Everyone has heard of fax, right? But few people exactly understand the meaning of a fax number or the difference between it and a phone number, even those who use fax services quite often. Since we still utilize fax services in today’s work environment, especially for highly regulated industries like government, medical, legal and commercial, you should really know what a fax number is. We will offer you a clear explanation of it in this article.
What is Fax and Fax Number?
According to Wikipedia, fax is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images). Generally, it is a service that allows you to send and receive documents in an electronic form along a telephone line over a long distance.
Back in the days, faxing was achieved by a physical fax machine. But nowadays, you can easily fax on your mobile phone, tablet or computer with an online fax number.
A fax number looks just like a regular phone number. It is either provided by phone companies that can bind the number to the fax machine or by online fax service providers. Only with a fax number, can you send and receive fax pages. The format and length of the fax number differ depending on the area where your fax document is sent. You may need to add the country code and area code as the case may be.
Is a Fax Number the Same as a Phone Number?
A fax number and a phone number are related and similar in many ways, but they are actually different from each other. Essentially, a phone number is used to communicate with others by voice, while a fax number is used to transmit documents along the telephone line.
A real person you want to speak to answers the line when you dial the phone number, while a fax tone answers when you dial the fax number. They use audible tones to send and receive information.
Can You Call a Fax Number?
Generally, it is possible to call a fax number. When calling a fax number with a normal phone, you will hear a set of beeps produced by the receiving fax machine. The beeping sound is called a handshake signal which is used to establish an agreement between two fax devices. If there is a fax machine on your end beeping back, the agreement will be established and you can start faxing. If there is no fax machine beeping back, the receiving fax machine will simply hang up the line.
How to Dial a Fax Phone Number when Sending a Fax?
Since fax works on the telephone network, a fax phone number works almost the same way as a phone number and should be dialed just the same way you make a phone call.
On most new fax machines, the country code and area code will not need to be dialed for a local number but the area code is still necessary for long-distance numbers outside of your location, and the country code and area code are both necessary for international fax.
When sending international fax, you need to dial the exit code first, then the country code, then the area code, and finally the local number. For example, if you want to send a fax from the UK to the US, you need to dial “00” (the exit code), then “1” (the country code for the US), then the area code, and the 7-digit local number, say 001 (212) 999 8888.
How Can I Get a Fax Number for Free?
Faxing is an inexpensive, secure, and efficient way of transmitting confidential files. You are allowed to exchange contracts, documents, and forms easily with your partners or clients with a fax number.
Online fax services are surging on account of the rapid development of the internet and technological advancements. There are many superb online service providers like eFax, FAX.PLUS, and Dingtone FAX who can offer you an online fax number, which allows you to send and receive faxes from virtually anywhere with an Internet connection and a mobile device.
If you sign up for the FAX app, you can get your local or international online fax number for free. Besides, there’s no limit on fax pages under one plan. You can obtain lifetime storage and all past faxes are memorable. Some wonderful features like file editing, page combining, cover page and signature adding are all available. Faxing is effortless with the FAX app!
Bottom Line
- A fax number is a phone number that can be used to contact a fax machine. The format and length of a fax number differ depending on the area where your fax is sent.
- It is different from a phone number in that a fax tone answers when you dial the fax number.
- You can get a local or international online fax number on the FAX app for free. Download FAX and start faxing from anywhere at any time.