Choosing an Online Fax Provider: Why Should You Try It Before You Buy?

Businesses of all sizes, institutions, and organizations often need faxing capabilities for a variety of documents: financial information, legal forms, medical records, contracts, purchase orders and other common types of paperwork which needs to be transmitted securely from one end to another.

Online faxing solutions allow users to easily send, receive and store faxes electronically in one central location – a cloud-based inbox, either through a web portal or via email.
Using an internet-based service eliminates the need to pay for a dedicated landline and purchase a traditional physical machine that consumes valuable space and requires constant maintenance and toner replacement.

However, freelancers, home-office users, small businesses, startups, larger companies or HIPAA-compliant industries (like healthcare or finance) all have very different needs in terms of fax volume, document storage requirements, security, privacy, and budget.

There are many competing electronic fax-to-email options on the market, and every company offers its unique mix of technological features, functionalities, and capabilities coupled with its own set of pros and cons.

Essential core features like a dedicated local number, the basic ability to send and receive documents and storage and management tools are very common with many providers.

Advanced capabilities like international, toll-free and vanity numbers, digital signatures, high-level encryption, HIPAA compliance, scheduled delivery, email client and third-party cloud storage integrations, multiple recipient support, customizable fax cover sheets, and a smartphone app are also available with some companies.

So how can you determine which one is ideal for your ongoing faxing demands?
Since there are so many alternative options available, the best thing you can do is try some out for yourself and obtain an independent insight on which SaaS product deserves your hard-earned money.

The no-obligation testing period gives you the chance to review all components of a certain platform in a hands-on way, which gives you a real feel for how it works.
It also helps you to form an independent opinion about the service, discover its strengths and weaknesses, and reach a research-based conclusion, whether a long-term paid subscription is worth it or not.

How to Make the Most of an Online Fax Service Trial Period?

An initial trial period allows you to try out a premium internet fax service for free before committing to a monthly or annual subscription and without spending a penny.

It’s a great way to verify that the service provider you consider delivers on everything you’re looking for before actually putting money down.
Research, reviews, and customer recommendations are extremely useful, but it’s not the same as actually taking a platform for a test drive.

Unlike a demo version or a freemium, free trial accounts come with significantly fewer limitations or restrictions, and sometimes, none at all.
In such cases, users get complete access to the entire system for a certain period and enjoy the same benefits and privileges of a paid subscriber.

This time window enables you to fully explore the fax service’s features, evaluate its ease of use, assess its value for money, and experience the provider’s customer service and support departments.
You get all of this paying nothing and with no obligation to join the service as a paying customer.

After starting your free trial, play a little bit with the system: does it have a modern, convenient, intuitive interface?
Try sending a fax and verify its acceptance on the other side. After that, try receiving a fax from another party, see how long it takes and check the quality of the transferred document. Is the text clear or blurred?

After checking the basic functionality of the platform, see how the storage organization and indexing tools work and whether they provide a convenient environment.
Do you get an easy ability to search the archive for inbound and outbound documents?

Besides, discover how easy it is to use the service through your mobile device, which can be important, especially if you are constantly on the go.
Check if there are any unreasonable faxing limits which do not correspond with your day-to-day needs or expected usage patterns.

Ask yourself: Do you like using this service? Is the monthly allotment of sent and received pages in your package sufficient? Do they have reasonable overage fees? Is the system easy to operate?

If you’re happy with what you saw and experienced, then feel free to purchase a paid subscription.
However, if the service did not meet your expectations or needs, simply cancel the trial and look for better digital faxing alternatives.

Frequently Asked Questions

Trying out and comparing a number of potential internet fax options is a vital step before choosing a provider and selecting a relevant plan.
Here’s a list of common questions (and answers) that often come up during this process.

• Why Should You Sign Up? Benefits of Using Free Trials before Choosing Any Paid Service
  
• “Credit Card Required”: Why Do Some Free Trial Offers Require Users to Enter-In Their Credit Card Information?
  
• Risk-Free Offer Models: What’s the Difference Between Free Trials, Freemium and Money-Back Guarantee?
  
• Common Free Trial Scams: How Do They Work and What Can You Do To Avoid Them?
  
• Tips: How Do You Cancel a Free Trial You Signed Up For?