4 Best Mail Forwarding Services

April 5, 2023
Blog

There are many mail forwarding service companies out there, each with its pros and cons, and each one catering to a different client. Some are better in terms of pricing, others for reliability and safety, while others simply offer rock-star customer service. In this post, you'll learn about the best mail forwarding service so you can choose the one that will get your postal mail to you wherever you are.

Regardless of what you're looking for in a mail forwarding service, we firmly believe iPostal1 to be the best option because of its solid reliability and competitive prices.

What Are The Best Mail Forwarding Services?

#1 iPostal1 – Best Overall

Best Int'l Presence
iPostal1

Monthly fee: Starting at $9.99
Free storage: 30 days
Shipping discounts: Yes

2,700+ locations worldwide.

★★★★

Rated 4.1/5

iPostal1 is one of the market's most popular mail forwarding service providers because of its reliability and consistent performance. However, the factor that makes iPostal1 stand out the most from its competition is its huge variety of over 2,300 US and international virtual mailbox locations worldwide.

This massive variety of locations allows you to set up your virtual address in a location that is both convenient and accessible as you travel around. Depending on your plan, you'll get access to various unique features that allow you to set up your virtual address anywhere around the world.

They also have one of the lowest pricing in the digital mailbox industry, with plans starting as low as $10/month and going up to only $40/month for their premium plans, which helps users save more money for their personal or business use.

Opting for iPostal1 means opting for the trust they've garnered in the industry after years of experience. Their service is reliable and has tons of dedicated features such as check deposits, cloud storage, and a toll-free phone and fax number for your business if you need one.

Features Of iPostal1

  • US or international mailing address with a digital mailbox from over 2,300 locations worldwide
  • Virtual office services like toll-free company phone and fax numbers for your business that you can use on your business cards and website for your clients.
  • Mail scanning in PDF format and cloud storage of up to 2 GB for easy mail management anytime you need to access your mail.
  • Mail and package forwarding to any location around the world as long as it's deliverable by mail.
  • Direct check deposits to a bank account of your choice so that you don't need to worry about manually depositing checks each time.
  • An online address book and a contact manager that contains important shipping addresses and contact information to assist users in sending out shipments.
  • Package consolidation lets users combine multiple letters into one package to save on forwarding.

Pros Of iPostal1

  • 2,300+ US and international digital mailbox locations that allow you to set up your virtual address almost anywhere in the world.
  • Extremely affordable plans ($10-$40/month) with one of the lowest pricing in the virtual mailbox industry.
  • Dedicated Android (rated 3.5/5) and iOS (rated 4/5) app that allows for quick and easy mail management.
  • Intuitive contact manager that stores all the addresses and information about your precious customers and your friends/family members.
  • Package consolidation for sending multiple packages that saves you tons of money in shipping costs.
  • Free document and check scanning that gets uploaded into the cloud storage of your choice, which allows you to check your mail wherever you are.

Cons Of iPostal1

  • The website feels outdated, which degrades the overall user experience for new and inexperienced users.
  • Some of the specific iPostal1 locations have bad customer reviews and reputations, mainly because third parties own them.
  • There is no free mail shredding or unlimited cloud storage as some other virtual mailbox providers offer.
  • While the customer service is responsive, it's not functional during the weekends and only accepts customer inquiries from Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm EST.

Pricing

  • iPostal1 offers four pricing plans ranging from $9.99/month to $39.99/month, with an additional two-month discount if you choose annual billing.
  • The only incremental difference between these plans is the number of incoming mails you can get per month, starting from 30 and going all the way up to 240.
  • iPostal1 does have a few additional charges, such as 35cents/piece of mail you get above your mail limit.
  • iPostal1 also offers a full refund of the mailbox rental fee within the first 30 days if you did not use your account to receive mail or for any other purpose.

#2 Anytime Mailbox – Best Variety of Locations

Best Mail Forwarding Service Anytime Mailbox

Anytime Mailbox is a relatively new company that has quickly established its presence in the market as a reliable mail forwarding service. Anytime Mailbox has several exclusive features that make it stand out from the rest of its competition, mainly including its large variety of locations in the USA that come at highly affordable plans.

Apart from these, Anytime Mailbox also features mail scanning, a global network of locations, check deposits, and unlimited online storage. Anytime Mailbox is a perfect option for those who want to receive their mail as fast as possible on the go because of its sheer variety of locations everywhere in the USA. You can go anywhere in the country, and you would probably be within driving distance of the nearest Anytime Mailbox facility.

While there are a few locations with exorbitant prices, most of the Anytime Mailbox locations have relatively inexpensive pricing compared to its competitors, with most plans being around the $10 range. Anytime Mailbox uses industry-standard security encryption for their servers so you can rest assured that all your data will be in safe hands.

And, if by chance you do encounter a problem, you can immediately call their customer support, even on weekends, and they will be happy to help you out.

Features

  • Real street addresses from all over the world, with over 1200 locations in the USA alone, which helps users choose the perfect address for their needs.
  • Open and scan mail as a high-quality PDF available wherever you are, anytime you want, and from any device of your choice.
  • A global network of locations with addresses in almost every continent, providing users with virtual access to their mail no matter where they go.
  • Check deposit service that automatically deposits your checks into a preferred bank account of your choice.
  • Free unlimited cloud storage that allows you to store your mail on your account as long as it remains active.
  • Mail and package forwarding to anywhere in the world where major shipping carriers deliver. 
  • Highly secure service with 2048-bit SSL connection and cloud storage protected by physical servers situated in a tightly controlled facility.

Pros Of Anytime Mailbox

  • Highly affordable fees with most plans in the $10-$15/month range make them one of the most inexpensive virtual mailbox providers.
  • Over 1600 real street addresses worldwide to choose from so users can get the perfect location of their choice.
  • Extremely secure service with a 2048-bit SSL connection and cloud storage protected by physical servers situated in a tightly controlled facility. 
  • Good customer support that is available to resolve your problems seven days a week from 6 am through midnight PST via a contact form, live chat, or phone at +1 866 444 8417/+61 1800 951 410.
  • Dedicated Android(rated 3.3/5) and iOS(rated 2.5/5) apps allow you to manage your mail from anywhere with just your smartphone. 
  • Free unlimited cloud storage in all their plans, so users will always have access to their scanned content, free of charge, as long as their account remains active.
  • Effortless, intuitive, and quick signup process.

Cons Of Anytime Mailbox

  • Anytime Mailbox doesn't have a fixed pricing model because every partner location sets its own prices and decides which services to offer.
  • Our research showed that 90% of partner facilities in major locations like Florida, New York, and California do not offer “check deposits,” even if it was listed as one of the primary dedicated features.
  • Your mail isn't received and scanned by Anytime Mailbox's official staff but by third-party employees, which occasionally results in the mishandling of mail and poor-quality scans.
  • Some of Anytime Mailbox's locations charge exorbitant prices as high as $100/month, which can be troublesome if you want an address in that particular location.
  • Several hidden costs are attached to Anytime Mailbox's service, such as the $25 charge for using their online notary or extra forwarding costs at locations like New York.

Pricing

  • Anytime Mailbox does not have definite pricing; each location has its own pricing that can range from $5 to as high as $100 or more. 
  • That said, most locations have an average price of $9.99 to $69.99 with increasing mail and scan limits.
  • Some locations, like Beverly Hills, don't offer monthly billing, and users are thus forced to opt for annual billing.
  • Anytime Mailbox has a refund policy where you may receive a full refund for the digital mailbox rental within the first 30 days if you didn't use your account to receive mail.

#3 Physical Address – Best Customer Service

Best Mail Forwarding Service PhysicalAddress

Physical Address is a highly reputable company in the mail forwarding industry primarily known for its excellent customer service and dedicated online features.

What makes Physical Address special is that they value their customers the most and highly prioritize customer service, privacy, and security more than any other company. Customer reviews leave nothing but praise for Physical Address's customer service on most major review sites. 

Additionally, Physical Address also features unlimited digital storage, a 30-day money-back guarantee, real-time alerts, and 24/7 CCTV surveillance to protect your postal mail in all of its facilities.

Physical Address is best for consumers who prioritize security and customer service over everything else, as the company is very user-focused and values the needs of its users. If you are new to mail or parcel forwarding, Physical Address can prove to be a valuable service. Their customer service team can help guide you through the entire signup process and fill you in on any important details you need to be aware of.

Features

  • Business/Personal address of your choice at an affordable price with plans starting from $7.98/month going all the way up to $26.98.
  • High-quality scans with enhanced visual quality allow you to read your mail with ease.
  • Security measures to protect the contents of your mail, such as employee background checks & 24/7 CCTV surveillance in all facilities.
  • Manage your mail from anywhere in the world with online features such as Unlimited Digital Storage and dedicated Android (rated 3.3/5) and iOS (rated 3.8/5) apps.
  • Real whole addresses locations such as “99 Wall St.” that make your address look professional and your business stand out.
  • Physical Address owns all its mailing facilities, so there's no possibility of losing your mailing address unless the whole company goes under.
  • No outsourced services, with all the locations being managed and operated by Physical Address employees.

Pros Of Physical Address

  • Highly affordable and customized plans that start from $7.98 and only reach $26.98, depending on the number of features and limits you want.
  • All Physical Address locations are owned by the company and are staffed by its employees; it does not rely on third-party mail centers like many other virtual mailbox providers.
  • Highly rated and positively reviewed customer support teams can be contacted seven days a week by phone at (844) 888-6364 or by email at [email protected].
  • Secure service with PCI DSS compliance on payment processors, extended validation SSL certificate on data transmissions, and 256-bit SSL encryption for transactions.
  • Unlimited mail recipients allow you to receive mail for any number of people at one single address, which is especially useful for medium to large-scale businesses.
  • Registered agent services on all their plans, which is crucial for newly formed corporations and LLCs.
  • Unlimited digital storage, free physical mail storage for up to 3 months, and parcel storage for one week, after which a nominal fee is charged for each item.

Cons Of Physical Address

  • Physical Address's pricing widely varies with each location, with the basic plan of $7.98 costing as high as $19.98 on its Wall Street location.
  • A limited number of locations throughout the country, with almost no mailing facilities in the western and northern USA, making it difficult for users to pick up or receive their mail.  
  • There is no option for recycling mail instead of shredding it; thus, users are not offered an environmentally-friendly way to get rid of their unwanted mail.

Physical Address Pricing

  • Physical Address offers four dedicated pricing plans to its users, with each plan upgrading the incoming mail and content scan limit. 
  • Their plan pricing varies from location to location, with the basic Plan 30 that you get for $7.98/month in Idaho being $19.98 at their Wall Street Address.
  • Additional mail deliveries are charged at 10-25 cents, and additional scans are charged at 20 cents each.
  • Physical Address offers a 30-day money-back guarantee if their service does not satisfy you.
  • Physical Address also offers a 20% discount on its annual plans.

#4 VirtualPostMail – Highly Secure

Best Mail Forwarding Service VirtualPostMail

VirtualPostMail is a well-known mail forwarding service provider that can be considered one of the top providers in the industry because of their well-designed service and the integrated features.

What makes VirtualPostMail stand out is the premium security they ensure for each of their users in all their physical and online storage facilities. They are a registered CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agent), provide the highest levels of encryption, and have state-of-the-art security on their physical mail facilities.

Apart from the high-level security, VirtualPostMail processes all incoming mail extremely fast, which helps you get your mail in record time. They also have affordable forwarding prices that won't leave a hole in your wallet.

When using VirtualPostMail, the security of your mail and privacy are one thing you won't have to worry about because of their credentials and assurance. VirtualPostMail's advanced safeguards and high-security measures help keep your mail and online data safe.

Features

  • Real US street addresses that look as genuine and authentic as an actual residential address, which you can use for official documents.
  • Mail and package forwarding to anywhere in the world where major shipping partners deliver, coupled with extremely fast processing.
  • Smart address tags, which automatically designate processing actions for your mail, and other useful and intuitive online mail management features.
  • Dedicated check deposit service that automatically deposits your checks in a bank account of your choice within one business day.
  • Free registered agent service for your business which is particularly important for new LLCs and businesses.
  • Premium security features that strengthen your account's security level and ensure that the sensitive data in your mail stays with you. 
  • Unlimited cloud storage on all plans.

Pros Of VirtualPostMail

  • All passwords are stored and protected with a high-level SHA-256 encryption algorithm and never directly as cleartext.
  • VirtualPostMail's mailing facilities have round-the-clock surveillance, security alarms, and camera systems to protect your mail.
  • VirtualPostMail is registered as a CMRA, which means that the USPS fully authorizes them to process and handle mail on your behalf.
  • If you own a Limited Liability Company (LLC), or Limited Partnership (L.P.), VirtualPostMail can act as your company's registered agent for processing and receiving legal documents.
  • Unlimited cloud storage for all your mail as long as your account remains active. 
  • Unlimited incoming mail limit on all plans above the Plus tier, which means that users won't have to worry about hitting their mail limit when receiving their mail each month.
  • 30-day money-back guarantee. If you aren't satisfied with VirtualPostMail's service, they will refund your subscription's total amount.

Cons Of VirtualPostMail

  • A minimal number of mail processing centers across the country, with currently only four centers active to scan and process your mail and packages. 
  • Expensive service compared to their competitors, such as iPostal1 and PostScan Mail, which offer plans at half the price (albeit without the limitless features VirtualPostMail offers).
  • VirtualPostMail has a suspiciously low number of reviews on all major review platforms despite having been around for over a decade now, which is highly concerning.
  • Customer support is only active Monday through Friday (except on holidays) from 9 am to 5 pm PST through phone at (909) 235-6245, or email at [email protected].
  • No dedicated apps for Android and iOS, forcing smartphone users to access VirtualPostMail's site from their browser.

VirtualPostMail Pricing

  • VirtualPostMail may not have the most affordable plans with prices starting from $20/month, but they do have great feature-packed value. 
  • Each plan upgrade increases the scan limit and the number of maximum recipients; most plans have an unlimited mail limit. 
  • VirtualPostMail has a full refund policy within 30 days of account activation if the user is unsatisfied with the service.
  • VirtualPostMail has a few additional costs, such as $1/scan if you go over the limit, and $10/deposit.

What Is A Mail Forwarding Service?

Let's say you are going out on vacation for a month or two, but you still want to receive your mail while you are away. Filing for a temporary address change at USPS is an extremely time-consuming and bothersome process that can take weeks to process, and even if it does get processed, your mail still isn't guaranteed to arrive on time. 

Instead of opting for USPS in these situations, many people choose a mail forwarding service. A mail forwarding service is a service that forwards your mail from a pre-existing address to a new address where you'd like to receive the mail. This way, users can permanently have their mailing address changed to one of the locations provided by the mail forwarding service provider.

The service then proceeds to forward your mail to the new address at a monthly fee that varies depending on the company. Many providers also provide online scans of all the pieces of mail that a user receives, which helps them identify if they genuinely need it forwarded or not.

Benefits Of Mail Forwarding Services

  • Fast deliveries – USPS is notorious for taking weeks to ship out mail deliveries to their appropriate address. The simplest method to avoid delayed mail deliveries involves a mail forwarding service that dramatically reduces the time it takes for your mail to get into your hands. 
  • Convenience – Rather than filling out a form for a temporary address change each time you need to go out, users can opt for a mail forwarding service that permanently changes their address to one of their locations and sends relevant mail to you wherever you are at the moment. You not only gain the ability to select which mail you want to receive but also get to choose when you want to receive it.  
  • Support – Apart from its sluggish delivery times, USPS is also infamous for its almost non-existent customer support. If your mail gets mishandled, misaddressed, or lost, then you might as well forget about ever getting your piece of mail back because their customer support rarely answers and always connects you with a bot. On the other hand, if the same thing happens from a mail forwarding service provider, you can quickly contact customer support, who will try their best to resolve your queries.
  • Management – When USPS delivers your mail, you have little to no control over how, when, and what is delivered. You can only control where you want it delivered, and that too, only to a certain extent. With mail forwarding services, you get to choose delivery times, shipping partners, mail consolidation, and even local pickups.

Mail Forwarding Service FAQs

How much does a mail forwarding service cost?

A Mail Forwarding Service costs anywhere from $4.98 to $100+ depending on your plan, service provider, location, and features.

What is the cheapest mail forwarding service?

The cheapest Mail Forwarding Service is Anytime Mailbox or Physical Address, depending on how much mail you receive and where you choose your address location.

What is the best mail forwarding service for RVers?

The best mail forwarding service for RVers is Physical Address because it provides long-term mail storage and local pickup. 

What is the best international mail forwarding service?

The best international mail forwarding service is iPostal1 because of its wide variety of international locations. 

What is the best mail forwarding service for expats?

The best mail forwarding service for expats is Anytime Mailbox because it offers great features and several locations throughout the USA. 

Is a mail forwarding service worth it?

Yes, a mail forwarding service is worth it because it is far more convenient, quick, and affordable than USPS.

Are mail forwarding services safe?

Yes, most mail forwarding services are safe because they are registered as CMRA by USPS itself.

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