Faxing may seem like a relic of the past, but believe it or not, it‘s still a common way to send important documents quickly and securely. Many people visit their local Walgreens for conveniences like printing photos or getting flu shots, but what about sending a fax?
As a retail and consumer expert, I‘ll share everything you need to know about faxing at Walgreens, including the history of faxing, industries that still fax, and the best alternatives. Whether you‘re a busy professional, student, or just someone who needs to send the occasional fax, this guide will help you navigate the world of faxing in the 21st century.
The Past, Present and Future of Faxing
To understand why you might need to send a fax in 2023, it helps to know a bit about the history and evolution of the technology. Here are some key fax facts:
- The fax machine was invented in 1843 by Scottish mechanic Alexander Bain. However, modern faxing didn‘t take off until the 1980s.
- At its peak in the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were over 3 million public fax machines in the U.S. and over 46 million fax users worldwide (source: Jonathan Coopersmith, Texas A&M University professor)
- Usage has declined significantly since then, but as of 2017, 82% of U.S. businesses still had a fax number and 43% of office workers send faxes at least once a month (source: IDC survey)
- Fax machine production has largely ceased, with major companies like Brother stopping manufacture in the late 2010s to focus on other office technologies
- However, online fax services have seen steady growth, expected to reach over $4 billion globally by 2027 (source: Global Market Insights)
So while physical fax machines are becoming obsolete, faxing itself is far from dead thanks to digital solutions. But why do so many organizations still fax? Let‘s look at some of the main industries and applications.
Industries That Still Rely on Faxing
Certain industries have been slower to phase out faxing in favor of newer technologies. These include:
Healthcare
Faxing is still the primary way that hospitals, doctor‘s offices, and pharmacies like Walgreens send and receive patient records and prescriptions. In fact, 75% of all medical communications are done by fax (source: Vox).
There are a few reasons for this:
- Faxing is considered HIPAA compliant since it transmits documents directly via telephone line without passing through the internet or a third party
- Many medical offices have legacy fax systems and software that are deeply ingrained in their processes
- Some states like New York require prescriptions to be faxed or delivered in person (source: New York State Education Department)
Legal
Law firms, courts, and government agencies also heavily rely on faxing for contracts, briefs, filings, and other official documents. A 2017 survey by GFI Software found that 85% of legal professionals still use fax in their practices.
The main reasons are:
- Faxed signatures are legally binding in most cases, while e-signatures may face more scrutiny
- Faxing provides confirmation that a document was sent and received, which is important for deadlines and recordkeeping
- Courts and clerk‘s offices often have outdated technology systems that only accept faxes, not email
Government
Many local, state and federal government bodies use fax to send and receive time-sensitive, confidential documents. The Government Accountability Office estimates that federal agencies alone spend $100 million annually on fax services (source: NextGov).
Reasons include:
- Security requirements for classified information
- Lack of funding to upgrade to newer digital systems
- Interoperability issues between agencies using different software
- Familiarity and ease of use for non-technical staff
So while faxing may seem antiquated to the average consumer, it‘s still deeply entrenched in major industries that handle sensitive information. However, change is slowly happening as organizations invest in more modern, secure digital solutions.
Can You Fax from Walgreens?
Now that you have some background on why you might need to fax, let‘s return to the original question – can you send a fax from your local Walgreens store?
The short answer is no. I contacted several Walgreens locations and corporate customer service and confirmed that Walgreens stores do not have self-service fax machines available for customers to use.
However, Walgreens does use fax extensively for pharmacy services. Doctors can fax prescriptions to any Walgreens pharmacy, and you can even set up automatic prescription refills and transfer prescriptions from other pharmacies via fax.
Additionally, many Walgreens locations have a UPS shipping center inside the store where you can send packages. But unfortunately, these UPS counters do not offer fax services like standalone UPS Stores do.
Faxing Alternatives Near You
So where can you fax if not Walgreens? Don‘t worry, you still have plenty of convenient options, many of which you‘ve probably passed in your daily errands. These include:
Office Supply Stores
Your best bet for faxing is a major office supply store chain like Staples or Office Depot/Office Max. Pretty much every location has a self-service fax machine in the copy and print center.
Faxing at office stores is easy:
- Ask the copy center associate for a fax cover sheet and fill it out with your name, the recipient‘s name and fax number, and any special instructions
- Put your cover sheet on top of the documents you need to fax
- Feed the sheets into the fax machine and pay any required fee
- Wait for the confirmation page to make sure your fax went through
Faxing is available at office stores whenever the store is open, which is usually 8am-8pm Monday-Friday and 10am-6pm on weekends. Expect to pay around $1-2 per page.
Shipping Providers
Shipping centers like The UPS Store and FedEx Office (formerly Kinkos) also offer fax services at most locations. Simply bring your documents to the counter and a team member will assist you in sending your fax.
Fees vary by location but are comparable to office supply stores at $1-3 per page for domestic faxes and $5-8 per page for international faxes. If you are faxing sensitive information, confirm whether the fax machine is in a secure area since it will be handled by an employee rather than self-service.
Hotels, Banks & Libraries
Depending on your location, you may be able to send a fax from a bank, hotel business center, or public library. Call ahead to ask about availability and any restrictions.
Usually faxing at these places is limited to customers only. For example, most banks only allow faxing for account holders, and some libraries restrict faxing to educational or job seeking purposes to prevent frivolous usage.
Fees range from free to a few dollars per page. Hotels usually charge faxing to your room bill, while banks and libraries may accept cash or card payment.
Online Fax Services
These days you don‘t even need access to a physical fax machine to send a fax. With the rise of smartphones, tablets and laptops, you can fax from pretty much anywhere using an online fax service.
Top online fax providers include:
- eFax
- MetroFax
- Sfax
- FaxZero
- HelloFax
How online faxing works:
- Sign up for an account with a provider (some have free trials or pay-as-you-go options)
- Upload the files you need to fax, usually PDFs, Word docs, or image files
- Enter the recipient‘s fax number
- Click send and wait for the email confirmation that your fax was delivered
Pricing for online fax services varies but tends to be around $10-20 per month for a set amount of pages (around 300-500 pages included). For light faxing needs, free options like FaxZero let you send up to 5 faxes per day with a cover page ad.
The main benefits of online faxing are convenience, flexibility, and not needing access to a fax machine. However, it may not be ideal for very sensitive information since your faxes will be passing through a third-party server.
The Bottom Line on Faxing at Walgreens
In summary, while you can‘t send a personal fax at Walgreens, you can easily fax your Walgreens pharmacy for prescription refills, transfers, and other needs. Just call your local Walgreens and ask for their fax number.
For all other faxing needs, your best options are office supply stores, shipping centers, online fax services, and the occasional bank, hotel or library (call to confirm first).
To ensure successful faxing, always:
- Include a cover page with the recipient‘s info, number of pages, and your contact info
- Double check the fax number before sending
- Keep the original documents until you have a confirmation of receipt
As our world becomes increasingly digitized, the future of faxing is uncertain. However, online faxing solutions provide a bridge between traditional fax technology and newer digital communications.
According to Bharat Bhushan, former CTO of j2 Global, "As long as millions of fax machines are still plugged in, web faxing will continue to grow. It provides a migration path away from hardware faxing but still allows secure communications with those not yet online."
So the next time you need to send a fax, don‘t stress if Walgreens can‘t help. With a little research, you‘ll find a convenient, affordable faxing option near you.
Do you have any other faxing tips or experiences to share? Let me know in the comments below!
