Where to Scan Documents: Stores, Apps, & More Options Listed

William Lipovsky headshot William Lipovsky
Verified & Updated Sep 18, 2020

When you have a large number of documents to scan or your documents are unusually shaped, a free scanning app or the single-page scanner on top of your printer likely will not suffice. Fortunately, there are several national chains that have scanners in-store. Below, we provide the list of businesses that offer scanning services and/or scanning kiosks where you can quickly and easily take care of your scanning project.

What We Recommend

If you need to scan a large number of documents, The UPS Store offers the best “bulk” scanning prices. Beyond this, FedEx stores and office supply stores like Staples and Office Depot/OfficeMax will likely be the best options for unique scanning projects. Joining the Office Depot/OfficeMax rewards program will earn you 10% back on scanning purchases. If you only need to scan a few, regular-sized pages, you can try a free scanner app like CamScanner, or you can visit your local library to get your documents scanned for free or a small fee.

The List

The businesses below offer scanning services for a fee, but note that none of the businesses list their scanning prices online. To obtain pricing information, we contacted customer service representatives from each store — to confirm availability, you can call ahead to your intended store before making the trip. We’ve ordered the list below starting with the best overall options.

1. The UPS Store

UPS stores are individually owned franchises, so each location offers slightly different print services, and each location can charge a different price for the service.

  • Scanning costs:[1]
    • Typically about $5 per scan for a document of 10 pages
    • Between $10 and $30 per scan for a document up to 100 pages, as long as it is all one document
  • Details: Many UPS Store locations offer computer rental work stations where customers can scan documents and photos as needed.[2]
  • Find a UPS location

2. FedEx

Most FedEx locations have both self-service kiosks and team members who can scan things for you.

  • Scanning costs:[3]
    • $0.49 per page for small documents
    • $5.99 for large documents three square feet or less; $9.99 for documents over three square feet
  • Details: If your document is larger than a standard sheet of paper, you will be unable to use the self-serve kiosk; a FedEx employee must scan it for you.[3]
  • Find a FedEx location. (Be sure to select a FedEx Office Print & Ship Center, not one of the Drop Box or Authorized Ship Center locations.)

3. Office Depot/OfficeMax

  • Scanning costs: $2.99 for the first page/ $0.25 for each additional page[4]
  • Details: If you opt to use the scanning services, you may want to sign up for the Rewards+ program, a store loyalty card that will get you 10% back on scanning services. The 10% back also applies to other activities in the print shop like making copies or shipping. You can also use it when purchasing ink and toner.[5][6]
  • Find an Office Depot/OfficeMax location

4. Staples

Staples has self-service kiosks at their locations for scanning your documents, but you must have a credit or debit card to use them.

  • Scanning costs: $0.50 per page[7]
  • Details: If you’re planning to do a lot of scanning at Staples, it could be worth your time to join the Staples Rewards program. The program, which is free to join, gets you up to 5% back on all purchases other than gift cards and postage.[8][9]
  • Find a Staples location

Other Places That Offer Scanning Services

There are a few other types of businesses that often offer scanning services, though availability will vary by location; you can call ahead to confirm. We’ve ordered the list below starting with the places that are most likely to offer the service, and for the lowest cost.

5. Libraries

Your local library is likely able to scan things at volume. If you have a library card with no outstanding fines, library associates will likely help you scan a few pages. Many public libraries charge a small fee for scans (typically as little as $0.10 per page) or set a limit on the number of pages you can scan, but many also offer the service for free and without limits. You can call your local library to confirm.

Additionally, if you are a college student or an active member of your school alumni association, your school library is very likely to have a scanner.

6. Hotels

Many hotels have business centers for guest use. These services occasionally include printers with scanners. Additionally, if it is a small document, the front desk may be able to scan it for you. This is most likely to work if you wait until the front desk administrator is not busy — ideally in the evening. If you are not a guest of a hotel, it’s still worth asking if they can scan it for you.

7. Travel Agencies

Many travel agencies have access to scanners and may be willing to help you out while you’re on the road. If you’re on a trip booked by a travel agency that has a chain of offices and you can get to one of them, the office will likely help you; however, any travel agency (even those outside of the network) may also agree to scan your document. If you have an urgent need to scan something, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Free Apps You Can Use to Scan Documents

If you have a smartphone and you don’t need to scan a large number of documents, you may be able to download an app that gets the job done for you. With improved camera technology, these apps allow you to create scans that are just as clear as using an actual scanner.

8. CamScanner

  • Details: You can download the basic CamScanner app for free. It allows you to take pictures of your documents and turn them into PDFs. You can then send them to your cloud storage, save them on your phone, or email them to yourself and others. You can even photograph multiple pages and save them as one document.[10]
  • Availability: iPhone and Android
  • Find out more or download

9. Evernote

  • Details: Evernote is an amazing productivity app but what you may not know is that it allows you to use your phone to scan documents and images, too. You can turn anything into a PDF with this app, store it in your cloud service, or email it to anyone.[11]
  • Availability: iPhone and Android
  • Find out more or download

10. Genius Scan

  • Details: Genius Scan’s free edition is a great app for scanning a few pages at a time. You can save multiple pages into a single PDF file and email them to anyone. You can also export the scans to a wide variety of cloud storage options. It uses perspective correction to get the best-looking scans.[12]
  • Availability: iPhone only
  • Find out more or download

Need to send faxes as well? We list more than 10 places where you can send a fax for free (or nearly free).

  1. UPS Store customer service (800) 789-4623[↩]
  2. https://www.theupsstore.com/store-services/computer-access[↩]
  3. https://www.fedex.com/en-us/office/scanning-services.html[↩][↩]
  4. Office Depot customer service (800) 463-3768[↩]
  5. https://www.officedepot.com/cm/print-and-copy/same-day-printing[↩]
  6. https://www.officedepot.com/a/loyalty-programs/office-depot-rewards/[↩]
  7. Staples customer service (800) 333-3330[↩]
  8. https://www.staplescopyandprint.ca/OfficeOnTheGo.aspx[↩]
  9. https://www.staples.com/sbd/cre/programs/rewards/learn-more/index.html?TYPE=33554433&REALMOID=06-00000a28-8123-1a59-b2c1-11140a0ca01e&SMAUTHREASON=0&METHOD=GET&SMAGENTNAME=-SM-staples%2ecom–nginx&TARGET=-SM-https%3a%2f%2fwww%2estaples%2ecom%2frewards[↩]
  10. https://www.camscanner.com/[↩]
  11. https://evernote.com/features/document-scanning[↩]
  12. https://www.thegrizzlylabs.com/genius-scan/[↩]
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