RKS Fax Pricing, Plans, and Best Alternatives

RKS Fax: Complete Guide to Features and SetupRKS Fax is a cloud-based faxing solution designed to replace traditional fax machines with secure, internet-driven transmission and reception of documents. This guide covers its core features, security and compliance considerations, setup and configuration, common use cases, troubleshooting, and tips for optimizing your workflow.

What is RKS Fax?

RKS Fax is an online fax service that allows users to send and receive faxes through email, web portals, or integrated applications. It aims to simplify document exchange by removing the need for physical phone lines and paper, while offering features tailored for business environments such as digital archiving, multi-user management, and security controls.

Key Features

• Cloud-based delivery: Send and receive faxes without dedicated phone lines or on-premise fax machines.
• Email-to-fax and fax-to-email: Transmit faxes directly from an email client and receive incoming faxes as email attachments.
• Web portal access: Upload documents, enter recipient numbers, and manage sent/received faxes through a secure web interface.
• Multi-user accounts and role management: Create team accounts with permissions for administrators, senders, and viewers.
• Digital archiving and search: Store faxes in the cloud with searchable metadata and document retention controls.
• Integration APIs: RESTful APIs or SDKs for integrating fax capabilities into existing applications, EMR/EHR systems, CRMs, or workflow tools.
• Automatic retries and delivery reports: Delivery status notifications and logs that track transmission success or failure.
• Support for multiple file formats: Accept PDFs, TIFFs, DOC/DOCX, PNG/JPEG, and convert them to fax-compatible formats.
• Broadcast and bulk faxing: Send a single document to multiple recipients with scheduling and throttling controls to manage volume.
• Mobile support: Mobile-friendly portal and/or mobile apps for sending and reviewing faxes on smartphones and tablets.
• Number porting and virtual fax numbers: Acquire new fax numbers or port existing numbers to the service, including local and toll-free options.

Security and Compliance

RKS Fax targets organizations that need secure transmission for sensitive documents. Key security attributes typically include:

• Encrypted transmission: TLS for data in transit and encryption at rest for stored documents.
• Access controls and audit logs: Granular user permissions and activity logs to track who accessed or transmitted documents.
• Compliance options: Configurable settings to help meet regulatory requirements such as HIPAA for healthcare, GDPR for EU data protection, and others depending on the region and implementation.
• Data residency controls: Options to store faxes in specific geographic regions for regulatory compliance (varies by provider plan).

If you handle protected health information or other regulated data, confirm RKS Fax’s specific compliance certifications and obtain a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) if necessary.

Supported Platforms and Integrations

RKS Fax usually supports multiple ways to interact:

• Web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari)
• Email clients (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
• Mobile browsers and apps (iOS, Android)
• API/SDK for automation and integration with systems like:
  • Electronic Medical Records (EMR/EHR)
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Document Management Systems (DMS)
  • Accounting and billing systems
• Zapier or other automation platforms (if available) for connecting with thousands of apps

Pricing and Plans (Typical Structure)

Pricing often varies by features and volume. Typical plan elements include:

• Monthly subscription per user or per account
• Pages included per month; overage charges per additional page
• Additional fees for local or toll-free numbers, number porting, and premium integrations
• Enterprise plans with volume discounts and custom SLAs

Check the provider’s current pricing page for exact figures and available trials.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Below is a general setup flow. Exact steps may vary by RKS Fax’s interface and plan.

1. Account creation

   • Sign up on the RKS Fax website. Choose a plan and enter billing details.
   • Verify your email address.

2. Choose or port a fax number

   • Select a new local or toll-free fax number or request porting of an existing number.
   • For porting, prepare recent phone bills and account numbers from your current provider.

3. Configure users and roles

   • Add team members, assign roles (admin, sender, viewer), and set permissions.
   • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) if available.

4. Set delivery options

   • Configure email-to-fax and fax-to-email addresses.
   • Decide whether inbound faxes arrive as PDF or TIFF and set attachment naming conventions.

5. Integrate with email and apps

   • For email integration: add approved sender addresses and configure SMTP/IMAP if required.
   • For API integration: generate API keys, review SDK documentation, and test against sandbox endpoints.

6. Adjust security and compliance settings

   • Enable encryption, data retention policies, and audit logging.
   • If needed, execute a BAA and set up secure storage region preferences.

7. Test sending and receiving

   • Send test faxes to and from different carriers and devices.
   • Review delivery reports and archived copies.

8. Train users

   • Provide short guides: how to send via email, web portal, and mobile; how to view delivery reports; and how to retrieve archived faxes.

Common Use Cases

• Healthcare: Transmitting referrals, prescriptions, and lab orders while maintaining HIPAA controls.
• Legal: Serving court documents and signed contracts where faxed signatures are required.
• Finance and insurance: Exchanging forms, claims, and signed authorizations.
• Real estate: Sending purchase agreements and disclosures.
• Small businesses: Replacing on-premise fax machines, reducing paper and phone-line costs.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Fax not sending

  • Check recipient number format (include country code if required).
  • Confirm file type and size limitations; convert to PDF if necessary.
  • Review delivery report for error codes and automatic retry status.

• Incoming faxes not received

  • Verify your virtual fax number is active and correctly routed to your email.
  • Check spam/junk folders for fax emails.
  • Ensure mailbox quotas aren’t exceeded.

• Poor image quality

  • Use high-resolution PDFs; avoid photographs of documents—scan instead.
  • Confirm conversion settings (DPI, grayscale vs. black-and-white).

• Number porting delays

  • Provide complete account information and authorize the port promptly.
  • Expect multi-day timelines depending on the losing carrier.

Tips for Efficient Fax Workflows

• Use templates for frequently faxed documents to reduce errors.
• Batch non-urgent faxes during off-peak hours to lower delivery contention.
• Enable searchable OCR on archived faxes for fast retrieval.
• Implement retention policies to manage storage and compliance.
• Audit user activity periodically to ensure appropriate access.

Alternatives and Complementary Tools

If you need features beyond RKS Fax’s core offering, consider:

• Dedicated secure file transfer services for large files
• Document e-signature platforms when fully digital signatures are acceptable
• EMR/EHR direct messaging for healthcare-specific workflows

Conclusion

RKS Fax modernizes traditional faxing by offering secure, flexible cloud-based transmission with integrations and management features suited for businesses. Evaluate its security, compliance, and integration capabilities relative to your industry requirements before deployment. Test thoroughly during setup and apply workflow optimizations like templates, OCR, and role-based access to get the most value from the service.