Does the Post Office Fax? Cost, Availability, and Faster Alternatives (2025)

If you’re searching “does the post office fax,” you probably just need to send paperwork fast and you’re hoping you can handle it in one stop.

Short answer: some post offices still offer fax service, but many don’t. There’s no guarantee your local branch will have a public fax machine, and there’s no standard pricing. You might pay around a dollar or more per page, wait in line, and find out they don’t even offer incoming faxes.

If you’d rather skip the guessing game, you can send a fax straight from your phone or computer using a secure online service like SendAFaxNow.com without stepping into a post office at all. Let’s walk through both options so you can decide what makes the most sense.

Does the Post Office Still Fax Documents in 2025?

Here’s the honest answer: most post offices do not officially guarantee fax service anymore. Some individual locations still have a fax machine behind the counter and will send faxes for the public, others will help you as a “favor,” and plenty don’t offer faxing at all.

The U.S. Postal Service’s core job is mail and shipping, not faxing. Over the years, as more people moved to email and online uploads, a lot of branches quietly stopped offering fax for customers. Some contract or community post offices may still provide it, but it’s hit or miss.

If you want to try the post office route, your best move is simple:

• Look up your local branch online.
• Call the specific location.
• Ask: “Do you offer fax services to the public, and how much do you charge per page?”

Takeaway: Don’t assume your local post office faxes. Call ahead or you may waste a trip.

How Much Does It Cost to Fax at the Post Office?

There isn’t a single, national USPS fax price chart. Pricing is often set locally, or it’s handled by a third-party counter inside the post office. But based on typical U.S. ranges, here’s what people commonly see at post offices and similar walk-in fax locations:

• Domestic (U.S.) fax, first page: around $1–$3.
• Domestic additional pages: around $1–$2 per page.
• International fax, first page: often $4–$5 or more.
• International additional pages: around $2–$3 per page.
• Incoming fax: usually around $1–$2 per page, if they even accept them.

So if you’re sending a 10-page packet within the U.S., you might easily end up around $10+ before tax. Send 10 pages overseas and it’s not unusual to get close to $20.

And since there’s no standardized national rate for faxing, your local branch could be a little cheaper or a lot more expensive. You won’t know until you ask.

Takeaway: Expect to pay per page, with higher costs for long-distance and international faxes — especially on larger packets.

How Faxing at the Post Office Works (Step-by-Step)

If your local post office does still have a fax machine for the public, the process is usually pretty straightforward. It just eats time.

1. Get Your Documents Ready

• Print your documents before you go, or plan to pay to print them there.
• Put your pages in order and remove staples or paper clips.
• Have the recipient’s fax number written down clearly.

By the way, if you’re faxing anything sensitive (pay stubs, tax forms, bank info), think about who might see it when you’re at the counter.

Takeaway: Walk in with your paperwork organized; the clerk isn’t going to do document prep for you.

2. Go to the Service Counter

• Tell the clerk you’d like to send a fax.
• Hand over your documents and the fax number.
• They’ll load your pages into the machine and dial for you.

You normally won’t be allowed to operate their machine yourself. They’re responsible for it, and they need to track usage and payment.

Takeaway: You’re in “assisted fax” territory here — you wait while they run the machine.

3. Wait While Your Fax Sends

• The machine will dial out, connect, and send each page.
• If the line is busy or the number is wrong, the fax can fail and may need to be retried.
• You’re usually standing there at the counter until it’s done.

This is the part that feels slow when you’re on a deadline. Ten pages can feel like an eternity when you’re watching each page crawl through a machine.

Takeaway: Build in extra time for busy lines, retries, or technical issues.

4. Pay for the Fax and Get a Confirmation

• Once the fax goes through, the clerk prints a confirmation page.
• You pay based on the number of pages and where the fax went.
• Keep that confirmation — it’s your proof it was sent from your side.

Takeaway: Never leave without a confirmation sheet, especially for legal or financial paperwork.

The Downsides of Faxing at the Post Office

On the surface, using the post office sounds simple: you’re going there anyway, why not fax too? In reality, it has a few drawbacks people don’t think about until they’re standing in line.

1. Not Every Location Offers Fax Service

You can’t assume “post office = fax machine.” Some branches offer it, some don’t, and some have a machine that’s broken or “for staff use only.” You could drive over, wait in line, and then be told they don’t do faxing for customers.

Takeaway: Always call your specific branch first if you’re counting on them to fax something.

2. Limited Hours

Post offices follow business hours. Nights, Sundays, and holidays can be a problem. If your paperwork has to be faxed “today or else,” those hours can work against you.

Takeaway: If your deadline doesn’t care about business hours, relying on the post office can backfire.

3. Privacy and Exposure

Most post office counters are open areas. That means other customers, clerks, and people walking by may see your documents while they’re being handled. For something simple like a school form, that’s no big deal. For tax forms or medical paperwork, it’s not ideal.

Takeaway: If your documents are sensitive, think twice about faxing in a public space.

4. Time and Hassle

Even a “quick fax” turns into an errand: drive, park, stand in line, wait while it sends, then pay. If the fax fails and you have to resend, you just burned even more time.

Takeaway: If your schedule is packed, turning faxing into a physical trip is just more friction.

A Faster Option: Fax From Your Phone Instead

If you’re not attached to the idea of the post office doing it, there’s a much simpler route: send your fax online. As long as you have a smartphone, tablet, or computer and an internet connection, you can send a fax without leaving the couch.

With an online service like SendAFaxNow.com, you can:

• Upload a PDF, Word document, or a clear image of your paperwork.
• Type in the fax number of the office, court, employer, or agency.
• Send securely and get a confirmation when it’s done.
• Skip the entire drive-line-wait cycle at the post office.

If you’re curious who’s behind the service, you can learn more about who we are and how we handle faxing securely for people who just want the document sent without drama.

Takeaway: If you have a phone or computer, you don’t actually need a post office to send a fax anymore.

Post Office vs SendAFaxNow.com (Simple Comparison)

Takeaway: If you value convenience and privacy, online faxing usually wins over a post office counter.

When It Still Makes Sense to Use the Post Office

Even with all the downsides, there are still a few situations where faxing at the post office might be fine:

• You’re already there mailing something else and just have a page or two to fax.
• You don’t like entering card information online and prefer to pay in person.
• You don’t have reliable internet or a smartphone.
• You’re simply more comfortable handing documents to a person and watching it happen.

Nothing wrong with that. Just don’t assume fax service is available everywhere. It’s worth a quick phone call first.

Takeaway: The post office can work for small, simple faxes if your local branch actually offers it and you’re already going there.

How to Decide: Post Office Fax vs Online Fax

If you’re debating between driving to the post office or sending your fax online, here’s a quick way to decide.

Use the Post Office If:

• You’ve confirmed your branch offers faxing.
• You’re already headed there anyway.
• You’re only sending a couple of pages.
• You’re okay with public counters and limited hours.

Use an Online Fax Service If:

• You don’t want to drive anywhere.
• You’re dealing with sensitive info like taxes, pay stubs, or medical records.
• You need to fax at night, on a weekend, or on a holiday.
• You’d rather pay once and be done than guess at per-page costs.

If you want a broader look at all your options, you can check out our fax near you guide for other places and methods to send a fax, including online options that don’t care where you’re located.

And if you’re stuck on something specific — like whether a certain type of form can be faxed — you can always contact us for help before you send anything.

Takeaway: If time, privacy, and convenience matter to you, online faxing is usually the better long-term answer.

FAQ (Updated for 2025)

Does every post office offer fax service?

No. Fax service at post offices is not guaranteed. Some branches still provide it, some don’t, and some only offer it informally. There is no universal USPS rule that every post office must have a public fax machine. That’s why it’s important to call the specific location you plan to visit.

How much does it cost to fax from the post office?

There’s no standard national rate, but common ranges look like this: around $1–$3 for the first page of a domestic fax, with additional pages often around $1–$2 each. International faxes can easily run $4–$5 or more for the first page, plus extra for each additional page. Always ask your local branch for current pricing before you commit.

Can I receive a fax at the post office?

Sometimes, but not always. Some locations will let you receive faxes and charge you per page when you pick them up. Others only support outgoing faxing. If you need incoming fax service, you’ll have better luck with an online fax service or a shipping center that clearly advertises “send and receive” fax options.

Is it safe to fax sensitive documents through the post office?

It depends on your comfort level. The fax machine is usually at a public counter, where staff and sometimes other customers can see parts of your documents. For plain, non-sensitive forms, that might not bother you. For anything involving Social Security numbers, bank info, legal case numbers, or medical details, a private online fax from home is usually a safer bet.

What if my local post office doesn’t fax at all?

If your branch doesn’t offer faxing, you still have options. Office supply stores, shipping centers, and online fax services can all send documents for you. If you don’t want another errand, using an online service from your phone or computer is often the simplest and fastest solution.

Is online faxing really accepted the same as faxing from a machine?

Yes. From the recipient’s side, a fax is a fax. Whether it came from a standalone machine in a post office or an online service, they receive it the same way — as pages coming through their fax line. What matters is that the number is correct, the pages are legible, and you keep your confirmation in case there’s a question later.