Everything you need to know about virtual mail.
What is a Virtual PO Box?
A virtual PO Box is essentially an online mailbox service – yes, it’s the same concept as a virtual mailbox. Instead of your mail sitting in a physical box at the post office, it goes to your US Global Mail street address where we securely digitize it. You then manage your mail through a web or mobile app interface, almost like email. You can view scans of envelopes and packages, read the contents of letters online, and request forwarding or other services as needed. In short, it’s a modern upgrade of a PO Box that you control from anywhere.
You still get a real physical address and the ability to receive physical mail, but with the convenience of digital access.
How does a virtual PO Box work?
Virtual PO Boxes work just like any Post Office box, with the added benefit of a virtual mailbox. That means that you can view all your mail & packages from within your virtual PO Box account, just like you would when checking your e-mails. Once a mail item arrives at your virtual PO Box, you get an e-mail notification letting you know and it gets scanned and an exterior image of it is uploaded in your account. From there, you can request that we scan the interior documents of your envelope or have the physical copy shipped to you. If you receive checks, you can deposit them to your bank of choice for free. The best part about virtual PO Boxes is that you do not get any junk mail. We will throw out all junk mail before it gets into your account.
With a virtual PO Box, you can receive packages from all shipping carriers and not just the USPS (as opposed to a Post Office box.) So you can have UPS, FedEx and virtually every shipping company of your preference, send packages to us. We will scan them & upload an image into your account. Depending on where you are located, and especially if you are overseas, you can expect to get your packages at discounted shipping rates of up to 80%. Due to the volume of packages we ship, shipping companies will give us large discounts that we then pass down to you.
How much does a Virtual PO Box cost?
Virtual PO Boxes, depending on the plan you select, cost in the range of $19.95/mo to $99/month. With US Global Mail, all exterior mail scans are free, and you can receive an unlimited amount of mail to your mailbox. All plans also come with some free internal scans – from 25 pages to 100 pieces of mail.
Customers typically are able to save north of 50% when they switch from a PO Box to a Virtual PO Box.
Click here to see pricing.
What if I already have a PO Box?
If you already have a PO Box with the Post Office, you can easily switch to a virtual PO Box by completing a change of address with the USPS. By doing so, not only will you be able to get your mail from the comfort of your own home, but you will also save more than 50% of on your membership. Virtual PO Boxes are half the price of a Post Office box, because all of your mail is stored in the cloud.
Try a virtual po box for 30 days, and if you see it is not a fit for you, you can easily switch back to your Post Office box. We will even give you a full refund.
What is the difference between a Post Office box and a Virtual PO Box?
Virtual PO boxes are very similar to your typical Post Office box, in that you can accept mail & packages, but they also have some additional perks that make them a better option for customers.
The most important thing about Virtual PO Boxes, that makes them different from your typical PO Box, is the virtual mailbox that comes with it. All mail that you receive, is scanned and uploaded into your account. So you can read all your postal mail online, without needing to drive to the Post Office every week.
PO Boxes, normally will only accept packages from the USPS. With a Virtual PO Box however, you can accept packages from all shipping carriers and not just the USPS. That includes companies like UPS, FedEx etc.
Price, is another important reason to consider a Virtual PO Box. Because all your mail is stored in the cloud, they are half the price of a PO Box.
If you want to register a business, you could not use a PO Box for business registration because it is not a real street address. With a virtual PO Box however, you can, because it is a physical address.
Why get a virtual PO Box?
People will select virtual PO Boxes for several reasons, depending on what they use to manage mail (a residential mailbox or a PO Box.) For PO Box customers from the USPS, the primary reason for switching to a Virtual PO Box, is price. You can expect to save over 50% on your monthly membership when using a virtual PO Box. Not only that, but you also don’t need to drive to the post office every week and stand in line.
For people who get mail at their residential mailbox, the primary reason for switching to a Virtual PO Box is privacy & convenience. Getting your mail with US Global Mail, means that it is securely stored at a warehouse facility with on-site personnel and 24/7 security camera surveillance. With a residential mailbox on the other hand, anyone can break into your mailbox and steal documents or your identity.
Convenience is a big reason why customers sign up for a virtual PO Box. Getting mail on your phone or computer, especially if you are travelling or constantly on the go, helps make life easier and more streamlined. For expats, it is virtually impossible and very expensive to have every single mail item physically shipped overseas. So having a virtual PO Box, gives them the ability to access all their mail remotely.
Can I register a business?
Yes. Virtual PO Boxes are real physical addresses, and that means that they can be used for the registration of any business. Not only that, but a good portion of our customers are businesses, and we even have larger corporations like Netflix and Chubb who use our Virtual PO Box for their expat employees.
Once you register your business using our address, you can receive all business documents and even IRS notices regularly and view all your documents from your Virtual PO Box account.
How to get a virtual PO Box address
Getting a virtual PO Box address is very easy. Once you select a plan, you will need to complete a change of address with the USPS. That will allow you to get all your mail moving forward, to your new address. The only other thing that you need to do from there, is upload 2 forms of ID and send us a notarized 1583 and you’re good to go.