What Is a Fax Number?
The short answer
A fax number is a phone number connected to a fax machine or a fax service. It looks like any other phone number. The difference is what answers: a machine that receives documents, not a person.
What a fax number looks like
In the US and Canada, a fax number has a three-digit area code and seven digits, such as (415) 555-0123. In international format that is +1 415 555 0123.
Other countries use their own code and length. Germany starts with +49 and the UK with +44. See the list of supported countries for the format of each one.
Is a fax number the same as a phone number?
The format is the same, but the line is usually different. Most offices keep a separate number for fax. If you call one, you will hear beeps and hissing instead of a voice.
If you send a fax to a voice line, it fails. Someone answers, or nothing on the other end responds to the fax signal.
How to find a fax number
1. Check the letter, form, or instructions you were given. Agencies often print a specific number for each form.
2. Look on the contact page of the organization. It is often listed next to the phone number, marked F or Fax.
3. Call and ask. Say what you are sending, because a large office can have several fax lines.
Do you need your own fax number?
To send a fax, no. You only need the number of the recipient. You need your own number only if people will send faxes to you.
FAQ
What happens if I call a fax number?
You will hear high-pitched tones, and then the line drops. It is harmless, but no one can talk to you.
Can I test a fax number?
Yes. Call it from a phone and listen for fax tones, or send a one-page test fax.
How many digits does a fax number have?
The same as a phone number in that country: ten in the US and Canada, plus the country code when you dial from abroad.
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