The Post Office Doesn't Fax — Send One Online in 2 Minutes Instead
Faxing is not a standard USPS service. Most of the 31,000+ U.S. post offices do not have fax machines for public use. Before you drive there, wait in line, and get turned away, send your fax online from your phone or laptop for a flat $3.50–$5.00. No account needed, pay only on successful delivery.
USPS Post Office
- Faxing is NOT a standard USPS service
- Most of 31,000+ locations have no fax machine
- 30–60 minute wait times just to reach the counter
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
The Short Answer: Faxing Is Not a Standard Post Office Service
Why you might think the post office faxes:
- USPS offers money orders, passports, notary, and dozens of other services
- Post offices are the default "document sending" place in most people's minds
- Some outdated articles claim USPS locations offer fax (most don't)
- Confusion with private postal stores like PostalAnnex that DO have fax
But the reality is:
- USPS's mission is mailing and shipping — fax is not part of it
- A tiny fraction of branches may have fax as an informal courtesy, but this is the rare exception
- You will likely wait 30–60 minutes in line only to be told they don't offer fax
- You can send that fax right now, from your phone, for $3.50
Key takeaway: Don't waste a trip to the post office for fax services they almost certainly don't offer. Send your fax online in minutes for $3.50–$5.00 flat.
Post Office vs. Postal Store: Why the Confusion?
A major source of the "can I fax at the post office" confusion is the difference between USPS post offices and private postal service stores.
USPS Post Office
Government-operated. 31,000+ locations.
- Mailing, shipping, money orders, passports
- Fax is NOT a standard service
- No printing, copying, or scanning
PostalAnnex / Postal Connections
Privately-owned businesses. Hundreds of locations.
- Mailing, shipping, and postal services
- Fax services available at most locations
- Printing, copying, and scanning too
Watch out: If you searched "post office fax" and found articles saying it's available, they may be referring to private postal stores like PostalAnnex — not your local USPS branch. Always verify before making the trip.
Post Office Trip vs. Sending a Fax Online
Even the rare post office with fax charges per page and makes you wait in line. Here's a smarter option.
| Option | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Rare post office with fax (if you find one) | $1–$3/page | 10 pages = $10–$30, plus 30–60 min wait in line |
| Drive to FedEx after post office turns you away | $1.89–$2.49/page | 10 pages = $19–$25 (plus gas and a second trip) |
| OneFaxNow (1–10 pages) | $3.50 flat | No trip, no line, no subscription |
| OneFaxNow (11–50 pages) | $5.00 flat | Still cheaper than 3 pages at FedEx |
| OneFaxNow HIPAA (1–10 pages) | $6.50 flat | Instant BAA, audit logs, secure deletion |
| OneFaxNow HIPAA (11–50 pages) | $10.00 flat | Full HIPAA compliance for medical faxes |
Think about it: A 10-page fax at a post office (if available) costs roughly $10–$30 counting per-page fees. That same fax is $3.50 flat with OneFaxNow — sent from your couch in 2 minutes, no line, no trip.
OneFaxNow Pricing
- Lite: $3.50 (1–10 pages)
- Standard: $5.00 (11–50 pages)
- Optional HIPAA add-on: +$3 (Lite) / +$5 (Standard)
True Cost of the Post Office Trip
- Drive time: 15–30 minutes round trip
- Wait in line: 20–60 minutes (USPS average)
- Per-page fee (if they have fax): $1–$3/page
- Risk of wasted trip: high (most have no fax)
- Gas and parking: $3–$8 depending on distance
Bottom line: The post office trip alone costs you more in time and gas than OneFaxNow's entire fax fee. And there's a good chance they won't even have a fax machine.
What Actually Happens When You Go to the Post Office to Fax
The Post Office Fax Experience
- 1Drive to the post office, assuming they have fax services
- 2Wait 20–45 minutes in line (USPS is known for long waits)
- 3Reach the counter — they tell you they don't offer fax
- 4Ask if any nearby post office has fax — staff aren't sure
- 5Search "fax near me" on your phone from the parking lot
- 6Drive to FedEx or UPS, wait again, pay $2+ per page
The OneFaxNow Experience
- 1Open your browser on phone or laptop
- 2Upload PDF/Word/images (or scan with your camera)
- 3Enter fax number (U.S./Canada), optional cover page
- 4Pay with card/Apple Pay/Google Pay
- 5Track delivery in real time; pay only on success
Already compared other retail fax options? FedEx Fax Alternative • UPS Fax Alternative • Staples & Office Depot Fax
Where Can You Fax Near a Post Office?
If your post office can't fax (and most can't), these locations are typically within a 5–15 minute drive. But all of them charge per page and require an in-person visit.
FedEx Office
$1.89–$2.49/page
Charges even on failed faxes
UPS Store
$1.00–$2.00/page
Pricing varies by franchise
Staples
$1.49–$1.79/page
Limited fax hours at some locations
Office Depot
$1.49–$1.99/page
Not all locations have fax
Public Library
$0.50–$1.00/page
35% of libraries have no fax at all
OneFaxNow (online)
$3.50–$5.00 flat
No trip, 24/7, pay only on success
Or skip the second trip entirely. Send your fax online right now for $3.50–$5.00 flat — no driving, no waiting, no per-page fees.
Send a Fax Online NowWhat USPS Actually Offers (and Doesn't)
The post office has a long list of services — but faxing isn't one of them.
What USPS offers:
- Priority Mail and Priority Mail Express
- USPS Ground Advantage and First-Class Mail
- Money orders
- Passport applications and renewals
- PO Box rental
- Certified mail and registered mail
- Package pickup, Click-N-Ship, and parcel lockers
- Media Mail for books and educational materials
What USPS does NOT offer:
- Fax services (not a standard USPS service)
- Document scanning
- Printing or copying
- Notary services (only at select locations)
USPS is excellent at what it does — delivering mail and packages across the country. But faxing a document is not part of their service offering. For that, you need a fax-specific solution.
Privacy: Why Faxing at Any Public Location Is Risky for Sensitive Documents
At Any Public Fax Location
- •You're handing documents to staff or using a shared, public machine
- •Other customers may see your documents in output trays
- •No BAA offered for HIPAA-covered information
- •No audit trail of who handled your documents
With OneFaxNow
- Upload directly from your own device over encrypted (TLS) connections
- Files are processed, sent, and automatically deleted:
- Standard mode: minimal retention for delivery + receipts
- HIPAA Mode: stricter handling, automatic PHI deletion with audit logging
- You get an instant BAA and a HIPAA Audit Dashboard for PHI faxes
If you're faxing medical records, prescriptions, or other PHI, no public fax location — not the post office, FedEx, UPS, or Staples — offers HIPAA-compliant faxing with a BAA. OneFaxNow's HIPAA Mode is built specifically for this, with a Business Associate Agreement and detailed audit logs.
Learn about HIPAA FaxPost Office Fax vs OneFaxNow — Full Comparison
| Feature | Post Office | OneFaxNow |
|---|---|---|
| Can you fax? | Not at most locations; not a standard service | Yes — instant online faxing |
| Cost for one fax | $1–$3/page (if available) + time & gas | $3.50 (1–10 pages) / $5.00 (11–50 pages) |
| Wait time | 20–60 minutes in line (USPS average) | Under 2 minutes from upload to send |
| Available when | Weekdays 9–5 typically; closed weekends/holidays | 24/7 from any device |
| Account needed | N/A | No account — pay-per-fax |
| Fax from phone | No — must bring physical documents | Yes — upload files or scan with camera |
| HIPAA support | No | Optional HIPAA Mode with BAA, audit logs, secure deletion |
| Retry on busy | Manual (if they even have fax) | Up to 3 automatic retries; pay only on success |
| If fax fails | You still paid per page and drove there | No charge — pay only on success |
| Tracking | None | Real-time online status + email confirmation |
Post Office Fax — Common Questions
Can you fax at the post office?
In most cases, no. Faxing is not a standard USPS service. Most of the 31,000+ U.S. post offices do not have fax machines for public use. A very small number of individual branches may offer fax as an informal courtesy, but you cannot rely on this. Always call your local branch before making the trip. Alternatively, you can send a fax online with OneFaxNow for $3.50–$5.00 from your phone — no trip required.
Does USPS have fax machines?
USPS post offices may use fax machines internally for administrative purposes, but these are not available for public use. Faxing is not listed as an official USPS service on usps.com. The post office’s core mission is mailing and shipping, not document transmission via fax.
How much does it cost to fax at the post office?
At the rare post office that does offer fax, costs are typically $1–$3 per page for domestic faxes and $4–$5 per page for international faxes. A 10-page domestic fax would cost $10–$30. By comparison, OneFaxNow charges $3.50 flat for up to 10 pages and $5.00 flat for up to 50 pages — with no wait in line.
What is the difference between a USPS post office and PostalAnnex?
A USPS post office is a government-operated facility focused on mailing and shipping. PostalAnnex, Postal Connections, and similar stores are privately-owned businesses that offer postal services plus extras like faxing, printing, and scanning. If you read online that "the post office has fax," the article may be referring to a private postal store, not your local USPS branch.
Where can I fax near a post office?
Most post offices have FedEx Office, UPS Store, Staples, or Office Depot within a 5–15 minute drive. These charge $1–$2.50 per page for domestic faxes. Alternatively, you can skip the drive entirely and fax online with OneFaxNow for $3.50 (1–10 pages) or $5.00 (11–50 pages) from your phone or laptop.
Can the post office send documents for me?
Yes — but only by mail, not by fax. USPS can send documents via First-Class Mail (2–5 business days), Priority Mail (1–3 days), or Priority Mail Express (overnight). If you need a document delivered in minutes rather than days, online faxing is your best option. OneFaxNow delivers faxes in minutes for $3.50–$5.00 flat.
Is faxing at a public location HIPAA compliant?
No. No public fax location — including post offices, FedEx, UPS, Staples, or libraries — offers HIPAA-compliant faxing with a Business Associate Agreement (BAA). If you need to fax medical records, prescriptions, or other protected health information, OneFaxNow’s HIPAA Mode provides an instant BAA, audit logs, and secure file deletion for $6.50–$10.00.
Can I fax from my phone instead of going to the post office?
Yes. With OneFaxNow, you can fax directly from your phone by uploading PDFs, photos, Word docs, or other files. Our Android and iOS apps include a built-in document scanner with multipage support so you can snap photos of paper documents and fax them instantly. No fax machine or phone line needed.
Do I need an account or subscription to use OneFaxNow?
No. OneFaxNow is strictly pay-per-fax. There’s no account to create, no subscription, and no recurring fees. You upload your documents, enter a U.S. or Canada fax number, and pay only if the fax is successfully delivered.
Don't Drive to the Post Office for Fax Services They Don't Offer
USPS has 31,000+ locations — but faxing is not part of their service offering. Skip the wasted trip and the 30-minute wait in line. 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.