Short answer: to receive faxes by email you need a phone number reserved for you, a server that answers the call and turns the fax signal into a PDF, and a mailbox that accepts the attachment. Faxturbo itself only sends faxes. This guide explains how reception works so you can choose a service that does it.
Many people discover the difference the first time a form says "reply by fax" and then, a week later, "we faxed you the signed copy". Sending is one call you make. Receiving means someone, somewhere, must keep a line ready for you at any hour. That single difference shapes everything that follows, including the price.
The three links in the chain
A number that belongs to you
Whoever wants to fax you dials a number. It can be a geographic number (a local area code), a national non-geographic number or a number rented specifically for faxes. Without it, the fax has nowhere to land. This is the part that costs money month after month, because the number is allocated to a carrier by the national regulator and rented on.
A server that behaves like a fax machine
When the call arrives, something has to answer with the right tones, negotiate the speed and receive the pages. A desktop machine does it with a built-in modem. An online service does it in software, on a server, usually over IP. The pages are rebuilt into an image.
Delivery to you
The image becomes a PDF, sometimes a TIFF, and is delivered as an email attachment or into a web portal. This is what people call fax-to-email, and it is why a modern receiver needs neither paper nor a phone jack.
Four ways to receive faxes
| Option | Good when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Plan with a fax-to-email provider | faxes reach you on a regular basis | a monthly fee, even in quiet months |
| Keep a machine on a landline | the machine already works | copper lines are being switched off and VoIP boxes often mishandle faxes |
| Machine behind a VoIP adapter | you already own a machine | settings must match T.38 or a clean G.711 path |
| Ask the sender for another channel | faxes are rare | not every sender will agree |
If you receive one fax a year, a subscription is overkill. Ask whether the sender can use a secure upload or email instead; many can, and they will thank you for asking.
What a subscription typically includes
Services differ, but a reasonable offer lists the following:
- a dedicated number in the country you choose;
- delivery of each fax as a PDF attachment, with the sender's identifier and the page count in the message;
- a retention period and an archive you can search;
- encryption in transit, and an option to receive a link rather than the file.
Ask about the retention period in particular. A fax kept forever in a mailbox is a liability if the document contains health or financial information.
Setting up reception without buying a service
Some situations do not need a service at all.
You own an all-in-one printer with a fax function. Plug it into a working analog line, set it to receive automatically and give the number to your correspondents. It prints on arrival. The weakness is the line: check that it is still analog before relying on it. Our article on fax over IP and T.38 covers what changes when the copper network is retired.
You use a modem inside a computer. Possible, but increasingly rare, and dependent on an old operating-system feature.
You use an adapter between a machine and your internet router. A VoIP telephone adapter (ATA) lets the machine talk to the router as if it were a phone line. Results depend on the provider and the settings, so test with a few real pages before you publish the number.
Common traps
- Free reception offers. They are usually trials, shared numbers or services paid for by advertising. A shared number can mix your faxes with other people's.
- Email filters. A PDF from an unknown sender may land in spam. Whitelist the service's sender address.
- Large faxes. A 40-page fax becomes a heavy attachment. Check the mailbox size limit.
- Privacy. Decide who reads the inbox. A shared mailbox recreates the hallway problem of a machine.
How this fits with sending
Reception and sending are independent. You can send from your browser with Faxturbo (see the pricing) and receive on another service, or on a machine you keep. If the other side must reply by fax, give them your reception number and the name of the person who should see the pages. The receiving page summarizes the options.
Frequently asked questions
Can I receive faxes on my cell phone?
Not directly: a cell voice number cannot carry a fax. With an online service you receive the PDF on the phone, which is the practical equivalent.
Do I keep my existing number?
Sometimes. Carriers can port a landline number to some services, but not always. Ask before you commit.
Is a PDF received by email as valid as paper?
It is a faithful copy of the pages that arrived. Whether it counts as evidence depends on the recipient and the rules that apply to the document, so keep the delivery information together with the file.
Key points
- Receiving needs a number of your own, a decoder and a mailbox.
- Faxturbo sends; it does not provide a receiving number.
- Choose a subscription only if faxes reach you regularly.
- Test before publishing the number, and decide who may read the inbox.
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