Can You Fax a Check? What You Need to Know

You can use a fax machine to send a document or image and even send electronic faxes online. But is it possible to fax a check? In this guide, we’ll cover whether it’s legal to fax a check, how you can use a fax machine or online fax solution to fax a check, and cover some of the risks and benefits to sending a check via fax.

Is It Legal to Fax a Check?

This might not be common knowledge, but you can actually fax a check from one person to another. While it is generally legal to send checks by fax, there are details and regulations that could change the acceptance of a  faxed check. Below, we’ll cover some of the potential risks of sending a check by fax. 

How to Fax a Check: Step-by-Step Instructions

You can use a fax machine or an online faxing app like eFax to fax a check. Follow these steps to learn how to fax a check:

Fax a Check using a Fax Machine

1. Create a copy of the check by placing it on a sheet of white paper, then running it through a photocopier.
2. Look at your check copy to make sure all the details are visible.
3. Place your check copy into the fax machine tray and send the fax.

Fax a Check using eFax

Using eFax, you can either email the check or use the app. In either case:

1. Take a picture of the check with your phone or a camera.
2. Upload the image to eFax.
3. Fill out the recipient’s information and add a cover letter if desired.
4. Send the check as a fax.

4 Benefits of Sending a Check by Fax

Sending a check by fax comes with many benefits. Here are four of the top benefits of sending a fax by check:

• Speed and Convenience: It’s much faster to fax a check than to send it in the mail. It’s also more convenient, offering you the ability to send a check by fax from your home or office.
• Reduced Loss Risk: Fax machines and online fax services offer the security of instantly transmitting your document, so there is a lower chance of the faxed check getting stolen or lost in the mail. 
• Paper Trail: When you fax a check, you create a paper trail of the transaction. You can then reference the delivery confirmation if disputes arise.
• Practicality: It’s easy to keep track of client’s purchases digitally, so you can reduce clutter by not having to store paper copies of checks. 

The Potential Risks of Faxing a Check

Faxing a check is not without potential risks. Here are some of the issues that can arise when you send a check by fax:

• Image quality: It’s crucial that you take a clear picture of your check before you fax it. A poorly transmitted fax can mean that the check is not readable by the recipient, which can lead to a rejected or delayed process time.
• Interception: Sending a check to a fax machine comes with a risk of an unauthorized party viewing or intercepting the check. To help mitigate this issue, add a confidential cover letter.
• Data privacy: Fax machines can be vulnerable to hacking or data breaches. For added security, use an online faxing service that includes security enhancements like encryption.
• Processing delays: Since faxed checks must be manually reviewed, it may take longer for the recipient to process a faxed check versus an electronic payment.
• Acceptance issues: Certain industries might not accept checks that are sent by fax, due to difficulty processing them or potential security implications.
• Legal considerations: In some legal settings, electronic signatures like those on a faxed check might not be accepted. 

3 Alternatives to Faxing a Check

You can still send money online if faxing a check is not an option due to your industry or recipient limitations. Here are three alternative options for faxing a check:

You can use Electronic Fund Transfers (EFTs) to transfer money electronically from one bank account to another. An EFT also allows you to deposit paychecks automatically, which makes it a convenient alternative to faxing a check. 

Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfers facilitate communication between banks and credit unions. Wire transfers are often used for one-time payments, like when homebuyers make a down payment on a property.

Mobile check deposits and online payments are both ways to transfer payment electronically. With mobile check deposits, you take a picture of a physical check and upload it to your bank account online. Online payments take physical checks out of the equation, allowing you to make payments online through a website or banking app.

Can eFax Be Used to Fax Checks?

eFax is a convenient and user-friendly solution for faxing your checks to individual or business recipients. eFax offers the following benefits as an online faxing solution:

• Security: eFax comes with advanced encryption methods for your faxes, including AES 256-bit encryption. This safeguards your sensitive information when you’re sending it and when you’ve stored received faxes (also known as in-transit and at rest).
• HIPAA compliance: eFax complies with the strict HIPAA security and privacy standards, so your sensitive documents containing Protected Health Information are not at risk. This is especially important for healthcare providers.
• Audit trails: Because eFax maintains audit trails and logs of all the faxes you send and receive, you can easily track and monitor faxed documents.
• Business Associate Agreements: BAAs offer an additional layer of legal protection, and eFax offers this as a service as part of the eFax Protect plan.

FAQs Around Faxing Checks