Staples Fax Service: What to Know Before You Go

Find nearby fax services on the map to check researched locations, official sources and page-charge estimates.

This guide was checked against official service pages on 8 October 2026. For the complete sending process, see how to send a fax. Comparing nearby options? Read the retail versus online comparison or the fax near me guide.

Need to send an ordinary document? Review a one-time fax quote. $0.99 covers up to 10 pages, pay only if delivered.

Does Staples fax documents?

Staples' in-store printing page includes fax in its self-service offering. You can use that as evidence that the chain offers the service, but the local branch remains the right place to confirm a working machine and the terms for your job.

Check the official locator for the store's address and contact information. Ask about fax access as well as opening hours. A store can be open while a particular machine or print counter is unavailable, so “open now” is not the same as “ready to fax this packet.”

Be specific when calling: say how many document pages you have, whether you need a cover, which country you are sending to and whether you want help. If you are expecting an incoming fax, ask about that separately. Do not assume outbound availability establishes receiving or pickup rules.

How to fax at Staples, step by step

If the recipient sets a filing deadline, check its submission rules before the visit. Store closing time and fax transmission time do not determine when an agency treats a filing as received or accepted. Keep the recipient's current instructions with the packet so you can follow any required acknowledgement process afterward.

Prepare the packet before traveling. The store supplies access to a machine; you still need the correct recipient and the right documents. A short preparation check can prevent a second visit or a duplicate transmission.

1. Confirm the location and quote

Ask whether the branch's fax service is available, when you can use it and what the complete packet costs. Explain whether you have paper or a file on your phone. Ask whether you will operate the machine yourself or whether someone can help you.

For an international send, give the actual destination country rather than asking only whether “international” is available. Ask how to enter the number on that machine. A local calling prefix, country code and office outside-line prefix serve different purposes.

2. Bring the complete signed packet

Bring every form, signature and required attachment, plus the recipient's verified direct fax number. A voice switchboard or telephone extension may not accept faxes. Use the number from current instructions or an official letter, not an old search snippet.

If your document is digital, save the final file where you can access it. Ask about printing or transferring the file and any additional charge. Staples' published print-from-email process prepares a print job; it is not an email-to-fax gateway that automatically sends to your recipient.

3. Prepare the cover and page count

Follow the recipient's cover instructions. A routing cover can include the person or department, your name, contact details and a short purpose. Keep unnecessary sensitive information out of the heading.

Count the document pages and cover separately, then ask which pages the store bills. If a cover shows a total, say whether that total includes the cover. The free cover tool offers PDF and Word downloads if you want to prepare one before you arrive.

4. Check the destination before sending

Follow the machine's prompts or the associate's instructions. Check the fax number on the confirmation screen before transmission, including the country and area code. If you are unsure about an extension or unfamiliar dialing format, stop and verify it with the recipient.

Load paper according to that machine's diagram. Page orientation varies by model; do not assume every feeder takes pages face up or face down. Confirm that double-sided originals will have both sides included if those backs contain information.

5. Keep the final transmission report

Wait for the final result and keep the printed confirmation. Check the destination and page count against your packet. A payment receipt proves a payment event, while the transmission report records the fax result.

Collect all originals, covers and reports before leaving. If the fax is incomplete, ask what happened before paying for or starting another attempt. Some pages may already have arrived, so agree with the recipient whether to resend everything or only the missing portion.

How long does faxing take at Staples?

Budget for printing or scanning and the self-service queue at your Staples location, then use our per-page fax timing estimates to plan the transmission itself.

Staples fax cost: ask for the whole packet

The official Staples service page checked for this guide did not publish a national fax price table. Prices quoted on other fax companies' blogs are not a current Staples quote. Call the location for the rate that applies to your destination and page count.

For a useful comparison, ask for the price of your exact packet, such as “eight document pages plus one cover to this US number.” That is clearer than comparing a store's unknown per-page rate with an online provider's ten-page starting bundle.

If you need to receive, ask for its price separately. Store pickup, printing and receiving can have a different basis from sending. Confirm how long an incoming document will be held and whether you need identification to collect it.

What about Office Depot and OfficeMax?

Office Depot OfficeMax's official page lists self-service local, domestic and international faxing and advertises faxing starting at $0.99, checked on 8 October 2026. That is a published starting rate, not proof that every multipage fax costs $0.99 total.

Ask the local branch what the rate covers, how extra pages and covers are counted, and which payment methods and file-transfer options apply. Do not confuse its printing or copying prices with fax transmission pricing. The same preparation and confirmation checks apply whichever store you choose.

Can you receive a fax at Staples?

Confirm directly with the branch before giving its number to a sender. The national page used for this guide does not establish a universal customer receiving and pickup arrangement. Ask whether it accepts incoming customer faxes, which number to use, how to identify your packet and when you can collect it.

If the sender may transmit after closing or several days later, explain that timing. Ask about holding periods and charges. A general store phone number is not necessarily a customer fax destination, and an employee's verbal agreement should be clear about which document they expect.

For a same-day exchange, SingleFax's free US receiving number is an alternative you can check from your phone. It lasts 24 hours and requires verified email: one active free number, up to three claims in a rolling 30 days and 25 free inbound pages across those claims. Extra faxes are held for paid viewing; the free product is not the HIPAA workflow.

For a longer reply window, a $4.99 30-day number includes the first received fax, with additional receiving paid. Choose duration for the expected reply, not simply the cheapest initial number. A government office that responds weeks later needs a number active then.

Privacy when faxing personal documents at a store

A store means using shared equipment or working with staff. That does not justify calling every retail service insecure. It does mean you should think about who can see the pages and what copies or files remain after the job.

Keep the packet together, minimize unnecessary cover details and verify the direct destination. Collect originals and reports. If you log into a mailbox or cloud account on a shared workstation, sign out and remove files you created according to that location's instructions.

For PHI handled by a covered entity or business associate, choose a workflow with the required agreement and safeguards. Ask about that before bringing the records. SingleFax's HIPAA Secure service is its relevant web workflow; the ordinary guest sender, email gateway and free number are separate products.

For tax and other official paperwork, check the recipient's form instructions. A fax sent to a machine successfully is not necessarily a completed or accepted filing. Keep both the exact packet and the final transmission confirmation.

Staples vs FedEx Office vs The UPS Store

Compare confirmed services and the local quote. A national brand name does not establish one price or one process for every branch.

Read the full UPS Store guide and FedEx Office guide for their published processes. If you need staff assistance or another service during the same trip, a store can be useful. If you already have a clear file, compare the online quote before traveling.

Skip the trip: send from your phone

Scan your pages or save the finished file, then open SingleFax Send. Upload the packet, enter the verified fax number, inspect the preview and complete checkout. The provider makes the fax call; your phone does not need a landline or installed fax modem.

Sending starts at $0.99 for up to ten document pages, with about $0.08 per extra document page and $0 on failed delivery. A composer-generated cover is excluded from billed document pages; an uploaded or merged cover counts as part of the document.

Keep the final fax result email. It is separate from your upload and checkout acknowledgements and does not prove the recipient has read or approved the document. Follow any agency or employer instructions for later acknowledgement.

Use the phone guide for scanning and device options. If receiving is the task, arrange the receiving number first and give that exact number to the sender.