Updated on January 12, 2022
Irs there a need to choose between a traditional and a virtual mailbox? To begin with, let’s try to understand the definitions. A PO Box is a physical box available at a post office or other specialized organization. The address matches the actual location. The address is written in the following form: PO Box #, City, State/Region, and ZIP code.
A virtual mailbox provides for the use of an actual place to receive letters and parcels. The client also gets a list of additional services determined by the tariff. It includes scanning documents, storing, collecting several parcels into one, etc. The virtual mailbox indicates the actual address and a specific number at the end.
What is better to choose for individuals and businesses?
PO Boxes are an outdated option. People replace them with virtual mailboxes. Let’s take a closer look at their features and advantages.
Having an actual address
The mailbox is not an actual address. The exception is some types of premium services from specialized companies. The main problem is that this feature does not allow you to accept letters and parcels from several postal services (FedEx, DHL, UPS, and others). To do this, you need an actual address. Do you want to accept shipments from all postal services? If yes, you need a virtual mailbox.
Doing business
If talking about the USA, you must specify a business address that is not a mailbox when registering a company. It limits the possibilities of using PO Box. The virtual mailbox does not have such problems. Therefore, it’s another crucial advantage.
Digitization of information
Are you dealing with a large volume of incoming mail? With a traditional mailbox, you’ll have to visit the office constantly to receive incoming mail. Also, moving becomes a serious problem since you must change the PO Box. You’ll have to notify the senders and make edits to the documents.
A virtual mailbox eliminates such difficulties. It has no requirements for the owner’s geographical location. Also, the service provides a mail scanning option. The received scans are uploaded to your account. So you can read them at a convenient time from any device.
Choice of options
When starting a PO Box, you have to take into account the postal services located near your place of residence. For obvious reasons, the list will not be extensive. The service may not satisfy you, but you can’t do anything about it. As for virtual mailboxes, there is a wide selection of services available. It allows you to find the best option.
Conclusion
In terms of functionality, convenience, and active business, virtual mailboxes are superior to regular ones. They are useful in cases where remote business management is required. As practice shows, PO Box cannot always meet modern requirements.