How to get a fax number for your business
What a business fax number actually costs — including the setup and porting fees most providers don't put on the pricing page. And when you don't need one.
What a business fax number actually costs
Most fax number providers advertise a monthly rate and stop there. In practice, three separate charges usually show up before you're actually sending: a recurring monthly fee (commonly $10–$20 for a basic plan), a one-time setup fee (often $0–$50, frequently waived only if you ask), and — if you're bringing an existing number from another carrier — a porting fee that a lot of providers don't disclose until checkout (commonly $10–$25, sometimes billed as a "number transfer" line item). None of that is illegal or unusual, it's just rarely on the pricing page you land on first.
NerdFax's own business fax line starts at $9/month (Number: one local US number, 30 pages included, then $0.09 per additional page) or $29/month (Office: more seats and numbers, 300 pages included, then $0.08 per additional page) — no setup fee. We don't have number porting built yet in either direction, so we're not charging a porting fee because we're not offering porting. See the full, current details on the Business Fax Number page.
When you don't need one
If you only send a fax occasionally — a signed contract, a medical form, a one-off filing — a standing monthly number is usually the wrong tool. You're paying every month for a line that mostly sits idle, and it's worth pricing out a number of your own against just sending what you actually have to send. NerdFax's one-off send is $2.99 per fax, no account, no monthly commitment, and it already works today: send a fax now.
A dedicated number starts making sense once you're receiving faxes regularly, not just sending them — a doctor's office, a law practice, a lender — because receiving requires something answering on your behalf around the clock. Sending alone doesn't.
How to actually get a fax number for your business
If a standing number is what you need, the practical options to get a fax number for your business are: a traditional analog line from a phone carrier (expensive and increasingly hard to provision), a VoIP-based fax service bundled into a phone system you already pay for, or a dedicated online fax number from a provider like NerdFax. Whichever route you take, ask up front about the three costs above — the monthly fee, the setup fee, and the porting fee — before you compare sticker prices.
If you'd rather skip the comparison shopping, NerdFax's own business fax line is live now — sign up and start sending today.
NerdFax's one-off $2.99 send works right now, no account or number required. The Business Fax Number described above is live for both sending and receiving into a secure inbox. Number porting is not built in either direction. See the Business Fax Number page for the full, current details.
Costs cited above for other providers are general industry patterns, not a specific competitor's rate card — always confirm current pricing directly with any provider before you sign up.