How to Get a Fax Number: Options and Steps from Fax Authority

Updated

Fax Authority's guide to getting a fax number breaks the choice into three routes: a local phone number, a VoIP number, or a number issued by an online fax service. The right one depends on whether you need a physical fax machine on site, whether you want to send and receive from a computer or phone, and how much research you're willing to do before committing. Fax Authority's stated position is that getting a number "can be easy, if the right research is done first" — so the guide treats number selection as a research task, not a checkout step.

The three types of fax numbers

Fax Authority groups fax numbers by how they are delivered rather than by provider brand:

Type How it works Typical fit
Local phone number A standard number tied to a geographic area, used with a fax machine or a fax-capable line You have a physical fax machine and want a number that looks local to clients
VoIP number A number delivered over an internet connection instead of a traditional phone line You want to move fax traffic off a dedicated phone line but still use fax hardware
Online fax service number A number issued by an online fax provider; documents are sent and received through that service You want to send and receive faxes from a computer or mobile device without owning a fax machine

The distinction matters because it determines your equipment. A local or VoIP number still assumes you have something to plug in or configure. An online fax service number replaces the machine entirely, which is why Fax Authority's how-to content splits "How to Send a Fax" into machine-based and computer-based paths.

Steps to get a number through an online fax service

Fax Authority's how-to articles on sending faxes and faxing from a computer describe the same general sequence. The steps below follow that structure; exact menu labels differ by provider.

  1. Decide what the number is for. A number used for occasional inbound documents (contracts, prescriptions, signed forms) has different requirements than one printed on marketing material and expected to last for years.
  2. Check number availability in the area code you want. Online fax services typically let you pick from available numbers, and local-looking numbers are often the reason people choose this route over a toll-free option.
  3. Choose a plan that matches your volume. Fax Authority's reviews are organized around specific plans — for example, its eFax review covers the eFax Plus plan, its RingCentral review covers the Fax 750 plan, and it also reviews Nextiva's Basic plan and MyFax's "Best Value" plan. Plan names are the unit of comparison, not just the provider.
  4. Set up sending and receiving. Once the number is active, you send by uploading a document and entering the destination fax number, and you receive inbound faxes as files in the service's interface or inbox.
  5. Test with a real fax. Send a one-page document to a number you control, or ask a contact to fax you a page, and confirm both directions work before you publish the number anywhere.

What "research first" means in practice

Fax Authority's framing implies a few checks before you commit to a number:

  • Portability and permanence. If the number will appear on business cards or a website, confirm what happens to it if you change plans or providers.
  • Coverage of your use case. Fax Authority's how-to library covers faxing from a computer, from Windows 7, and from Windows XP — an indication that the guide expects readers to arrive with an existing setup and match the method to it, rather than assuming one universal workflow.
  • Provider track record. The site's reviews lean on history and reputation: eFax is described as a brand "synonymous with online faxing itself," and RingCentral as a provider with "a reputation for reliability" that moved from VoIP into online faxing. Those are the dimensions Fax Authority uses to compare, so they're the dimensions worth checking yourself.

Choosing between the options

There is no single best route in Fax Authority's material — the guide presents options and lets the use case decide.

  • Choose a local or VoIP number if you already have a fax machine, need a number that matches your local area, and are comfortable managing a phone line or VoIP configuration.
  • Choose an online fax service number if you want to send and receive without hardware, need to fax from a computer, or want inbound faxes delivered as digital files.
  • Compare on plan, not just brand. Fax Authority reviews named plans (eFax Plus, RingCentral Fax 750, Nextiva Basic, MyFax Best Value), which suggests that within a single provider the plan tier is what changes your limits and features.

One caveat worth carrying into your decision: Fax Authority's page evidence covers reviews, how-to articles, news, and history, but it does not publish pricing on the pages captured here. Treat any cost expectation as something to verify directly with the provider rather than something the guide settles for you.