SRFax Review

After researching and analyzing this niche side of the online faxing industry, we found SRFax to be the most comprehensive service in the way of data security while remaining easy to use. It's why it is our choice as the best HIPPA-compliant online fax service. Its service tiers cater to the needs and costs of healthcare-related small businesses. With more than two decades of experience, the Nanaimo, British Columbia-based company is well-versed in HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliance and Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) regulations, and is capable of securely handling the faxes you send and receive.

To learn more about our selection process and to see a comprehensive list of online faxing providers, see our best picks page.

Pricing

Like many of their competitors both in and out of the HIPAA-compliant sphere, SRFax offers multiple service tiers at varying monthly and yearly rates. While the company also caters to non-healthcare businesses, the following service tiers are strictly for businesses that require HIPAA compliance. Page counts include faxes sent and received. Each page over the monthly allotment costs an additional 3.5 cents. The cost of each plan is as follows:

• Healthcare Lite: $7.95 per month (or $78 per year) for 200 pages 

• Healthcare Basic: $10.95 per month (or $108 per year) for 500 pages 

• Healthcare Basic Plus: $16.95 per month (or $168 per year) for 800 pages 

• Healthcare Standard: $30.95 per month (or $314.40 per year) for 1,500 pages 

• Healthcare Standard Plus: $49.95 per month (or $510 per year) for 2,500 pages 

• Healthcare Professional: $92.95 per month (or $996 per year) for 5,000 pages 

• Healthcare Professional Plus: $185 per month (or $1,980 per year) for 10,000 pages; each page over the monthly allotment costs an additional 3 cents 

• Healthcare Professional Premium: $395 per month (or $4,320 per year) for 20,000 pages; each page over the monthly allotment costs an additional 2.5 cents

There is no contract to sign, nor is there a setup fee for any of SRFax's plans. Every healthcare service tier can have additional fax numbers added for $4.95 each. All levels of service come with consolidated billing, and the company offers a 30-day free trial.

Features

Complying with both American and Canadian healthcare privacy laws requires finesse and experience. In our research, we found that SRFax secures its data with 2048-bit SSL certification, 2048-bit RSA public keys, PGP encryption, conventional password protection and encrypted session ID cookies to identify each user whenever they are connected to the system. They encrypt all user communications within the system the moment the user logs in.

But all the digital security in the world may not be enough in the age of high-profile data breaches and online data interdiction. To further protect from intrusion, SRFax physically secures its servers by keeping its production equipment located in a facility protected with "24-hour physical security, redundant electrical generators, and other backup equipment designed to keep servers secure and continually up and running." The full list of security measures can be found on the company's website.

Additionally, SRFax supports multiple individual user accounts, unlimited authorized email addresses, and unlimited online storage of sent and received faxes. Users can schedule up to 50 recipients to receive the same fax at once. Those added features are sure to be a major boon to any small medical practice.

Pros of SRFax

The biggest benefit of going with SRFax is its commitment to protecting sensitive data. By utilizing end-to-end encryption, SRFax's HIPAA-compliant plans are among the most safeguarded offerings we've seen, with 2048-bit SSL, RSA and PGP encryption protocols in effect. The company also keeps its servers under lock and key, guarded by security professionals in a separate facility than their main offices. That level of protection was not found with any of the other vendors and really set SRFax apart from the rest.

Another thing that stood out to us was the pricing structure associated with SRFax's HIPAA-compliant plans. For as little as $7.95 a month, users who need high-security online faxing get access to up to 200 sent and received pages. Plans then scale up to 20,000 sent and received pages for $395 per month, though that level is certainly more in line with a major medical practice than a small business. Every service tier allows for multiple individual user accounts, unlimited authorized email addresses and the ability to purchase additional fax numbers for a small fee.

SRFax also offers unlimited storage for every sent and received fax. Being able to safely store every page is a major benefit over traditional faxing, since physical pages can be easily destroyed or lost, but digital files can be backed up.

Cons of SRFax

There are two glaring issues with SRFax. The first is that users cannot sign documents digitally before sending them out. While not necessarily a deal-breaker for some, medical professionals need to be able to affix their signature to medical documents all the time. Forcing doctors to print, sign and scan documents before they can be faxed adds too many additional steps. For most medical practices this is a minor hassle but doesn't detract from the benefits and affordability of SRFax.

We also found it interesting that SRFax does not have a mobile app. Many online fax companies offer such a service for free in most cases. SRFax has committed to fixing this problem, but recently blamed it on their business "growing rapidly, and we have focused on provisioning and ensuring that we are keeping up with capacity demands." They have since urged users to check out their mobile website in lieu of an actual app. And while it's not lost on us that to get a good app made costs money and time, when you consider the exorbitant lengths they go to in order to protect customer data, it seems odd that they wouldn't have simply taken the time and effort to give potential and existing customers what they want.

Customer Service

SRFax has a 24/7 customer support hotline. Most services offer some form of phone support but are generally limited to business days, or if the company is open on weekends, support is only available during limited hours. With SRFax, you always have access to assistance if you run into problems.

When we contacted SRFax, posing as a potential small business owner interested in their service, we found their customer support department easy to work with. The representative we spoke with was affable and attentive to our needs. Many times, they referred us to the company's extensive online support database, which may or may not be an issue for some people.

Ready to choose an online fax service? Here's a breakdown of our complete coverage:

• Best Online Fax Services
• Choosing an Online Fax Service: A Buyer's Guide
• Best Online Fax Service for Small Businesses
• Best Pay-Per-Use Online Fax Service
• Best Free Incoming Online Fax Service

Looking for other systems for a medical practice? Visit these other Business News Daily guides:

• Medical Billing Services: Our Recommendations
• How to Choose Medical Practice Management Software
• Choosing the Right EHR System for Your Medical Practice