A one time fax service sends a single document to a fax number without an account or a monthly plan, and it exists because most people who need to fax something need to fax it once: a signed form to an insurer, a document to a court, a prescription to a pharmacy. FaxZero is the one such service in the Fax Line Index catalog, and its terms are printed plainly: free faxes of up to three pages plus a cover, at most five a day, or $3.29 per fax by PayPal for up to 25 pages with priority delivery. It sends only. For anything that recurs, or anything that must be received, the monthly plans in the index are the answer, and this page draws the line between the two.
What a one time service does
You upload the document on the web page, type the recipient's fax number and your email address, and send. The service dials the number and emails you when the fax has gone through, which is your transmission record. FaxZero's free tier carries a cover page with the service's branding unless you untick it, caps a fax at three pages and a day at five faxes; the $3.29 option lifts the page limit to 25 and sends ahead of the free queue. No account is created and nothing is stored for you afterwards, which is exactly what someone with one form wants.
What it cannot do
It cannot receive. There is no number, so a reply fax has nowhere to go, and a business that gets faxed orders or referrals needs a plan with a number. It does not state HIPAA compliance or offer a business associate agreement, so a patient record should not go through it; the HIPAA class page lists the vendors whose own pages state a BAA. And it is not cheap at volume: five pages a day at $3.29 each is $16.45 a day, more than the monthly price of every entry plan in the index.
When a plan is cheaper
From the second fax in a month. Fax.Plus prints 200 pages a month on Basic at $6.99 with a 30-day trial; MetroFax prints 550 pages at $11.95 billed monthly with no activation fee; WestFax prints 500 pages at $14.99 billed monthly, cancel anytime. Each is cheaper than three paid FaxZero sends and includes a number that receives. For a genuine one-off the per-fax service wins; for anyone who will send again next month, the sums in the price index say a plan does, and several can be cancelled after the month.
Questions people ask about one time fax service
How can I send one fax without a subscription?
Through a per-fax web sender. FaxZero sends up to three pages free, five faxes a day, or 25 pages for $3.29 by PayPal, with no account.
Can a one time fax service receive a reply?
No. It has no fax number. Receiving needs a plan with a number, which every paid plan in the index includes.
Is a one time fax cheaper than a plan?
For one fax, yes. From the second fax in a month the entry plans, from $6.99 with 200 pages, cost less, and several can be cancelled after a month.