Temporary Fax Number: Free for 24 Hours or $4.99 for 30 Days
Receive a document today with a free 24-hour number, or allow more time for a reply with a 30-day number for $4.99.
How long do you need it?
Free for 24 hours · no card
Your sender is ready today and the packet fits the free allowance.
Why not the others?
Free receiving lasts 24 hours and has a shared page allowance. Thirty days includes the first received fax, with further receiving paid. Standard includes 300 monthly pages. Lifetime keeps a number for $97 with starter credit and further usage paid. Medical documents need HIPAA Secure receiving.
Match the number to the reply window
Free for 24 hours
$0
No card. Verified email. 25 inbound pages per rolling 30 days across up to 3 claims; one active free number. Excess faxes are held for paid viewing.
Get a free numberReceive for 30 days
$4.99
A dedicated number for replies over the coming weeks. The first received fax is included; further received faxes are paid from $0.99.
Get a 30-day numberKeep receiving
$7.90/month
Standard includes 300 pooled monthly pages; annual billing is $79. Lifetime Basic is $97 once with starter credit and paid further usage.
Compare longer optionsA temporary number is useful for a signed form from a bank, a non-sensitive test fax or paperwork the sender can transmit today. Confirm the sender is ready before claiming the free number. The 24-hour clock runs from assignment; it does not restart when the first fax arrives.
The free claim needs no card. Paid receiving needs payment. You can keep an assigned free number through its sender kit during the active or recovery window; a new checkout assigns a number separately.
| Who is faxing? | Reply window | Receiving option |
|---|---|---|
| IRS EIN reply | Generally within 4 business days, according to the IRS | 30 days if already filed; guided EIN filing includes a 90-day return line |
| Doctor’s office | Ask the sender before arranging the line | HIPAA Secure receiving with an active BAA for PHI |
| Landlord | Ask the sender to confirm a date | Free 24 hours if ready today; otherwise 30 days |
| Court | Ask the sender; follow the court’s instructions | 30 days if timing is uncertain |
| Employer | Ask the sender to confirm a date | Free 24 hours if ready today; otherwise 30 days |
Source: IRS Form SS-4 instructions, checked October 10, 2026. Other reply times depend on the sender.
How to receive on a temporary number
- Verify your email and claim the number. Copy the actual assigned number and check its expiry time.
- Give the number to the sender with your name or routing reference. Ask them to send the complete packet before expiry.
- Check email and your received-fax dashboard. Open the PDF, confirm every expected page, and save a copy.
A digital receiving line works without a physical fax machine or a telephone adapter. Your sender still uses a fax-capable machine or service. Giving someone your email address alone does not provide a destination their fax machine can dial.
Other temporary fax numbers compared
| Service | Free benefit / number | Duration / receiving | Sending | Paid option | Card / catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FaxBurner | Disposable receiving Private | 24 hours 25 pages/month | 5 pages total | $14.95/month | No Paid plan to retain the number |
| fax.live | Sending and receiving trial Dedicated trial number | 7 days Plan allowance; confirm checkout | Plan allowance; confirm checkout | Monthly or annual subscription | Payment information required Select a paid plan and payment method to activate the trial |
| FaxSalad | 10 starter sending pages; receiving is paid Paid local number | Monthly; cancel at any time $0.03/page for the displayed US rate | $0.08/page after starter credit at the displayed US rate | $5.00/month for the displayed US number | Account credit required; check payment options Number rental and received pages are charged separately; rates vary by country |
| eFax | Sending and receiving trial Assigned trial number | 7 days Up to 200 combined trial pages | Combined trial allowance | Check checkout | Check checkout Trial; confirm renewal and cancellation terms |
| MetroFax | Sending and receiving trial Assigned trial number | 3 days Check trial terms | Check trial terms | Check checkout | Check checkout Trial, not an ongoing free number |
Expiry and keeping the same number
Receiving stops when the free 24 hours end. You then have 3 days to keep that same number with a paid product. Faxes arriving during that recovery window are discarded. Convert before expiry when an uninterrupted reply path matters.
A 30-day number includes the first received fax, with additional receiving paid. Standard includes a monthly page pool. A lifetime number includes starter credit and meters further usage. Duration and included pages are separate choices; a longer-lived number does not mean unlimited free receiving.
Read lifetime receiving termsIRS replies and healthcare documents
For an EIN filing, a reply can take longer than one day. The guided EIN product includes its own 90-day return line. If you are filing independently, use the SS-4 filing and fax-number guide and keep your receiving line active for the expected response.
The IRS says fax replies generally arrive within four business days. If your principal office, agency or legal residence is in one of the 50 states or Washington, DC, you can send your completed SS-4 to the EIN Operation. Other locations use different IRS destinations; check the current SS-4 instructions first. $0.99 covers up to 10 pages, pay only if delivered. Upload PDF, Word or photos.
The free and ordinary temporary numbers are standard receiving products. Clinics and other organizations handling PHI should arrange HIPAA Secure receiving and the required BAA before sharing a number. A confidentiality cover cannot change the receiving product.
Questions about temporary fax numbers
What is a temporary fax number? A receiving number assigned to your account for a limited time. A sender dials that number from a fax machine or online fax service, and released incoming documents arrive as PDFs by email and in your dashboard.
Is a disposable fax number free? The SingleFax 24-hour number starts without a card. It has a rolling allowance of 25 inbound pages and up to three claims per 30 days. Free receiving does not include free sending or unlimited incoming documents.
What happens when the free number expires? Receiving stops after 24 hours. Incoming faxes during the 3-day recovery window are discarded. Convert the same number to a paid option within that window if you need it longer.
Can I use a temporary number for an IRS EIN reply? A 24-hour line is too short for a reply expected over several business days. The guided EIN filing product includes a dedicated 90-day return line. If you prepare and send your own SS-4, arrange a number active for the full reply period and follow current IRS instructions.
Can a doctor send records to it? This is a standard receiving product. Organizations handling protected health information should use HIPAA Secure receiving with an active BAA and appropriate safeguards. A longer standard number does not automatically become HIPAA Secure.
Can I send a reply? $0.99 covers up to 10 pages, pay only if delivered. Sending is a separate purchase. Standard guest sending uses a shared outbound line, rather than the free temporary receiving number.
Is there a free temporary fax number with no card? Yes. Verify your email to claim a SingleFax number for 24 hours without a card. The free receiving allowance is 25 pages per rolling 30 days across up to three claims.
How can I send a test fax? Copy your assigned number into the sending form and send a harmless test page to it. $0.99 covers up to 10 pages, pay only if delivered. The sender kit pre-fills the destination for you.
What happens to faxes after the number expires? Previously released PDFs remain in your email and dashboard. New faxes are not delivered after receiving expires, including during the three-day window for keeping the number.