Fax machines used to dominate our personal and professional lives – not long ago, to send a fax was just as ordinary as making a phone call – but now, the fax machine is slowly disappearing from our homes and from small offices.
But this doesn’t mean that faxing itself is disappearing. Quite the opposite in fact, the fax market is growing. For example, there are still many areas where e-signatures are not legally recognized, but faxed signatures are, making faxing essential for legal purposes. In addition, faxing still dominates industries like healthcare. There are many reasons why we all occasionally need to use fax services, and it’s normally during important moments in life – like dealing with healthcare providers, or filing taxes.
This raises the question – since fax machines are disappearing, where can we still find one when we need to use one?
A good place to go to send a fax is FedEx Office. FedEx Office still offer customers the use of a fax machine at the majority of their stores. Whether employee-assisted or self service, you can visit a local store and send local, domestic and international faxes for a modest cost.
Key Takeaways
- FedEx Office (formerly FedEx Kinko’s) has tiered fax pricing, with local faxes starting at $1.89 for the first page, national faxes at $2.49 and international faxes at $5.99 for the first page, with varying prices for additional pages.
- Office Depot, UPS and Staples also offer fax services, cheaper for the first page but potentially more for additional pages. Check out the full price comparison here.
- Aside from in-store services, online services and fax apps are getting popular, offering more flexibility and features like enhanced security, reduced paper use and ability to fax and receive faxes from anywhere.
Faxing at FedEx Office
First, it’s important to know that many shipping and office supply stores offer fax services, not just FedEx Office. Before you travel to a store to fax documents, check your local area’s store on the FedEx website to see if they offer services for faxes.
If you don’t have a FedEx Office store near your home, it’s worth reading our other guides:
Hopefully you can find a FedEx location which is close and convenient to you! Luckily, we’re going to give you the prices for all of these services in this article, to let you compare and choose the best fax option for you. Remember – some large convenience stores such as Walmart also have a FedEx Office center inside with fax machines, so you are probably close to a fax service.
How to Fax at FedEx Office
Sending a fax at FedEx is a straightforward process.
- Find your local FedEx Office store. Using the location finder service – the FedEx website will tell you whether that particular store has a fax machine you can pay to use.
Tip – if your local store is a busy one, you can call ahead to make an appointment to avoid a long wait. - Arrive prepared. Make sure you bring all the files you would like to send, you might want to cover up any sensitive documents or pages while you travel. If you need to print or scan any pages to fax, you can also do that at the FedEx Office store. Unfortunately, the FedEx website will not tell you the prices for sending a fax (prices vary by store), but you can call ahead to find this out if you need to.
Tip – make sure you know the fax number of the person or business you want to send a fax to, including the correct area code. - Prepare your fax. If you are using a self service fax machine, you will need to scan each page in the order you want them to be sent, with the first page first, and so on. You should also include a cover page with basic information or a message about the contents of the fax – the store can provide this.
- Send, and get confirmation. After checking the recipient’s fax number, press send. After a short time, the fax machine should print a confirmation report that your fax has sent successfully. Ask the store employee if you do not know how to find this. You are now finished!
- Receiving a fax? Remember, you can send and receive faxes at FedEx Office. Speak to an employee about how to receive local, domestic or international faxes at your local branch.
Advantages of Faxing at FedEx Office
There are a few good reasons why you might want to choose FedEx Office, or another office supply store, to send and receive your faxes.
- Access to helpful staff – if you ever have a problem or a question, you have experienced employees who can help. You never need to worry about common problems such as the fax machine breaking, or getting the area code wrong – people are here to help!
- Other services in store – not only do you have access to a fax machine in a FedEx store, but you can print, scan, copy, and edit your documents using the other services, all in one location.
- Receive faxes if needed – Receiving a fax at FedEx is just as easy. Customers can use self-service fax machines which accept different document sizes and provide a free fax cover sheet.
How Much Does It Cost?
The price of sending a fax at a store such as FedEx Office depends on 2 main factors:
- Number of Pages – There is a price for each and every page you want to fax (excluding the cover sheet). Usually the first page will be a fixed price, and then there may be a different fee for each page that follows. So if you have more pages, the price will So if you have more pages, the price will be higher! This is different to online fax services such as the Fax App, which allows unlimited pages with all subscriptions.
- Distance – The price of sending a fax will be lower for local faxes, slightly higher for domestic faxes, and much higher for international faxes. Again, online fax services often include international faxing under their subscriptions, so the price will be the same no matter where you are sending a fax.
Unfortunately, the FedEx website does not tell you the cost to use their fax services – to avoid a surprise, you will need to call your local branch to find out. Stores vary in their prices, but we have researched and found the most common prices for sending a fax locally, domestically, and internationally. Remember – these might not match your exact location, but they are a good average for what to expect.
| Type of Fax | FedEx | UPS | Staples | FAX From iPhone | |
| Local Faxing | First Page | $2 | $2 | $2 | Unlimited |
| Extra Pages | $1.50 | $1.50 | $2.20 | Unlimited | |
| A 10-page fax | $15.50 | $15.50 | $21.80 | $4.80 per week | |
| National Faxing | First Page | $2.50 | $2 | $2 | Unlimited |
| Extra Pages | $2 | $2 | $2.50 | Unlimited | |
| A 10-page fax | $20.50 | $20 | $24.50 | $4.80 per week | |
| International Faxing | First page | $5 | $3 | $4 | Unlimited |
| Extra Pages | $4 | $3 | $4 | Unlimited | |
| A 10-page fax | $41 | $30 | $40 | $4.80 per week |
An Alternative Fax Service
Whilst FedEx, UPS, or other locations can provide helpful services for sending and receiving faxes, there are online fax services which can offer more convenience and lower cost, such as Municorn’s Fax App. People are choosing to use apps and other online services more and more due to the lower price and price transparency, greater convenience, and lack of extra charges to long distance faxing.
If you choose an online alternative, you can choose a subscription that best suits you and your faxing schedule, and take advantage of all the benefits which an online service can offer you.
| FedEx Office / Other Stores | FAX From iPhone | |
| Location | Over 2,000 FedEx Office stores across the US | Anywhere in the world |
| Access | Opening times are usually 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM – weekends vary | Anytime |
| Support | Store staff are on hand to assist | Live chat with Municorn’s support team, directly from the app |
| Proof of Delivery | A physical receipt for each fax, which you will have to keep safe | All stored in the app |
| Waiting Time | You may have to wait in line, then wait around 30 seconds per page | No wait – put your phone down and relax, the app will tell you once it has sent |
| Range | Local numbers are cheapest and fastest. National and international faxing will cost much more, and take longer | You can fax to any number in the world with your subscription |
| Reliability | You can travel to a store and receive a reliable service | Very reliable service, from anywhere in the world |
| Technical Help | If the fax lines or machines are down, there’s not much the store can do | Dedicated support team from a specialist company |
| Security | Very secure | Very secure |
| Documents | You need to bring physical documents in to be scanned | Scan physical documents in the app, or choose from a huge variety of digital file formats to add to your fax |
Benefits of Online Faxing
One of the major perks of online faxing is its flexibility. You can send and receive faxes from any location with the iPhone / Android apps. So, whether you’re in the office, at home, or on the road, you can handle your faxes without a hitch.
The benefits don’t stop at flexibility. Online faxing offers:
- Enhanced security by delivering documents directly to recipients, reducing the risks of dealing with a fax machine in a public FedEx or UPS store
- Environmental protection by reducing paper usage
- Boosted productivity through instant faxing using cloud storage and modern file formats stored on your phone (basically you can just fax a PDF that you’ve just scanned with the app from a document)
- Customization options for cover sheets and no additional costs for international faxing.
- A dedicated fax number that stays with you as long as you need
All these benefits make faxing online a force to be reckoned with and a great alternative to FedEx.
Final Thoughts
Whether you fax at FedEx Office, UPS, at home, or online – we hope you found this article helpful! We have more information and tips on other pages, and if you download the Fax App you can speak to our support team at anytime – we hope to hear from you soon!
