When you’re the owner of a small business, you’ve got enough on your plate without worrying about retrieving your mail from a P.O. Box or who might get your address if it’s made public. Instead, you can use a virtual address service or virtual mailbox. A virtual address allows you to receive and check mail from anywhere and provides you with a business address that you can use to form your LLC or corporation.
Virtual address providers offer your small business a number of benefits and services. Choosing the right one is all about knowing why you’re signing up for a virtual address service and what options you’re looking for. There’s a wide range of benefits you can receive from a virtual address provider, including:
- Personal address privacy
- Package forwarding
- A digital record of business mail
- An acceptable address for bank and federal agency documents
For those wondering how to get a virtual address, it’s simple. You just open an account with one of the virtual address services and choose which options your business needs and will benefit from. Once you’re signed up, you’ll receive email notifications each time you receive mail.
You’ll be able to review online what you received and decide what happens to each individual piece of mail. Most virtual address providers will scan and digitally send your mail, forward the physical mail and packages you want and shred what you don’t want. Some virtual address services can even deposit checks and sign for packages.
The 5 Best Virtual Address Services for Your Small Business
The virtual address providers below offer the best range of services for just the right price. Depending on your business, you may receive a lot or a little bit of mail, which could determine what options you need and how much you’re willing to pay for the conveniences offered by a virtual address service. We've got all the details you need to start your research and find the virtual mailbox that's right for you.
1. Incfile
If you’re operating a small business with simple needs, our Virtual Mailbox service at Incfile is an affordable option that offers the best virtual address services. This virtual mailbox service is perfect for small businesses as well as digital nomads, offering them a secure and mobile-compatible way to check mail from anywhere in the world.
Incfile offers virtual mailbox services in 22 states in the U.S.:
Services and Features
At Incfile, your monthly membership fee gets you these services and features:
- A street address for your business
- A secure and encrypted connection
- Unlimited mail scanning — we don't charge per item and all your letters and correspondence will be uploaded to your secure account within one business day
- Worldwide access via web browser so you can read your mail anywhere
- Email notification every time we scan and upload a piece of mail
- Mobility compatibility so you can view on your phone or tablet
While you can receive unlimited letters and large envelopes with Incfile, you can’t receive packages.
How Much Does a Virtual Address Cost?
With Incfile, your monthly fee is $29 - with unlimited mail scanning. There are no additional fees or charges or hidden costs.
Best For
Incfile is the best option for small businesses and solopreneurs/digital nomads receiving a small amount of mail and are looking for privacy and international access to their mail.
2. Anytime Mailbox
If you’re looking for a virtual address provider, Anytime Mailbox is one of the best. They offer a wide range of services while remaining affordable. With over 1,400 mailbox locations in 40 different countries, Anytime Mailbox offers a lot of flexibility.
Services and Features
- Mail scanning ($0.50/page)
- Check deposits
- 60 days of free storage for letters and packages
- Letter and package consolidation to save money on shipping
- Local pickup in over 40 countries and 1,400 different locations. ($1-$5 per item)
- Secure shredding ($0.10/page)
- Mail forwarding anywhere in the world ($5 + shipping)
- Discounts for shipping with major mail carriers
How Much Does a Virtual Address Cost?
The cost of using Anytime Mailbox’s services will depend on which services you use and how much mail you receive. You’ll start with a base plan, which costs a monthly fee. Your monthly fee will depend on your location but will range from $5 all the way up to $50. Your monthly membership price will get you a set number of mail scans, shredding, and mail recipients. Additional services will incur a small fee.
For example, you may pay a monthly fee of $10 for 30 pieces of mail per month. Any mail you receive over 30 pieces will be charged at $0.35 per piece. The prices and limits are based on your location, so it’s important to evaluate the cost for your specific business and location. In Dallas, Texas, you can find base membership prices from $8 all the way up to $50, depending on location.
Best For
Anytime Mailbox is a great option for small businesses that don’t receive a lot of mail and are looking for a low-priced virtual address service. Because of the number of locations it has worldwide, this is also a great option for business owners who receive and send international letters and packages.
3. Planet Express
Planet Express operates the only free virtual mailbox service in the U.S. Planet Express markets its services directly to online shoppers, but it can be used by any small business that mails a lot of packages. They have mailboxes in California and Oregon as well as in the UK. What Planet Express does best is save you money on shipping by receiving your packages, repacking them into one box and then forwarding them to your personal address.
Services and Features
- Collect, consolidate and ship packages
- Virtual addresses in U.S. and UK
- Oregon warehouse is tax-free
- Discounts with USPS, DHL, FedEx, UPS and their internal shipping service
- Shop for Me service (they purchase items, receive the items, you refund them via credit card or PayPal)
- Free package storage of up to 10 to 45 days
- Photos of received packages
How Much Does a Virtual Address Cost?
The standard membership with Planet Express is free. If you’d like a premium membership, you’ll pay $10 per month or $50 per year.
Additional costs with the free membership include:
- $2 per package handling fee
- 10 days of free storage ($0.01 per lbs per day after)
- $2 for 3 general box content photos/$5 for 10 detail box content photos
- Shop for Me: $5 service fee and 7% of the total cost for purchasing the items from the store.
- $10 flat fee per pallet
Additional costs for premium membership include:
- Free access to the tax-free warehouse
- $2 per package handling fee
- $5 + $2 per consolidated package (7 days of free storage for a consolidated package)
- 45 days free storage ($0.01 per lbs per day after)
- $2 for 3 general box content photos/$5 for 10 detail box content photos
- Shop for Me: $5 service fee and 7% of the total cost for purchasing the items from the store.
- $10 flat fee per pallet
The major difference between the free and premium membership is access to the tax-free warehouse and the additional 35 days of free storage of packages.
Best For
Planet Express is the best virtual address provider for small businesses looking for a package forwarder that charges no monthly fees or for businesses willing to pay a small fee to save on taxes and shipping costs.
4. PostScanMail
Depending on your business model, you may not need physical access to much of your mail. If you’re looking for an affordable, digital virtual address service, PostScanMail fits the bill. How PostScanMail differs from most other virtual address services in that it offers 30 days of free physical storage for letters and 7 days of free storage for packages, but it gives you unlimited cloud storage. With over 400 locations across the U.S., this is a great option for many small businesses.
Services and Features
- U.S. street address
- Mail scanning
- Mobile app and online mail management
- Mail forwarding
- Local pickup
- Letter and package consolidation
- Unlimited cloud storage for digital scans of mail
How Much Does a Virtual Address Cost?
PostScanMail offers three tiers of membership: $15, $20 and $30 per month.
Each membership tier has slightly different offerings. The base tier includes these features and additional costs:
- 30 mail items ($0.50 per extra envelope or package scan)
- Open and scan of 5 items ($2.00 per envelope for up to 10 pages, then $0.25 per additional page)
- 1 recipient ($5 per month per additional recipient or user)
- Mail forwarding: $2 for the first item, then $0.50 cents per additional item plus the cost of shipping
- 30 days of free storage ($0.05 per envelope per additional day)
- 7 days of free package storage ($0.10 per pound per additional day)
- Mail shredding: $1 for the first 10 pages, then $0.15 cents per additional page
Best For
If your business receives a small amount of mail and you need minimal forwarding, this is an affordable option for a virtual address for you.
5. iPostal1
iPostal1 has been in the business since 2007 and has over 2,300 addresses in all 50 states. Their address are for physical locations, such as pack-and-ship stores and business centers, so there are people on hand to assist you. You can even pick up your packages in person. iPostal1 has an app that help you check your incoming mail with ease.
Services and Features
- Real street address
- Add-on virtual phone number or fax
- Flexible shipment scheduling
- Discard mail items service
- Preparation of commercial invoice for international shipments
- Your choice of carriers and ship dates for mail forwarding
- App for Android and iPhone
How Much Does a Virtual Address Cost?
iPostal1 has four pricing tiers for their virtual business address plan:
- Green: $9.99/monthly or $99/year
- Blue: $14.99/mo or $149/year
- Silver: $24.99/month or $249/year
- Gold: $39.99/month or $399/year
The tier you select will determine how many mail items per month they can process on your behalf. Green gives you 30 items per month, and Gold allows 240 items. There's no contract and you can change your monthly plan any time.
Optional services that incur an extra change include:
- $0.35 for any mail items above your plan minimum
- Fees to pick up mail at certain locations
- Mail content scanning or shredding ($2.25 for up to 10 pages)
- $4.95 to deposit up to 5 checks
- $2 to receive a fax up to 6 pages
- $1.95 to consolidate packages
- Extended storage fees
Best For
iPostal1 is a good choice for those who want the option to go to a physical location and get in-person help.
Who Needs a Virtual Address
If you’re planning to start a small business or incorporate your sole proprietorship, you could benefit from a virtual address service.
Here are a few specific examples of who could benefit from a virtual address:
- Entrepreneurs moving or expanding their business: If you’re planning to move your business, expand to another state or need the tax benefits an address in another state can provide you, a virtual address is the perfect affordable option.
- Freelancers and small business owners concerned about privacy: A virtual address helps you to keep your home address private. If your business doesn’t have a storefront or physical address, this is a great solution to keeping your home address private.
- Location-independent digital nomads who travel: A virtual address allows you to check your mail from anywhere. If you live the life of a digital nomad, this can make it so that you can check your mail from anywhere.
- Business owners looking to simplify: A virtual address can be more convenient and affordable than a P.O. Box, which can help to streamline and simplify your business processes.
What a Virtual Address Is Not
While a virtual address can provide business owners with a number of benefits, it’s important to understand its limitations.
A virtual address is not a Registered Agent, a foreign qualification and doesn’t provide any business protections.
In contrast to a virtual address, a Registered Agent is a person or business entity that receives tax and legal documents on behalf of a business. If your business is an LLC or corporation, you are legally required to have a Registered Agent. You can be your own Registered Agent and use your home address. While a Registered Agent isn’t a virtual address, they are both addresses where you can receive business mail.
A foreign qualification is a form of business registration that allows you to do business outside of the state in which your business was formed.
Benefits of a Virtual Address Service
If you’re not sure whether or not you need a virtual address for business, understanding the myriad of benefits it can provide your business may help you to decide whether it’s worth the costs.
A virtual address can benefit your business in these ways:
Let’s dive into all of these benefits to see how they can affect your business.
Fulfill Legal Requirements of Owning an LLC or Corporation
It is a legal requirement of business incorporation that you provide the government with a physical address where important mail and documents can be sent. It is not possible to use a P.O. Box for your address, which leaves many small business owners using their home addresses. If you’re not comfortable using your home address, a virtual address is a great alternative.
Build Credibility
Having a physical address that’s not your home address or a P.O. Box can lend your business an air of professionalism and credibility that customers will automatically trust. You can put this address on your website and accept customer letters and packages at that address.
Increase Your Privacy
Because an address is required when incorporating your business, many small business owners end up putting down their home addresses. Your business address is publicly available to anyone who might want to look it up. Using a virtual address will keep your home address private.
Provide Convenience
A virtual address can make receiving and dealing with business mail much easier and more convenient. With digital access, you don’t have to pick up your mail, but simply hop online and review what you’ve received.
Freedom to Be a Digital Nomad
With digital access to your mail and package forwarding, a virtual address service can make it easier to travel the world as a digital nomad while still managing your business.
Expanding or Relocating Your Business
If you’re planning to move your business or expand to a new state, a virtual address is a great way to get a physical address in your new location. Having a physical address in that state in which your business operates gives it credibility with customers.
With so many different benefits, it’s no wonder that more and more small business owners are opting to use a virtual address. Whether you get a lot of mail and packages or just a few pieces each month, there’s just the right virtual address service for you.
If you’re interested in learning more about virtual address services, be sure to check out Incfile’s Virtual Mailbox service. Incfile provides service for a flat-rate fee, making it a great fit for small businesses looking for an easy-to-use, mobile-friendly and cost-effective way to check their mail from anywhere in the world.
Page Grossman
Page is a freelance content marketing writer with experience writing about small business, the future of the workplace and health. She also operates a weekly email newsletter where she shares advice on living an authentic, intentional life. When not writing, you can find Page traveling, fostering older cats and working as a sexual assault advocate.
