Don't have a fax machine handy? No problem. You can use the Web to send a free fax - and no, you don't have to have a fax machine or even find some spare change. Here are five sites that give you the ability to send a free fax online. Updated November 2009
1. FaxZero
FaxZero gives you two free faxes a day, and if you are a very infrequent faxer (like me) than that's all you need. Simply save the document you're faxing onto your computer somewhere, provide the fax number and company information, and send the file; kind of like sending an email. You will receive a fax confirmation in your email inbox within 20 minutes if the fax was sent successfully.
2. ScanR
ScanR is an intriguing service that turns your camera phone into a scanner, copy machine, and fax machine all in one fell swoop. Here's how ScanR works: basically, you take a picture of a document you want to share with someone else, send it to a ScanR email address, and they send this document on by fax as a .pdf file. You'll have to download the ScanR software to get the more detailed services, and you'll want to figure out which level of ScanR you'll want to subscribe to (basic services are free).
3. PamFax
Skype users will love PamFax: it's a fully Skype-integrated service that allows you to send faxes for cheap (first-time users get a few freebies).
4. MyFax
MyFax will send one free fax for you to 41 different countries, and you'll get a confirmation email in your inbox once it's done. Plans start out at $10/month for 100 faxes; that's a lot of faxes!
5. Popfax
Popfax is a fax service that offers a free fax online trial, but then goes to a paid subscription service. Popfax works very similarly to the other fax services detailed in this article with a few differences: it does offer worldwide fax service, and they keep your documents in storage for 30 days. The subscription fee is low enough that it's worth a look if you send more than 5 faxes a month.
