Lifetime vs 30-Day vs Subscription: Which Fax Number Should Occasional Receivers Buy?
A decision guide for occasional fax receivers. Compare SingleFax lifetime ($97), 30-day inbound ($4.99), pay-per-fax ($0.99), and company plans from $9.99/mo — plus honest IRS and CRA fax-back notes.
Most people do not need a fax machine. They need an address — a number that still works when a title company, insurer, clinic, or bank dials it on their calendar.
That is a different product from sending one PDF today, and a different product from a monthly office plan. SingleFax splits those paths on purpose. This guide is the calculator and the honesty pass: when lifetime wins, when 30 days is enough, and when you should not buy a number at all.
Related reading: Lifetime fax numbers 101, Pay-per-fax vs subscription, Send a fax online with no subscription.
The five-path decision tree
| If this is true | Buy this | Price |
|---|---|---|
| You only need to send | Pay-per-fax | From $0.99 (≤10 pages) |
| Someone will fax back in days–weeks | 30-day inbound | $4.99 (first inbound included; extras $4.99) |
| You will publish the number and timing is unknown | Lifetime | $97 Basic / $147 Pro, one-time |
| Daily volume or multi-user seats | For companies | From $9.99/mo or $99/yr |
| One-shot EIN for a client (SS-4 / Fax-TIN) | EIN by Fax | $19.99 = fill + fax + 90-day return number |
Lifetime is published-number identity insurance. It is not “unlimited faxes,” and it is not the EIN-mill SKU.
Calculator: what you actually pay
Figures below are SingleFax list prices. Competitor monthly rents are approximate mid-2026 snapshots — verify on the vendor site.
Outbound only (no inbound number)
| Sends / year (≤10 pages each) | SingleFax pay-per-fax | Typical ~$19/mo fax plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.99 | ~$228 / year |
| 5 | $4.95 | ~$228 / year |
| 12 | $11.88 | ~$228 / year |
If nobody needs to fax you, send or receive a fax is enough — no inbound number required.
Inbound: 30-day vs lifetime vs SingleFax subscription
| Need | 30-day number | Lifetime Basic | Company Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up-front | $4.99 | $97 once | $9.99/mo or $99/yr |
| First inbound | Included | Starter credit $15 (~3 inbound) | In the monthly page pool |
| Extra inbound | $4.99 each | $4.99 each after credit | Pages in the pool, then $0.05/page |
| Send | Still from $0.99 | Still from $0.99 | From the page pool |
| When the clock runs out | Number expires | Number stays | Number stays while you pay |
| Searchable transcript | Yes, on released inbound | Yes, on released inbound | Yes, on released inbound |
Approximate break-even on the number alone (not a usage-tax story):
- vs SingleFax $9.99/mo → about 10 months ($97 ÷ $9.99 ≈ 9.7).
- vs a typical eFax-ish ~$19/mo → you are usually ahead in year one.
Do not lead with “20 receives at $4.99 = payback.” That frames inbound as a tax. The reason to buy lifetime is so you are not reprinting forms or missing a reply that arrives after a short rental dies.
Lifetime extras (facts, not a pitch)
- Incoming after credit: $4.99 flat (any page count).
- Starter credit does not expire.
- If a fax arrives with no credit, we hold it and email you the sender and page count; we release the PDF after you top up.
- Pro is $147: extra starter credit and memorable local / 888-style options.
- 30-day money-back on the number: refund policy.
Occasional receivers: which path wins?
Send-only tax packet, insurance claim, or school form. Pay $0.99. Delivery confirmation goes to email. You do not need a return line unless the form demands one.
You wrote a return fax on a packet due this month. 30-day at $4.99. First inbound is included. If the file slips past day 30, you either extend or you should have bought lifetime.
The number is going on letterhead, a listing, a W-9, or a vendor profile. Lifetime. The other party’s ops queue is not your 30-day clock.
Your office faxes every day or several people share a queue. Company plans from $9.99/mo. HIPAA Secure is an add-on there — not a lifetime claim.
You file EINs for clients on Fiverr or a formation desk. EIN by Fax at $19.99 per job. The 90-day return number is the IRS reply channel. Lifetime is only for your firm’s published line, if you need one.
A longer vertical walkthrough is in Who needs a permanent fax number.
Agency fax-back: IRS yes (narrowly), CRA no
This is the part comparison posts usually get wrong.
IRS
The IRS does fax an EIN confirmation back on Form SS-4 / Fax-TIN when you give a return fax — typically about four business days, longer in backlog season. That is a specific pipeline. It is also exactly what EIN by Fax is built for (fill + send + 90-day hold).
Most other IRS notices are not unsolicited inbound fax. You fax them, or you use IRS Document Upload. Lifetime shines when you publish a return fax — not because the IRS will keep dialing you on its own.
CRA (Canada)
CRA usually delivers protected correspondence through My Business Account or mail. A Canadian lifetime number is still useful for banks, lawyers, US partners, and forms that literally ask for a fax field.
Where inbound timing is actually unpredictable
These are the stronger lifetime cases:
- Insurance and prior-authorization packets
- Title, escrow, and mortgage conditions
- Clinic and specialist referrals (admin routing — not a HIPAA claim on lifetime)
- Courts, boards, and licensing
- Banks and vendors after a W-9 or onboarding form
Hold-to-release vs a dead 30-day line
A 30-day number that expires is gone. The title company dials what you printed and reaches nothing.
A lifetime number with an empty credit balance still accepts the call: we hold the pages and email you who sent them. Top up; the PDF and searchable transcript release. That is the safety net, not a hidden subscription.
Next steps
- Publish a number: lifetime fax number ($97 / $147).
- Known window: 30-day inbound ($4.99).
- Send only: pay-per-fax from $0.99.
- Seats and volume: for companies.
- Client EIN: get an EIN by fax ($19.99, 90 days — not lifetime).