By David Thompson · Published April 14, 2026 · Updated April 10, 2026 · 10 min read
Quick Answer: Yes, Staples offers fax service at the Copy & Print center in most locations. Local faxes cost $1.79 for the first page and $1.59 per additional page. If you'd rather skip the trip, mFax.to lets you send from your phone in under two minutes.
Staples is one of the few retail chains where you can still walk in and fax a document in person. With roughly 900+ U.S. locations, it's often the closest option for anyone who needs to send a contract, medical form, or government document without setting up an online account.
But in-store faxing has real costs — not just per-page fees, but travel time, privacy risks, and the frustrating reality that not every location has a working machine. This guide covers everything: 2026 Staples fax pricing, step-by-step instructions, hours, what you can send, and when it makes more sense to skip the drive entirely.
Staples Fax — Service Summary
Service: Self-service fax at Copy & Print center. Cost: $1.79–$5.99 per page. Hours: Typically Mon–Fri 8 AM–9 PM, Sat 9 AM–7 PM, Sun 10 AM–6 PM. Receiving: Available in most stores (~$1.00/page). Documents: Paper originals, USB, SD card, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive.
Does Staples Have Fax Service?
Yes — Staples offers fax service through the Copy & Print center in most locations, using self-service Xerox multifunction machines. Sending starts at $1.79 for the first local page ($1.59 each additional), while national faxes begin at $2.39 and international faxes start at $5.99 per page. You pay at the machine by credit card or cash and receive a printed confirmation page.
Important caveat: Not every Staples location has a working fax machine. Service availability depends on the individual store. Before driving over, call your nearest location or check the Staples website store locator to confirm fax service is available. Searching "Staples fax near me" in Google Maps and calling the store takes 60 seconds and saves a wasted trip.
Staples Fax Pricing (2026)
Staples charges per page, and the rate depends on whether the destination is local, national (long distance), or international.
| Fax Type | First Page | Each Additional Page |
|---|---|---|
| Local | $1.79 | $1.59 |
| National (Long Distance) | $2.39 | $2.19 |
| International | $5.99 | $3.99 |
| Receiving | ~$1.00 | ~$1.00 |
Prices vary slightly by location. There are no subscription fees — you pay only for what you send. Failed transmissions (busy signal, wrong number) may still incur a charge, so double-check the fax number before sending.
Real-World Cost Warning
A 10-page national fax costs approximately $22.12 ($2.39 + 9 × $2.19). Add gas, parking, and 30 minutes of your time, and the true cost easily exceeds $30. The calculator below shows your specific fax's total cost.
Staples Fax Cost Calculator
Staples Fax Hours
The Copy & Print center operates on a separate schedule from the main store floor. Standard hours across most locations:
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday – Friday | 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
| Sunday | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM |
Hours vary by location. Holiday hours differ from standard hours. Always verify with your specific store before arriving — especially if you need to fax on a Sunday or early weekday morning.
Best times to go: Mid-morning (9–11 AM) on weekdays. Avoid lunch hour (12–1 PM) and after 5 PM when lines at Copy & Print machines get long.
How to Fax at Staples: Step-by-Step
The entire process takes 5–15 minutes depending on document length and machine availability. Here's exactly what to do:
Find a Staples with fax service
Call your local store or use the Staples store locator to confirm fax is available. Ask specifically "does your Copy and Print center have a fax machine?" — not all locations do.
Head to the Copy & Print center
The fax machines are self-service Xerox units, usually at the back of the store. Look for signs pointing to Copy & Print. Ask an associate if you can't find them.
Select 'Fax' on the touchscreen
Tap the fax option on the main menu. The machine will ask you to choose local, national (long distance), or international — this determines your per-page rate.
Load your document or connect your source
Choose how you'll provide the document:
- Paper original: Place pages face-up in the automatic document feeder
- USB drive / SD card: Insert into the machine's port and navigate to your file
- Cloud storage: Connect to Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive using the machine's touchscreen
Enter the recipient's fax number
Type the full number on the keypad. For U.S. long distance, include the area code. For international, include the country code (e.g., +44 for the UK, +1 for Canada). Read the number back digit by digit before proceeding.
Review cost and pay
The machine displays the estimated total before charging. Pay by credit or debit card (cash availability varies). Then press Send.
Collect your confirmation and originals
The machine prints a transmission report showing success or failure. Keep this page — it's your only proof of delivery. If the report shows ERROR or NO ANSWER, you'll need to retry (you may still be charged for the failed attempt). Retrieve any paper originals you placed in the feeder before leaving.
What You Can Send and Receive
Sending
Staples machines handle most standard document types without issues:
- Paper originals — contracts, medical records, legal documents, tax forms, signed agreements
- PDF files from USB drive, SD card, or cloud storage
- Images and photos — scanned automatically to fax-compatible format
- Microsoft Word documents — must be saved as PDF first for best results
- Multi-page documents — the machine queues all pages in one transmission
The machines scan at standard fax resolution (200 DPI). For the cleanest transmission, use high-contrast black-and-white documents. Faded originals or small fonts may not reproduce clearly on the recipient's end.
Receiving
Staples can receive faxes at most locations. The process:
- Ask the Copy & Print associate for the store's public fax number
- Give that number to whoever is sending to you
- Return to the store when the fax arrives and retrieve your pages
Cost is approximately $1.00 per received page. This is an inconvenient and unreliable method — you must physically be present to collect documents, and there's no notification system. For regular inbound faxing, a dedicated online fax number (like what mFax.to provides) is far more practical.
Privacy Risks to Know
Faxing sensitive documents in a public retail store introduces privacy risks that aren't obvious until something goes wrong:
- Open environment: Other customers waiting nearby can see what you're scanning — your contract, medical record, or bank statement
- Forgotten originals: Leaving a document on the scanner glass is one of the most common mistakes at retail fax machines. It happens to careful people too
- No encryption in transit: Standard PSTN fax is not encrypted end-to-end
- Shared machine: Multiple people use the same device throughout the day
Healthcare Professionals: Use Caution
Sending protected health information (PHI) from a public retail location creates HIPAA compliance risk. A shared machine in a public store is not a controlled environment. If PHI must be faxed, use a HIPAA-compliant fax service with encryption and audit logs.
Staples vs. FedEx vs. UPS: Pricing Comparison
All three major retail fax providers charge similar per-page rates. Here's how they compare:
| Store | Local (1st page) | National | International | Receive |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Staples | $1.79 | $2.39 | $5.99 | ~$1.00 |
| FedEx Office | $1.89 | $2.49 | $5.99+ | ~$1.00 |
| The UPS Store | ~$2.00 | ~$2.50 | ~$3.00+ | N/A |
| Office Depot | ~$1.79 | ~$2.39 | Varies | N/A |
| CVS(no fax) | — | — | — | — |
| Walgreens(no fax) | — | — | — | — |
Which is cheapest? For local faxes, Staples and Office Depot are typically the least expensive at $1.79/first page. FedEx Office runs slightly higher at $1.89. UPS Store pricing varies more widely by franchisee. For international faxes, all three retailers charge $5.99+ per page — an online service is a dramatically cheaper alternative.
Which has the most locations? FedEx Office has a larger presence in urban centers. Staples is more common in suburban areas. The UPS Store has the most total U.S. locations overall.
For more on alternatives, see our guides on faxing at UPS and faxing at CVS (spoiler: they don't offer it).
When Staples Faxing Makes Sense
To be fair, there are situations where driving to Staples is the right call:
- You only have a paper original and no scanner at home
- You need a one-time fax and don't want to create an online account
- You want in-person help — Copy & Print associates can assist if you've never used a fax machine before
- Your internet is down and you can't access an online service
For any other scenario — multiple pages, sensitive documents, international faxes, or recurring needs — online faxing wins on both cost and convenience.
The Faster Alternative: mFax
Skip the drive and the per-page fees entirely. mFax.to lets you send a fax from any iPhone, Android, or desktop browser in under two minutes.
Download mFax or open mFax.to
Install the mFax app on iOS or Android, or visit mFax.to in any browser. Create an account in under 30 seconds.
Upload or scan your document
Import a PDF from your files, Google Drive, or iCloud. Or use the built-in camera scanner to capture paper pages — mFax optimizes them automatically for clean fax quality.
Enter the recipient's fax number
Type the full number in standard format. Optionally add a cover page with your name and message.
Send — get instant confirmation
Tap Send Fax. mFax shows real-time delivery status and emails you a transmission receipt. Your entire send history is stored in your account — no paper receipts to lose.
| Feature | Staples In-Store | mFax.to |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $1.79–$5.99 per page | From $6.99/week (unlimited pages) |
| Convenience | Drive to store, wait in line | Send from phone in 2 min |
| Privacy | Public environment | Private, encrypted transmission |
| Receiving faxes | ~$1.00/page, must collect in person | Dedicated number, digital delivery |
| Confirmation | Paper receipt only | Digital receipt + email |
| Available 24/7 | No (store hours only) | Yes |
| Cloud document support | Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive | Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud |
For anyone who faxes more than once a month, a weekly mFax plan pays for itself after a single Staples visit. Over 5 million users have made the switch — with a 4.8-star App Store rating and a 98% delivery success rate.
Tips for Getting the Best Results at Staples
Whether you're sending from Staples or mFax, these practices improve delivery success:
- Save documents as PDF before faxing — it preserves layout and is universally compatible with all fax machines
- Use black and white — color documents convert to grayscale anyway; B&W reduces file size and transmission errors
- Keep margins at least 0.5 inches — content near the edge may get cut off on some machines
- Add a cover page — include sender name, recipient name, date, and total page count. Use the free mFax cover sheet generator to create one instantly
- Call ahead — confirm the Staples machine is working before making the trip
- Triple-check the fax number — a wrong digit means a failed send and a lost payment
Send Your Fax Now
Whether you use Staples or go the smarter route with mFax.to — upload your document, enter the fax number, and hit Send. With mFax, you'll have a digital confirmation in your inbox before you'd even pull out of the Staples parking lot.