Fax Set Up and Common FAQ's

Choosing a fax number:
We have most area codes available, but sometimes we run out of numbers. Usually, we automatically 'restock' weekly, but some area codes are difficult to get. If your area code is not available we recommend choosing an alternate one. We can always change your fax number to any other available number at no charge.

Receiving a fax:
Just give out your fax # and anything sent will appear in your inbox as a pdf file. Faxes are sent to your e-mail address as listed in the My Account settings. You can change that e-mail anytime. Typically, faxes can take up to 30 seconds per page to process from the outgoing fax machine, through our fax servers, and then on to your e-mail account. Thus, a 10 page fax might take five minutes to arrive.

Receiving faxes to multiple e-mail accounts
We can configure your account to send incoming faxes to 2 separate e-mail accounts. All faxes received will be sent to both addresses. This will NOT double your page count towards the 1,000 pages per month limit. Just send us an e-mail with the second addresses and we'll configure your account.

Organizing your faxes:
When you receive a fax it has a random numeric file name assigned by the fax servers. (i.e.; 1234567.pdf) You can rename it to anything appropriate when you save it to your local computer. This will keep you well organized!

Monthly Limit:
1,000 pages inbound or 100 outbound anywhere in the U.S. If you ever reach your inbound limit in any given month just send us an e-mail and we'll add some extra capacity to your account. There is never any additional charge for temporarily increasing your inbound limits. Outbound faxing has additional costs as all outbound faxes are considered 'long distance'. We can offer an upgraded account for $19.95 if you plan to send out up to 300 pages per month. We do not offer high volume 'outbound' faxing.

Update your credit card:
You can easily update your credit card by logging into your account and clicking on the My Account tab. At the bottom of the page is an Update Credit Card button. When your card reaches it's expiration date we send an automated e-mail with a link to the Update Credit Card page. Simply update your account info there and your account will continue uninterrupted. We send out a notice at 14 days and another notice at 7 days prior to canceling the account. If you do not respond or contact us your account will be automatically deleted. You can also use this Fax Account Update Form to update your credit card info.

Porting your existing fax number:
We can port most fax numbers to our FAXtopia service. While each carrier has different rules, typically you can fill out our fax porting application and return it to us. Typical charges from most carriers are $25-. We do not charge any additional fees. The porting process can take up to three weeks. While waiting for your number to be ported over to our servers your fax number should continue to resolve through your existing carrier and fax machine. The first step is to complete the fax number porting authorization form. Then, you can sign up for a new account choosing any random fax number. We will modify your account for the ported number. Once the number is successfully ported the previous carrier will no longer bill you for that number. (This is not forwarding, it's a full transfer.) NOTE: efax and their related companies do not typically allow their numbers to be ported away from them.

Sending a fax:
Log into your account at Faxtopia and click the 'Web to Fax' button. Enter the recipients name and the subject. Then enter the fax number. Be sure to enter 1 plus the fax number with no spaces or dashes.

The cover page content is optional, but you can enter any text there.. Click on 'browse' and select any document on your computer. While there is no formal limit on the number of pages you can send outbound, larger faxes (over 30 pages) can have a higher failure rate. Also note that scanned documents should be scanned at a lower resolution (100 DPI max). Otherwise the file size becomes difficult to fax out.

Click 'Send Fax Now' and you will receive a confirmation of a successful transmission.

'Processing time' when sending an internet fax is typically a function of the receiving fax machine. Older fax machines may be busy for several minutes when receiving other faxes. Newer machines will store a fax in their memory and disconnect the line quickly. Our servers will make several attempts but if the receiving line is busy for an extended period then the fax will 'fail'. You will get an e-mailed notice of the failure, probably stating 'Line Busy'. Simply attempt to send it again later.

Overseas faxing:
There is no additional charge for faxes sent overseas. However, your monthly limit will be reduced based on rates of individual countries. i.e.; 100 outbound pages to anywhere in the US or Canada equals approximately 30 pages to Great Britain and only 20 pages to China. Some countries are blocked due to a history of phone charge fraud issues. These include Kazakhstan, North Korea, Belarus, Cambodia, Tuvalu, and others.

Signing a fax online:
While software exists to allow digital signatures (Adobe Illustrator) there is really no practical option to getting ink on the page. The current best practice is to print whatever page needs a signature, sign it, and then manually fax or mail it.

Support:
Not much support is typically needed with a web fax system. Everything happens on our servers, which are monitored continuously. If you ever need to contact us please send an e-mail to support@faxtopia.com

Canceling your account:
You can cancel anytime simply by logging into your account and clicking on the cancel account button. Automatic billing is done every month on your sign up date. Once you cancel, there will be no further charges to your account. One last charge may appear on you credit card if you cancel just after your monthly anniversary date. Your fax number will be returned to the pool of available numbers.

Web Fax Affiliate Program:
Offer Faxtopia services by placing a link on your website. We'll pay you $20- for every referring click.
Click here for the Web Fax Affiliate Program