How to Get a Fax Number for Your Business (5 Options)

By David Thompson · Published July 21, 2025 · Updated June 8, 2026 · 7 min read

Quick Answer: The fastest way to get a fax number for your business is through an online fax service. mFax Business gives you a dedicated local or toll-free number in under 5 minutes — no hardware, no phone line — starting at about $9/mo (billed annually).

Every business that handles contracts, patient records, government forms, or vendor orders eventually needs a fax number. The good news: you no longer need a fax machine or a dedicated phone line to get one. There are now five distinct ways to get a business fax number, each with different costs, setup times, and trade-offs.

This guide walks through all five options so you can pick the one that fits your budget and workflow.

5 Ways to Get a Business Fax Number

1. Online Fax Service (Recommended)

An online fax service gives you a virtual fax number that works entirely over the internet. You send faxes from your browser, email, or phone app. Incoming faxes arrive as PDFs in your inbox. No machine, no phone line, no toner.

How it works:

1. Sign up with a provider (mFax Business, eFax, Fax.Plus, etc.)
2. Choose a local or toll-free number during setup
3. Start sending and receiving faxes immediately

Why businesses choose this: It's the cheapest option for most use cases, requires zero hardware, and includes features that physical fax machines can't match — delivery receipts, team inboxes, cloud storage, and HIPAA compliance for healthcare organizations.

Cost: $10–50/month depending on the provider and plan. mFax Business starts at about $9/mo and lets you build your own plan — usage-based pricing where you pick the exact seats and pages you need ($3/seat + $4 per 100 pages) and pay only for what you use, with no rigid fixed tiers.

2. Traditional Fax Line (Phone Company)

If your office already has a landline, you can add a dedicated fax line through your phone provider. Call AT&T, Verizon, or your local carrier and request an additional line for faxing.

What you need:

• A fax machine or multifunction printer with fax capability
• A dedicated phone jack
• A phone line subscription from your carrier

Cost: $30–80/month for the line alone, plus $100–500 upfront for a fax machine. Long-distance faxes cost extra. You'll also pay for toner, paper, and maintenance.

This method made sense when it was the only option. Today, it costs 2–4x more than an online service and gives you less functionality. For most businesses, this is the expensive path.

3. VoIP / Business Phone System Add-On

If your business already uses a VoIP phone system (RingCentral, 8x8, Vonage, etc.), you may be able to add a fax number as part of your existing plan. Many unified communications platforms include fax as a built-in feature.

How it works:

• Check your current VoIP provider's dashboard for a "fax" or "virtual fax" option
• Enable it and choose a number (often included in business plans)
• Send and receive faxes through the provider's web portal or email integration

Cost: Often included in business-tier plans ($20–40/month for the full phone + fax bundle). Standalone fax add-ons cost $5–15/month extra.

The catch: VoIP fax reliability can be inconsistent. The T.38 protocol that handles fax over IP is sensitive to network jitter and packet loss. If your internet connection isn't rock-solid, faxes may fail. If you fax frequently or handle compliance-sensitive documents, a dedicated online fax service is more reliable than a VoIP add-on.

4. Port Your Existing Number

Already have a fax number from a physical line or another provider? You can port it to an online fax service and keep the same number. Your contacts don't need to update anything — the number stays the same, but faxes now route through the cloud.

The process:

Cost: Most providers handle porting for free or charge a one-time $10–25 fee. You save money long-term by eliminating the phone line.

5. Pay-Per-Fax (No Monthly Commitment)

If your business only sends a handful of faxes per month — the occasional contract, vendor form, or tax document — a pay-per-fax service might be all you need. You don't get a permanent inbound fax number, but you can send outbound faxes on demand.

How it works: Download the mFax app, upload a PDF or snap a photo of a document, enter the recipient's fax number, and send. You pay per fax, no subscription required.

Cost: Typically $0.10–2.00 per page depending on the service and destination.

Best for: Freelancers, solopreneurs, and businesses that fax fewer than 10 pages per month. If you need to receive faxes too, you'll want a dedicated number from one of the options above.

Cost Comparison: All 5 Methods

For most businesses, an online fax service hits the best balance of cost, reliability, and features. The only scenario where a traditional fax line still makes sense is if your office is legally required to maintain a physical fax machine — and even then, most compliance frameworks (including HIPAA) accept online fax with proper encryption and a signed BAA.

Local vs. Toll-Free: Which Number Type?

When you set up a business fax number through an online service, you'll choose between a local or toll-free number:

Our recommendation: If 80%+ of your fax contacts are in one metro area, go with a local number in their area code. If you serve clients across the country — or want to project a larger presence — pick toll-free. Either way, the number works identically.

What to Look for in a Business Fax Number Provider

Not every fax service is built for business use. Here's what matters:

• Dedicated fax number — Your number should be permanent and exclusively yours, not shared or recycled between users.
• Send and receive — Some free plans only let you receive. Make sure outbound faxing is included.
• Delivery confirmations — Every outbound fax should generate a timestamped receipt. This matters for contracts, legal filings, and compliance.
• HIPAA compliance — If you handle patient data or other protected health information, your provider must offer encryption, access controls, and a signed Business Associate Agreement. Not all do.
• Team features — For offices with multiple people who need fax access, look for shared inboxes, user roles, and permission controls.
• Number porting — If you're switching from an existing line, confirm the provider supports inbound porting.
• Page limits — Check how many pages are included per month and what overage rates look like. A medical practice faxing daily needs 500+ pages; a freelancer might need 50.

Get Your Business Fax Number with mFax

mFax Business gives you a dedicated local or toll-free fax number, HIPAA-ready infrastructure, a web dashboard, and team accounts — starting at about $9/mo. No hardware, no phone line. Setup takes under 5 minutes.

For occasional faxing, download the mFax app — upload a PDF or snap a photo and send a fax in under 2 minutes, no subscription required.

Related guides:

• Virtual Fax Number: How to Get One & Why You Need It
• Fax Number Porting: How to Transfer Your Fax Number
• Best Online Fax Services: Security, Speed & Cost Compared
• HIPAA Compliant Fax: The Complete Guide & Checklist
• How to Fax Without a Phone Line