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You’ll need a fax number when you need to send or receive documents using a method other than email or online messaging. For instance, many governmental agencies and health care organizations rely on fax to transmit sensitive information securely.
Whether you are sending a fax through a traditional fax machine or through an online service, you will still need the recipient’s number.
However, if you’re mostly familiar with phone and email communications, you may not know how to find a fax number — whether that’s your intended recipient or your own.
4 Ways To Find Fax Numbers
There are multiple ways to find a fax number. You may be able to contact the recipient directly, or you can also search the internet for a directory or the business’s website. The best method for you will depend on what information you already have.
Contact the Recipient
The simplest and most direct way to find a fax number is to contact the person or business directly and ask what their fax number is. This, of course, depends on having some form of contact information for them already, like a telephone number or email address. If you cannot contact them directly, you will have to use one of the below methods.
Check Websites To Find a Fax Number Online
If you cannot reach out to the recipient to ask for their fax number, you can always rely on the internet. There are a couple of ways you can search online for a fax number.
Searching Websites With a Telephone Directory
Online telephone directories can be helpful when searching for a fax number. Directories are made to be easily searchable, so as long as you know the name of the person or business you need to contact, you can search the directory for the appropriate number. Some sites include fax numbers alongside phone numbers, but if you can only find the phone number, you can also call the business and ask them for their fax number.
Navigating Business Websites for Fax Numbers
Most businesses have a website, and that website will usually contain the business’s contact information. The fax number will probably be located in the “Contact Us” section of their website. If no fax number is listed, you can likely find a phone number or email address to contact them for their fax number. You may be able to reach them via email or social media as well.
Use Search Engines
To find a fax number via search engine, type the name of the business into the search field and add the phrase “fax number” after it. The search results may contain a fax number, but if you don’t see it, you may at least find their website or other contact information so you can ask them directly.
Contact Your Fax Service Provider
Your fax service provider can also be of assistance when trying to find a fax number. If you need your own fax number, they can provide it to you.
Requesting Fax Numbers for Incoming Faxes
Traditional incoming faxes will display the number that they were sent from on the Caller ID of the fax machine. If you are using an online fax service that doesn’t have identification included on it, you can contact the provider to request the number that the fax was sent from.
Checking Sent Fax Documents for Fax Numbers
Most faxes you receive will include a cover sheet with useful contact information. A fax’s cover letter should have the identity of the sender, including their name or business name, the sender’s fax number, and the time and date. Even if the cover sheet doesn’t include the sender’s fax number, it can provide helpful information for your online search.
If there is no cover sheet, you can check for the information within the header or footer of the document. With normal faxing, the number that a fax was sent from is included in the footer. If the fax has been sent within the United States, the first three digits are the area code, followed by the fax number. You should be able to locate a ten or eleven-digit number on each page. If the fax was sent internationally, the number of digits including the country code will depend on where it was sent from.
If you received a document through an internet fax service or email faxing service, fax information may still be included in the footer. Scroll to the bottom of a page and check for the fax number there.
Use Online Faxing Services
Faxing used to require having direct access to a large fax machine. But in today’s era of fast and portable technology, you can send a fax from anywhere with a Wi-Fi or data connection — this can ease a lot of faxing worries.
Online fax providers like eFax provide convenience and ease of use. For instance, you can receive incoming faxes as PDF files. You can also send and receive faxes through any computer or your phone using a mobile app. Contact us to see how we can help you make faxing quicker and easier.
