem. Your fax service can send to as many as you like.

Do I Keep the Number?

Your fax number is yours to keep, so other people can “fax” you just as if you had a fax machine. You'll get them to your email account whenever they come in, wherever you are. It couldn't be more convenient.

Ready to get started? Connect with aFax today!