onlinefaxservices.ca › Resources › Toll-free vs local fax numbers: which to choose
Toll-free vs local fax numbers: which to choose
When you set up an online fax service, one of the first choices is the number itself. A local number carries a regional area code, such as 416 for Toronto or 604 for Vancouver. A toll-free number starts with a code like 800 or 888 and is not tied to one place. Both receive faxes the same way. The difference is in how the number looks to the people sending to you, and who they are. This onlinefaxservices.ca guide helps you pick.
Get Started NowHow local fax numbers work
A local number uses an area code from a specific region, such as 403 in Calgary, 514 in Montreal or 902 in Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. To customers, suppliers and government offices nearby, it signals that you are a local business.
Local numbers also tend to be the more familiar choice for health and professional offices whose patients and partners are in the same region. A clinic in Ottawa with a 613 fax number looks exactly like the other clinics a referring doctor deals with.
How toll-free fax numbers work
Toll-free numbers in Canada and the United States use codes such as 800, 833, 844, 855, 866, 877 and 888. The person sending the fax is not charged long-distance by the number itself, which was a bigger selling point when long-distance calls were costly.
Today a toll-free number is more about presentation. It suits a business that serves customers across several provinces, or across Canada and the U.S., and does not want to look tied to one city. Keep in mind that toll-free numbers can be hard or impossible to reach from outside North America, so they are a poor fit if you receive faxes from overseas.
Which one fits your business
- Choose local if most of your faxes come from your own city or region, such as patients, local suppliers or a municipal office.
- Choose local if you receive faxes from other countries, since a local number is reachable with standard international dialling.
- Choose toll-free if you sell nationally and want one number on your order forms for every province.
- Choose toll-free if your business has no fixed location, or you expect to move and do not want a regional code on your letterhead.
- Choose both if you want a local number for nearby partners and a toll-free one for national order forms.
Getting the number you want
FaxToFax.com, the service onlinefaxservices.ca recommends, offers both local and toll-free numbers in Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each plan includes one number. Extra numbers cost $5 for the first month, then $10 a month on any plan.
- Decide on the type of number using the list above.
- During setup, pick from the local numbers available in your area code, or choose a toll-free number.
- Print the number on your letterhead, order forms, website and email signature.
- Send a test fax to the new number from another fax line to confirm it arrives in your inbox.
Toll-Free vs Local Fax Numbers: Which to Choose: questions
Does a toll-free fax number cost more to receive faxes?
Pages received count toward your monthly allowance whether the number is local or toll-free. Extra numbers of either type are $5 for the first month, then $10 a month.
Can I keep my current fax number instead?
Not yet. Number porting is not available, so you choose a new local or toll-free number when you set up. Keep the old line running for a few weeks and add a note about the new number to your outgoing cover pages.
Can I have a Canadian and a U.S. number on one account?
Yes. Numbers are available in both countries, and you can add extra numbers to any plan, so a business serving both markets can hold one of each.
Do faxes to both numbers go to the same inbox?
Faxes to your numbers arrive in your private encrypted browser inbox, with in-app and browser alerts. On the Business plan, the team can work from a shared inbox.
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