Kinkos Fax Alternative

Looking for Kinkos Fax? It Is Now FedEx Office — Here Is a Cheaper Way to Fax

Kinko's was rebranded to FedEx Office in 2008, but the per-page fax pricing is still expensive. Send the same fax online from home for a flat $3.50–$5.00 instead of $1.89–$2.49+ per page at the store.

Kinkos (FedEx Office)

  • $1.89–$2.49+ per page; 10 pages = $16–$22
  • Charged even if your fax fails to send
  • Must visit in person, public machines

OneFaxNow

  • $3.50 for 1–10 pages, $5.00 for 11–50 pages
  • Pay only on successful delivery (free retries)
  • Fax from your phone 24/7 — scan docs with your camera

What Happened to Kinkos? The Full Story

If you just searched “fax at Kinkos,” you are not alone. Millions of Americans still associate the Kinko's name with copy shops and fax machines. Here is what happened:

1970

Paul Orfalea, nicknamed “Kinko” for his curly hair, opened the first copy shop near UC Santa Barbara with a single sidewalk copy machine.

1980s–1990s

Kinko's grew into a cultural institution — the go-to spot for late-night printing, faxing, and copying. Writers, students, artists, and small businesses relied on it.

2004

FedEx acquired Kinko's for $2.4 billion and renamed it “FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Centers.”

2008

FedEx dropped the Kinko's name entirely, rebranding all locations as “FedEx Office.” Some stores kept “Kinko's Printing Inside” window signs during the transition.

Today

Over 2,000 FedEx Office locations operate in the U.S. Fax service is still available at most, but Kinko's as a brand no longer exists. Even FedEx admits Kinko's is “a wonderful brand, and it's nostalgic.”

Bottom line: When you search “fax at Kinkos,” you will be directed to FedEx Office. The fax machines are still there at most locations, but the experience — and especially the pricing — may not be what you remember.

Should You Fax at FedEx Office (Kinkos) or Use OneFaxNow?

FedEx Office (Kinkos) is fine if:

  • You are already inside a FedEx Office store
  • You have 1–2 non-sensitive pages
  • You do not mind per-page pricing and a public machine

OneFaxNow is usually better if:

  • You are sending more than a couple pages
  • You care about privacy
  • You are sending medical/PHI and need HIPAA + BAA
  • You would rather fax from home/phone in a few minutes

Key takeaway: A 10-page fax costs $22+ at FedEx Office (Kinkos) vs $3.50 with OneFaxNow. A 50-page fax? $110 at the store vs just $5.00 with us — that's over 95% savings.

Kinkos (FedEx Office) Fax Prices vs OneFaxNow

FedEx Office pricing: Local faxes are $1.89 first page + $1.59/additional. Long-distance/domestic faxes are $2.49 first page + $2.19/additional. Prices vary by franchise location.

PagesFedEx LocalFedEx DomesticOneFaxNowYou Save
3$5.07$6.87$3.5031–49%
5$8.25$11.25$3.5058–69%
10$16.20$22.20$3.5078–84%
20$32.10$44.10$5.0084–89%
50$79.80$109.80$5.0094–95%

Warning: FedEx Office charges ~$1.00 even when your fax fails to send. With OneFaxNow, you only pay on successful delivery.

OneFaxNow Pricing

  • Lite: $3.50 (1–10 pages)
  • Standard: $5.00 (11–50 pages)
  • Optional HIPAA add-on: +$3 (Lite) / +$5 (Standard)

FedEx Office Hidden Fees

  • Cover page: $0.50–$2.00 (varies by store)
  • Receiving faxes: $1.00/page
  • Failed transmission: ~$1.00 (still charged)
  • International: $5.99 first + $3.99/page

Bottom line: If you are sending more than 2–3 pages, OneFaxNow is usually dramatically cheaper than faxing at FedEx Office (Kinkos).

Driving to FedEx Office vs Faxing from Home

FedEx Office (Kinkos)

  1. 1Search for a FedEx Office that still has fax machines
  2. 2Drive there, park, possibly wait in line
  3. 3Use a public machine or ask staff to help
  4. 4Pay at the counter, keep your paper receipt
  5. 5Limited by store hours (typically 8am–9pm, shorter on weekends)

OneFaxNow

  1. 1Open your browser on phone or laptop
  2. 2Upload PDF/Word/images (or scan with your camera on Android)
  3. 3Enter fax number (U.S./Canada), optional cover page
  4. 4Pay with card/Apple Pay/Google Pay
  5. 5Track delivery in real time; pay only on success

For a more detailed FedEx Office comparison, see our full FedEx Office Fax Alternative page.

Privacy: Public Kinkos Machine vs Private Online Fax

At FedEx Office (Kinkos)

  • Shared, public machine or handing documents to staff
  • Documents may sit in output trays in a public area
  • No BAA and no HIPAA-compliant pipeline for patient PHI
  • No audit trail beyond a basic paper receipt

With OneFaxNow

  • Upload directly from your own device over encrypted (TLS) connections
  • Files processed, sent, and automatically deleted:
    • Standard mode: minimal retention for delivery + receipts
    • HIPAA Mode: stricter handling, automatic PHI deletion with audit logging
  • Instant BAA and a HIPAA Audit Dashboard for PHI faxes

If you are faxing medical records or other PHI, FedEx Office's in-store fax is usually not enough for HIPAA compliance. OneFaxNow's HIPAA Mode is specifically designed for that use case, with a BAA and detailed audit logs.

Learn about HIPAA Fax

Kinkos (FedEx Office) Fax vs OneFaxNow — Full Comparison

FeatureFedEx Office (Kinkos)OneFaxNow
How you faxIn person at a FedEx Office storeOnline from any device
Pricing modelPer page ($1.89–$2.49+ per domestic page)Flat: $3.50 (1–10 pages), $5.00 (11–50 pages)
HoursStore hours only, varies by location24/7
LocationMust travel to a storeHome, office, anywhere with internet
PrivacyPublic machines; staff can see documentsPrivate, encrypted, no public handling
HIPAA supportNo BAA for walk-in fax customersOptional HIPAA Mode with BAA, audit logs, secure deletion
TrackingPaper receiptReal-time online status + email confirmation
Retry on busy lineDepends on store/machineUp to 3 automatic retries; pay only on success
If fax fails?Still charged ~$1.00No charge — pay only on success
Fax from phone?No — must bring paper documentsYes — upload files or scan with camera
Account required?No, but in-store process & wait timeNo account; quick pay-per-fax checkout

Kinkos Fax — Common Questions

Can you still fax at Kinkos?

Kinkos no longer exists as a brand. FedEx acquired Kinkos in 2004 and fully rebranded all locations as FedEx Office in 2008. Most FedEx Office locations still offer fax services, but you will be using a FedEx Office store, not a Kinkos. Alternatively, you can skip the trip entirely and fax online with OneFaxNow for $3.50–$5.00 flat.

How much does it cost to fax at Kinkos (FedEx Office)?

FedEx Office charges $1.89 for the first page and $1.59 for each additional page on local faxes. Domestic long-distance faxes cost $2.49 for the first page and $2.19 for additional pages. A 10-page domestic fax costs about $22. Prices vary by franchise location. OneFaxNow charges a flat $3.50 for up to 10 pages.

Why do people still call it Kinkos?

Brand nostalgia. Kinko’s was a cultural icon for over 30 years before FedEx dropped the name in 2008. Many people—especially those who used the stores in the 1990s and 2000s—still refer to FedEx Office as “Kinkos” out of habit. Even FedEx has acknowledged that “Kinkos is a wonderful brand, and it’s nostalgic.” Some FedEx store pages still include “Kinkos” in their URLs.

Does FedEx Office charge if my fax fails?

Yes. FedEx Office typically charges around $1.00 even when your fax transmission fails. With OneFaxNow, you only pay when your fax is successfully delivered. We automatically retry up to 3 times on busy signals at no extra cost.

Is faxing at FedEx Office (Kinkos) private enough for medical records?

Generally not for HIPAA compliance. You are using a public machine or handing documents to staff in a shared environment. FedEx Office does not offer Business Associate Agreements (BAAs) for walk-in fax customers, and there is no HIPAA-compliant audit trail. If you need to fax medical records, OneFaxNow’s HIPAA Mode provides an instant BAA, encryption, audit logs, and secure document deletion.

What is a cheaper alternative to faxing at Kinkos?

Online pay-per-fax services like OneFaxNow are usually much cheaper. A 10-page domestic fax costs about $22 at FedEx Office but only $3.50 with OneFaxNow. A 50-page fax is about $110 at the store versus just $5.00 online. Plus, you can fax from your phone or computer without driving anywhere.

Do I need an account or subscription to use OneFaxNow?

No. OneFaxNow is strictly pay-per-fax. There is no account, no subscription, and no monthly fees. Upload your documents, enter a U.S. or Canada fax number, and pay only if the fax delivers successfully.

Skip the Trip to Kinkos — Send Your Fax Online Instead

Kinkos may be gone, but you do not need to drive to FedEx Office either. Upload your document, enter the fax number, and send it online in minutes — with flat pricing, real-time tracking, and optional HIPAA for medical faxes.