How to Choose an Internet Fax Service
There are many services on the internet that offer you online faxing so how you do you know which one to choose, do they all offer the same, the answer is no some offer more options than others do so it pays to shop around before signing up with one. Some points worth considering are:
- Does the service offer both web based and e-mail faxing?
Some internet fax services only offer you faxes delivered to your e mail, some offer you web based and email and also may include the option of accessing you faxes through a handheld device.
- Are there any hidden charges?
Some sites may charge you extra for sending or receiving faxes over a set limit for your monthly payment, some will also charge you for failed faxes.
- Which formats does the service use?
The standard file format used by fax service providers is TIFF format but check to see if and how many other formats can be used. The internet fax service should allow other popular formats to be used such as Acrobat, Word and Excel formats for use in these popular applications.
- Does the service support the use of more than one e-mail address?
Many people have more than one business email address does the service provider allow for the inclusion of more than one e mail address. It could prove to be a hindrance if you have to keep signing into just the one account when you want to read your faxes.
- Does the service offer conformation that the fax was sent?
A good internet fax service will include as standard confirmation e-mails that tell you your fax was sent successfully giving you peace of mind that important document was sent.
- What kind of customer support does the provider offer?
It is always wise to check for customer support before signing up for the service, does the site list a help number, can you talk to a live person, is help available 24/7. Some sites have the inclusion of talking live with a person on messaging such as MSN and Yahoo.
- Do you have to download any special software?
Usually with most service providers there should be no need for any additional software or hardware to be installed on your computer in order to use the service. You should be able to receive and send faxes from anywhere you have an internet connection.
- Does the service charge a set up fee?
Some services will charge a set up fee when you choose the lower of there packages other provider’s offer you no set up fee at all but it is wise to check that there are no hidden charges involved before signing up with a provider.
- How many pages are included in the monthly price?
Different providers will allow different amounts of pages that you are allowed to send per month included in the monthly subscription rate after this they charge per page rate which varies from provider to provider.
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