What happens if my fax does not go through?
Faxing depends on the machine at the other end, so a fax sometimes fails on the first try. FaxTerra explains why in plain language, keeps trying on its own when that will help, and never charges you for an attempt that did not get through.
Why a fax sometimes fails
Most failures are about the machine you are sending to, not your document. The common reasons, in plain terms:
- The line is busy — the receiving machine is on another call.
- No answer — the machine is turned off, unplugged, or out of paper.
- It is not a fax line — the number answered as a regular phone, which usually means you have the recipient's voice number instead of their fax number.
- The receiving machine had trouble — it started to receive but something interrupted it.
- A temporary problem with our fax carrier — occasionally the service we use to place the call has a brief hiccup. This is never a problem with your document or the recipient's number.
What FaxTerra retries for you
When a failure is the kind that usually clears up on its own — a busy line, a call that dropped partway, or a temporary carrier problem — FaxTerra keeps retrying automatically — up to 5 more tries after the first attempt, spread over about an hour — with nothing for you to do. You are emailed when it finally goes through, or once if every attempt fails. If the reason is a temporary carrier problem, the status page says so plainly while it keeps trying, so you know your document and the number are fine.
Automatic retries are always free
A failed attempt never uses your free pages or your credits — you are only ever counted for a fax that is delivered. If you would rather not wait, you can stop the automatic retries at any time from the fax's status page.
When a long fax stops partway through
A large fax can transmit for a long time, and occasionally the call drops after a good part of the document has already arrived. Once 20 or more pages have gone through, FaxTerra finishes the fax for you: it sends the pages that did not arrive as a second transmission, with a cover sheet telling your recipient it completes the earlier fax. The last page that got through is sent again so nothing can be missing. You do not need to do anything, and nothing expires.
The status page and your delivery email both say plainly what happened: which pages arrived first, which arrived in the second transmission, and what you were charged. The total is the same as an uninterrupted send, because you are counted for the pages of your document once.
Two cases work differently. If your account does not have enough pages or credits to send the rest, nothing more goes out: you are told exactly what arrived and what finishing would cost, and you are charged nothing for the pages that did not arrive. And if the way the call ended suggests the number may not be a working fax line, FaxTerra pauses and asks first, because sending the rest to a number you may be about to correct would be worse than waiting.
What to do next
If FaxTerra tells you the number answered as a voice line or does not exist, double-check you have the recipient's fax number — not their main phone number — and send again to the corrected number. For a busy line or a temporary problem, the automatic retries usually handle it; if every attempt still fails, wait a little and try again, or confirm the recipient's fax machine is on and has paper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I get charged when a fax fails?
No. You are only ever counted for a fax that is actually delivered. Failed attempts — including automatic retries — never use your free pages or credits.
Does FaxTerra try again automatically?
Yes, for failures that usually clear up on their own — a busy line, a dropped call, or a temporary carrier issue. FaxTerra retries up to 5 more times after the first attempt, over about an hour, and emails you the outcome. You can stop the retries anytime from the status page.
My long fax stopped halfway. Do I have to start over?
No, and you do not have to do anything. Once 20 or more pages have gone through, FaxTerra sends the remaining pages automatically as a second transmission, behind a cover sheet that tells your recipient it completes the earlier fax. You are counted for your document's pages once, the same as if it had gone in one piece. Below that, the fax is simply re-sent whole and the status page tells you which pages your recipient already has, so you know the first few will arrive twice.
My fax keeps failing. What should I check?
Make sure you have the recipient's fax number, not their voice number — a fax sent to a regular phone will not go through. Confirm the receiving machine is on and has paper, and try again. If FaxTerra shows a temporary carrier issue, your document and the number are fine; it will keep retrying.
FaxTerra says sending from my account is paused. What does that mean?
It means most of your recent faxes did not reach a working fax machine, so sending is on a temporary hold. It is a hold, not a block on your account, and there is nothing to buy or apply for: it lifts on its own, usually within a day or two and a few days at most. It affects sending only, so your fax number keeps receiving and your inbox, pages, and credits are untouched. The usual cause is a list of numbers that turned out to be voice lines or are no longer in service, so the useful thing to do meanwhile is check each recipient number against a recent bill or letter from them.