US virtual mailboxes, by the fee schedule
The $9.99 mailbox isn't $9.99. Here's the real monthly math.
We read every plan and every per-action fee (open and scan, shred, forwarding, check deposit) from each provider's own pages, and turn them into a monthly cost for the way you actually use mail. Every number is linked and dated.
Example: an expat's typical month
25 letters received, 8 opened and scanned (3 pages each), one shipment of 10 items forwarded, 2 shredded, 1 check deposited. Monthly billing, before postage and tax.
| Provider | Advertised from | Estimated for this month |
|---|---|---|
| PhysicalAddress.com | $7.98 | $10.78 (Plan 30) + forwarding handling fee (not published) + check deposits (price not published) |
| Traveling Mailbox | $15.00 | $21.95 (Basic) |
| PostScan Mail | $10.00 | $34.50 (Starter) + check deposits (price not published) lowest published price; many addresses cost more |
| iPostal1 | $9.99 | $37.44 (Mailing Address 30) + check scan cost (not published) lowest published price; many addresses cost more |
| Stable | $49.00 | $59.00 (Grow) + check deposits (price not published) |
| US Global Mail | $49.00 | $65.00 (Scale) lowest published price; many addresses cost more |
| Earth Class Mail (LegalZoom Virtual Mail) | $39.00 | $80.25 (Essentials MailBox) |
Anytime Mailbox isn't in this table because each location sets its own fees. Change these numbers →
Providers
Flat plan price; some city addresses add a premium fee
Traveling Mailbox
Bundled page scans, free shredding and a flat $2 forwarding fee. Mail sent to non-Sanford addresses is shipped to Sanford to be processed.
Plan price varies by location tier (Standard, Select, Premium, Prestige)
iPostal1
The biggest network (4,250+ addresses) with cheap base plans, but content scans and shreds are paid per order.
'As low as' price varies by location
PostScan Mail
Clear per-action fee list. Starter includes no free scans; Standard and Premium include a few each month.
Flat plan price
Earth Class Mail (LegalZoom Virtual Mail)
Now sold as LegalZoom Virtual Mail. Expensive base plans with scanning included and free shredding; $3 for each item over the limit.
Flat plan price
Stable
Business-only, scanning and shredding included, $3 per piece over the limit, and an explicit 'use it for incorporation' claim.
Price 'varies by address'
US Global Mail
Free check deposits and free shredding on every plan; annual scan allowance; mid-range price.
Each location sets its own plans and per-action fees
Anytime Mailbox
Huge choice of addresses from $4.99, but every location sets its own fees, so there is no single price list to compare.
'Starting at' price
PhysicalAddress.com
Cheap scan-bundle plans, free shredding, 90 days of free letter storage and a free registered agent; forwarding fees not published.
$99/mo all-inclusive virtual office; address-only plans exist
Opus Virtual Offices
A virtual office, not a scan-first mailbox: $99/mo bundles an office-building address, live call answering and mail receipt.
Why this site exists
- Fees, not just plans. The complaints we kept reading weren't about the plan price. They were about scan, shred, storage and forwarding fees adding up, like one user's itemized bill for a single 8-page letter.
- The paperwork, explained from the source. Our Form 1583 guide quotes the USPS Domestic Mail Manual: you don't always need a notary.
- Honest about business use. Providers disagree about using a mailbox for an LLC or bank account. We put their claims side by side.
- No made-up ratings. We don't score providers. If a figure isn't on the provider's own site, we say so.