LetterAgent

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Home > Guides > Dialing 1 before fax

Do I need to dial 1 before a fax number?

Dial a fax number exactly the way you would dial it for a voice call: that is the whole rule. In the US and Canada, that means 1 plus the area code and number for long distance, and ten digits for local calls in most areas. For international numbers, dial your country's exit code, 011 from North America, then the country code and the local number.

How do I dial a long-distance fax number?

From anywhere in the US or Canada to anywhere else in the US or Canada, dial 1, then the area code, then the number: 1-212-555-0147, for example. This is true whether you are calling or faxing, because the fax machine is just placing a phone call. The 1 tells the phone network the call is long distance.

One detail people trip on: some office phone systems want a 9 first to get an outside line, so the full string becomes 9, 1, area code, number. If your office fax fails on numbers that work from your cell, the missing 9 is the first thing to check.

What is the dialing cheat sheet?

The pause matters for extensions: most fax machines let you insert a comma, which the machine reads as a two-second pause, so the sequence becomes number, pause, extension. Dialing the extension too early, before the other end picks up, is a common reason faxes to big offices fail.

Do I need to dial anything with an online fax service?

No dialing at all: you type or speak the full number and the service dials for you. With LetterAgent, you describe the fax to your AI assistant, including the destination number with its area code, and the assistant handles the rest. The flow is a per-fax quote with the page count verified, you approve the exact total, and you pay once through Stripe.

LetterAgent sends to US and Canadian fax numbers only, and fax is currently in testing, so confirm the service status before sending anything time-critical. There is no inbound fax: nobody can fax a reply back to a LetterAgent number.

What trips people up when dialing faxes abroad?

• The trunk zero. Many countries write numbers with a leading 0, like 020 7946 0000 in the UK. When dialing internationally, drop that zero: it is only used for domestic calls. Dial 011-44-20-7946-0000, not 011-44-020-7946-0000.
• Time zones. A fax machine answers any time, but a fax sent at 3 a.m. the recipient's time sits in the tray until morning. For anything sensitive, send during their business hours or warn them it is coming.
• Test with a voice call first. Before sending a long international fax, call the number and listen: fax tones mean the machine is there, a person means you have the wrong number, and endless ringing means nobody is home.
• Keep in mind the LetterAgent limit. LetterAgent sends to US and Canadian fax numbers only, so an international destination needs a different service. The dialing rules above apply when you send it yourself from a machine or an international-capable fax service.

Related guides

• How do I fax to an extension number?
• Can I fax from my phone without an app?
• Do you need a fax number to send a fax?
• Can I fax internationally?

Ready to fax it? Fax with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is sent.

LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.

Need help? Ask your assistant: it can check a job's status any time. If it ever can't handle something: hello@getletteragent.com

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