In my ranking I will talk about the best virtual mailboxes in the United States. This service is relevant not only to Americans, but also to foreign nationals who need a U.S. mailing address. In this rating I review and compare only virtual mailbox services, not touching the subject of mail forwarding!
And for those who don’t like to read much – I can name my #1 choice right away – it’s the PostScan Mail service. In 2023, I did a whole study comparing and selecting the best mailboxes. I compiled all the results and based on that data, I created this ranking and wrote an article on the topic.
I will also separately make a mini-review of each service, their real features, advantages and disadvantages. My personal experience in testing services and years of experience in digital business will help me in this.
PostScan Mail – The Best Choice for U.S. Residents and Expats
All that the average user of digital mailboxes needs is a virtual address in the U.S., to which letters will reach with no problems and which will be quickly processed and scanned.
The service handles these tasks perfectly. All mailbox centers are owned by PostScan Mail. All business processes are as streamlined as possible and customers receive the same high level of service, regardless of the location chosen! The service is a little more expensive than competitors in terms of additional services, but not everyone needs them, and if they do, it’s easier to overpay a few dollars and not to break your neck!
My rating: ★★★★★★★★★ (9/10)
Anytime Mailbox – The Best Choice for International Business
I recommend Anytime Mailbox for those who need a mailing address outside of the US. As of this writing, the company offers mailboxes in 49 countries. So if you have a global business or are going to open virtual offices in new countries I can recommend Anytime Mailbox! In the U.S., too, it offers over 1,000 locations in all states of the country. But unfortunately, the company works through partner offices, not its own offices, so prices, as well as quality of services may vary from location to location. And while on a business scale the difference in rates is not critical, for regular users it can be significant.
My evaluation: ★★★★★★★★ (8/10)
Traveling Mailbox – The best choice for travelers
Traveling Mailbox fully lives up to its name. The provider offers the perfect solution for travelers. I will also note that the company is hugely popular with its target audience, including digital nomads and RVers. Perhaps this is with the fact that along with Virtual Mailbox capabilities, the provider offers advanced Mail Forwarding and Check Deposit Service options. It’s also worth adding that if you don’t use the virtual address very often, most likely the basic $15 tariff will be enough for you, since it already includes a package of options.
My rating: ★★★★★★★★8 (8/10)
iPostal1 – Bloggers’ Choice
The provider iPostal1 also offers not its own but partner mailbox centers. But at the same time the service has the maximum number of locations (2500) in the U.S. and worldwide. Separately, I should note that the service includes a small number of services in the basic package, and it is very expensive to order them separately. This is why I would recommend to get a medium or premium rate if you are an active user of the virtual mail service.
My rating: ★★★★★★★★★ (7/10)
What is a virtual mailbox and how does it work?
Let me tell you how the service works “on the fingers”. The provider gives you a virtual mail address in the location of your choice with a unique ID. You can specify this address as your mailing address and all your correspondence will come to it. Your mail can then be forwarded to your real address or scanned and displayed in the web version or mobile app of your virtual mailbox provider if you wish.
Most modern providers also offer a number of additional services, including check deposit, spam email destruction, and integration with various services and applications. In ranking these options, I took into account whether the provider has them at all, whether they are included in the basic plan, and how much these options cost when you exceed your plan’s limit.
Who needs a virtual mailbox and Why?
Personally, I use a digital mailbox to communicate with various services for my work. Some documents companies only send to a mailing address, but since I don’t live in the U.S., the only option for me is to use a virtual mailing address. But other scenarios are also possible.
Privacy. If you have your own website or online store, you can use a digital mailbox to receive correspondence. For privacy and security reasons, it is not recommended that you “shine” your real mailing address.
Aliens who do not live in the United States. People may need a U.S. mailing address for a variety of purposes, but you don’t have to fly thousands of miles to get a physical PO Box. It’s enough to get a virtual mailbox in the desired location remotely.
Expats living in the United States. If you’ve recently moved to the U.S., you definitely need a mailing address to interact with the government and for other purposes. But expats often live in hotels or other temporary housing for the first time after moving. In addition, in the absence of their own property constant moves are inevitable. In order not to lose correspondence and not to give your respondents a new address every time – the best solution is to have a virtual mailbox!
Migration within the United States. The United States has one of the highest rates of internal migration in the world. This means that many Americans move from state to state for work or other purposes. In this case it is also convenient to have a fixed virtual address.
Bloggers/Travelers/Digital Nomads/RVers. Various freelancers and remote workers are some of the main “evangelists” of virtual mailbox services. They were the first to use digital mail services and started to get the rest of us hooked on these services!
How do I get a virtual mailbox and what do I need to do?
First you have to decide which service you want to use. OK, I think you can do that thanks to my comparison article. Once you’ve chosen your provider and rate, you need to fill out a Form 1583. This is essentially a power of attorney that you sign and grant the virtual mailbox service the right to receive and open your mail. The good news is that you don’t have to go looking for a notary in your city. All transactions can be done using Notarize, NotaryCam, or DocuSign services (depending on the service you choose).
How did I grade my rating?
So that you have no doubts about the fairness of my rating, I will tell you a little about the methodology as well as my expertise in the field.
1. Initially, I gathered a large list of services that in one way or another provide virtual addresses and virtual mail services. Initially there were more than 30 such services. I began to actively study their sites and services, but I removed from the list of highly specialized companies like Regus, NorthWest, Incfile and others who specialize in related areas, such as MyRVMail, engaged primarily Mail Forwarding. For the rating we needed narrow profile companies, for which virtual mailboxes are the main direction.
2. Next on the list were the Top 10 virtual mailbox providers.
– Anytime Mailbox
– PostScan Mail
– EarthClassMail
– iPostal1
– US Global Mail
– PostScan Mail
– VirtualPostMail
– POBoxZone
– SasquatchMail
– USA2ME
3. Then I had to do some intensive research in order to study all the services from different sides as much as possible. During my research, I compared websites, speed of support (as well as support methods), usability of web dashboards and mobile apps to work with. Also in the process, I did follow-up emails to see how quickly they would be delivered and handled (scanned) if needed. I gave extra bonus points to services for having a free demo period or refund.
4. I recorded all the user experience I received in an observation diary. The research took a few weeks at the beginning of 2023, so it was necessary to save the data in a convenient form. I made a special table, in which I put scores on several parameters. This table contained both objective and measurable characteristics, as well as subjective ones, which I put up according to my feelings, comparing the work with other services.