How to Receive Fax Without a Fax Machine
Updated Jan 19th, 2026 - 5 min read
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Faxing isn’t only for offices with bulky machines and paper trays anymore. Today, individuals and businesses can receive faxes digitally, no dedicated phone line, no hardware, and no printing required.
In this guide, you’ll learn how to receive a fax without a fax machine, how online fax numbers work, and how Notifyre makes it simple to receive, store, and forward faxes securely.
Can You Receive a Fax Without a Fax Machine?
Yes. You can receive a fax without a fax machine by using an online fax service that provides a virtual fax number. Incoming faxes are delivered digitally, usually as a PDF (or other supported fax file type), so you can view, download, and forward them from your computer or phone.
This is ideal for:
Remote teams and home offices
Clinics and professional services
Real estate, legal, finance, and HR
Businesses that want to reduce paper handling
How Receiving Faxes Online Works
Instead of receiving faxes through a physical fax machine, online faxing works like this:
You get a dedicated fax number (or port your fax number).
People fax that number as usual.
The fax is converted into a digital file (PDF) and delivered to you online.
You access it anytime, without printing.
With Notifyre, you can receive faxes digitally through your online account, receive them in your email as a PDF or to you’re software via fax API integration.
How to Receive a Fax Without a Fax Machine Using Notifyre
Here’s the step-by-step process:
1) Get an online fax number and activate a receive plan
To receive faxes, you’ll need an active fax number and an active fax receive plan.
Notifyre offers:
Fax plans that include one fax number (of your choice) for a little as $7.00 per month.
Port your existing fax number (so you keep the same number people already use)
Where to set this up in Notifyre:
Log in to your Notifyre account
Go to Plans (left navigation)
Click the Fax tab
Choose a Receive Fax Plan from the available options
2) Share your fax number
Once your number is active, give it to your customers, suppliers, patients, or partners, just like a traditional fax number.
3) Receive faxes digitally
When someone sends a fax to your number, it arrives digitally. You can:
View the fax online
Download it (as a PDF)
Keep a digital record for compliance or documentation
Receive faxes in your email inbox (fax to email)
Why Receive Faxes Online Instead of Using a Fax Machine?
Receiving faxes digitally can improve speed, organisation, and reliability, especially if your team is not always in one office.
Benefits of receiving faxes without a fax machine
No hardware or maintenance: No repairs, toner, or paper jams
Access anywhere: View faxes from your laptop, desktop, or phone
Faster sharing: Forward faxes instantly without re-scanning
Less paper handling: Keep a cleaner, more secure workflow
Easier recordkeeping: Search, store, and archive digitally
Secure faxing: Receive faxes through a secure online fax service with controlled access and digital records, reducing the risk of printed documents being left on a shared machine or misplaced
How to Receive a Fax for Free (and What “Free” Really Means)
If you search online for “free fax receiving,” you’ll see sites claiming you can receive faxes for free, but most aren’t truly free long-term. They’re usually limited trials, capped by pages, supported by ads, or the number expires unless you upgrade, so they can be unreliable for important documents. If you need a consistent fax number and dependable delivery, it’s better to use a reputable fax service like Notifyre instead: activate a receive plan, keep a dedicated (or ported) fax number, and receive faxes in your account or via fax to email.
Use Cases: Who Needs Digital Fax Receiving?
Online fax receiving works well for both personal and business needs, including:
Healthcare faxing: referrals, forms, test results
Legal faxing: signed documents, case files
Finance faxing: statements, approvals, compliance paperwork
SMBs & remote teams faxing: supplier documents, HR files, invoices
Tips for Receiving Faxes Smoothly (without missed documents)
To avoid missed faxes or confusion:
Use a dedicated fax number for the right department (e.g., billing vs admin)
Keep a consistent naming system when saving files (Date + Sender + Subject)
Ensure the sender uses the correct fax number format (especially for international faxes)
Regularly review your fax activity/logs to confirm delivery
Receive Faxes Digitally with Notifyre
If you want to receive faxes without a fax machine, Notifyre gives you a practical modern alternative: a dedicated fax number and a digital fax service that fits remote and busy teams.
No fax hardware, no paper jams, just fast, organised fax receiving.
Start receiving faxes the modern way!
Activate a Notifyre Receive Plan in minutes and get faxes delivered to your account or email.
Fax From Email
Create a new email, attach your fax document and enter the recipient’s fax number.
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