Working remotely is the norm today. You can work from anywhere in the world as long as you have a decent internet connection. However, there are a few “real world“ considerations you simply cannot ignore, namely, a definite address for your business to receive your mail.
While this would’ve been a serious restriction a few decades ago, this isn’t the case anymore—all thanks to virtual mailboxes.
A virtual mailbox gives you an online gateway to scan and forward your mail. Whether you’re a digital nomad, startup, or ex-pat, you can use the service to manage your postal mail from anywhere you live. But before you do that, you have to sign up with a reliable virtual mailbox.
The Top 5 Best Virtual Mailboxes
- Anytime Mailbox – Best for Businesses Operating Outside the United States
- PostScan Mail – Best for Multi-User Functionality
- Traveling Mailbox – Best for Third-Party Integrations
- Earth Class Mail – Best for Businesses Dealing With Sensitive Documents
- iPostal1 – Best for Extensive Address Ranges
Keep reading as I discuss each service in more detail to give you a better idea about which tool would be a better fit for you.
#1 – Anytime Mailbox – Best for Businesses Operating Outside the United States
- Over 1,251 service locations
- Accepts FedEx and DHL packages
- Virtual and physical options
- Mobile app available
Anytime Mailbox is a cloud-based virtual mailbox service that offers flexible, low-priced services in over 1,251 locations, including the USA, Canada, Australia, UK, and Asia. No joke.
Anytime Mailbox makes it incredibly easy to get a virtual post office box, thanks to its partnership with an online notary platform called Notarize. All you have to do is fill in and submit a notarized form, and everything will be done in a few minutes.
Depending on the plan and location you choose, you get access to several amazing features, such as virtual mailbox, mail forwarding, mail scanning and storage, and virtual business addresses. What’s more, you also get additional offers like mail and package forwarding, check deposit, open and scan mail, and secure document shredding.
Anytime Mailbox takes the security of your mail seriously. It accepts packages from leading delivery companies, including FedEx and DHL, and also has physical locations from where you can pick up your mail.
Let’s not forget it also offers a handy mobile application for iPhone and Android devices, allowing you to keep up with your mail on the go.
Pricing
Anytime Mailbox is hands down one of the cheapest virtual mailbox services. However, it has confusing pricing tiers since its fees are different for different locations.
Monthly plans start as low as $6.50. That said, be warned if you opt for that lower-priced option, charges could quickly shoot up if you go over your allocated incoming mail quota.
#2 – PostScan Mail – Best for Multi-User Functionality
- Add multiple users per account
- Unlimited cloud storage
- Instant notifications included
- Mobile responsive
PostScan Mail gives you total control over your online postal mail. You can view, scan, forward, recycle, and shred your mail—it’s your call. It also lets you add multiple users to a single account, where every user has individual access with their own secure password.
This virtual mailbox offers unlimited cloud storage, along with the option for you to walk into any of their physical locations to pick up your mail delivery. The mail and package forwarding system is incredibly robust with real-time shipping rates and shipment tracking to over 400 national and international locations.
It sends email and push notifications to users instantly, ensuring you never miss an important mail delivery. Plus, PostScan Mail accepts mail from all mail carriers like UPS, USPS, and FedEx.
Designed for personal and business use, its features include unlimited cloud storage for online mail management, discounted mail receiving, planning and forwarding, and package forwarding. You can also shred personal documents for free, which, in turn, adds another layer of security to prevent identity theft.
The fact that PostScan Mail is responsive is another plus. The service works great on most mobile devices and tablets, with the mobile app available for download on Google Play and the App Store.
Pricing
PostScan Mail offers three membership plans to suit different customer requirements:
- Starter — Starts from $15 per month
- Standard — Starts from $20 per month
- Premium — Starts from $30 per month
The service charges extra if you exceed your monthly limit in addition to some additional fees, Such as mail storage, mail forwarding, and local pickup. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try the virtual mailbox risk-free.
#3 – Traveling Mailbox – Best for Third-Party Integrations
- Integrates with DropBox, Evernote, Google Drive
- OCR processing included
- Will scan docs for you
- All plans under $100 per month
Traveling Mailbox ticks off most requirements of a good virtual mailbox service. It’s feature-rich, reliable, and enjoys a stellar reputation for its quality mailbox management assistance.
You get an online postal mailbox, addresses, mail forwarding, post mail scanning, mail storage, mail filtering, document shredding, and check deposit services across its 30+ US-based addresses. The service lets you convert your emails, correspondences, invoices, and checks into digital documents to allow remote viewing.
What’s more, all your documents are processed through an OCR (optical character recognition) software before being converted into searchable PDF documents. This is one of Traveling Mailbox’s biggest USPs, as not all competing services offer this facility.
There’s also a unique ScanPAK feature, where the service sends you a prepaid envelope to fill in important papers that you don’t want to lose. Send the envelope back to the Traveling Mailbox, after which they will scan everything you send and upload it—all within a day of you receiving the mail.
Direct integrations with third-party software like Evernote, Dropbox, Bill.com, and Google Drive can make things very convenient for you by building a more fluid workflow.
Pricing
Traveling Mailbox’s pricing tiers is largely dependent on your quota amounts, but it’s definitely on the expensive side. Currently, you can choose from three different membership plans:
- Basic Plan — $15 per month
- Extended Plan — $25 per month
- Small Business Plan — $55 per month
Enterprise plans are also available starting from $99 per month if you’re looking for customized solutions to handle higher mail volumes. However, it doesn’t offer users a free service or trial.
#4 – Earth Class Mail – Best for Businesses Dealing With Sensitive Documents
- Personal login required to view mail
- Integrates with Quickbooks, Xero, Google Drive
- Automatic check deposit included
- Flexible personal and business pricing
Earth Class Mail is a very renowned virtual mailbox service and arguably the highest regarded. If you’re looking for an alternative to the traditional post office box, this is all you need.
You get online postal mailboxes and postal mail scanning services, as well as useful features like mail forwarding services, content scan, and secure document shredding. The CheckStream feature, for one, lets you automate your check deposit securely to improve your workflow and save time.
Although more suitable for SMBs, I highly recommend it for businesses dealing with confidential data.
You see, this virtual mailbox ensures all your mail is received, organized, and stored safely by the company’s HIPAA-certified professionals. Mails are scanned in high resolution and processed using OCR software to make them readable and searchable within the application. Plus, you’ll have to log into their website to download, recycle, trash, or destroy your mail—or have it sent to a third person.
All this ensures the greater safety of all your documents.
Earth Class Mail has more than 80 U.S. addresses on its list but doesn’t work outside the country. It can also integrate with services like QuickBooks Online, Xero, Bill.com, Google Drive, and Box, among others.
Pricing
Earth Class Mail’s tariff plans are more steeply-priced than its competitors. They’re divided into two categories: MailBox Plans (for individuals and small offices) and MailRoom Plans (for businesses and enterprises).
MailBox Plans
- Personal MailBox — $19 per month for one recipient and
- Shared MailBox — $29 per month for five recipients
- Premium MailBox — $79 per month for 20 recipients
MailRoom Plans
- Startup MailRoom — $139 per month for 100 pieces of mail
- Business MailRoom — $229 per month for 250 pieces of mail
- Enterprise MailRoom — Starts from $1,029 for high-volume mail planning
A free Earth Class Mail trial is also available to test-drive features.
#5 – iPostal1 – Best for Extensive Address Ranges
- Over 2000 global locations
- Street addresses and PO Boxes available
- Customize how you receive mail
- Virtual office options available
iPostal1 has steadily improved its range of services to become one of the leading names in digital mailbox technology today. It has expanded its infrastructure considerably since its launch in 2007 and is now one of the largest networks of digital mailbox locations.
Yep, you read that right. iPostal1 is one of the biggest international virtual mailbox services that gives you over 2000 locations to choose from—and this includes virtual offices, office buildings, and workspaces on the global level.
The service works similar to all good virtual mailbox services and has partnered with DHL, USPS, FedEx, and UPS for delivery. It offers many features like mail scanning and forwarding, check depositing, package forwarding, and a permanent street address. Other than this, you can manage your mails from anywhere and at any time via your phone or online.
You can’t register your business or receive deliveries from carriers when you only have a PO box. It’s why you need a real street address. The good news is iPostal1 offers both a PO Box as well as a real street address. You can get your mail and package handled, received, and stored at the mailing address of your choice.
Choosing how your mail is handled is another interesting feature. You can get it opened, scanned, forwarded, shredded, discarded, or stored for later pick up—whatever you want.
Pricing
iPostal1 offers tons of plans and sub-plans, so you’re sure to find the right match as per your requirements and preferences.
- Virtual Mailing Address — Starts at $9.99 per month
- Virtual Business Address — Starts at $9.99 per month
- Virtual Office — Starts at $39.99 per month
How to Find the Best Virtual Mailbox For You
Now that we’ve covered my top virtual mailbox recommendations, let’s take a look at how you can decide between them based on your needs.
Instead of discussing vague, broad criteria, I’ll focus on the crucial questions you must consider before making a call.
What actions does the virtual mailbox allow you to take on your mail?
You should have the option to see and try out a product demo. Any good virtual mailbox service should offer this facility to give you a better idea about their scope of functionalities and let you get the most out of the service. If you don’t get a demo, be sure to ask the following questions:
- How does the company handle packages and checks?
- In what format will you receive the mail?
- What are your available options for organizing your information? Is it possible to export this information to other applications?
- Can you add multiple users to your virtual mailbox account?
- Can you easily search for documents within the service’s platform?
What locations and addresses fall under the purview of the virtual mailbox?
Depending on your requirements, you’ll need different virtual addresses. For instance, if you’re a freelancer, you’ll want a street address that can then be used to register your business. On the other hand, having a PO Box is more than enough for an ex-pat.
The good news is there are plenty of options. Your job is only to ensure you sign up for a service that operates in all the locations you desire—nationwide and internationally.
What kind of physical and network security does the virtual mailbox offer?
This is incredibly crucial and should be things on your to-do list. Ask the provider what security measures they take to safeguard their customers’ private information. You can consider the following questions to get a better understanding of the security levels.
- Does the company hire trained people on their team to manage your mail? Someone who knows how to securely handle confidential health and financial information?
- Do they have independent operations? Or do they rely on local partners? Sure, local partners give you more local pickup options. But it also reduces your mail’s security.
- Has the company implemented any back-end security measures to keep your data safe?
- What sort of security systems do they have to manage and store mail items?
Does the virtual mailbox offer satisfactory features in their plans?
In addition to knowing how much you’re paying, you should also know exactly what you’re paying for.
Make a list of all the features you need (forwarding, document shredding, mail storage, and so on) from a virtual mailbox, and cross-check whether your selected prospects offer them. Follow this up by understanding the pricing structures associated with these plans and features.
Be sure you proceed with only those companies that provide the services—basic and additional—you need.
Does the virtual mailbox make it easy for you to access information?
The whole point of signing up with a digital mail and document solution is to access information quickly and on the go, preferably in usable formats.
To make the right choice, you should think about how long it takes for the service to give you your mail contents once you request them to be scanned. Other considerations include how long mail forwarding takes and whether there’s an option to automatically scan all the content.
In my experience, it’s best to choose virtual mailboxes that let you access your mail on a mobile device. It’s much more convenient.
Summary
I hope this guide helps you identify the best virtual mailbox for you and your business. Out of all the tools, I personally recommend Anytime Mail and PostScan because of their extensive capabilities. However, you can also opt for Earth Class Mail if you deal with documents of a more sensitive nature.
Nevertheless, regardless of your choice, you’re assured of an astonishingly easy and fast way to handle your postal mail on the go.
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