Note: This blog is our personal view on the best service providers for expats. We make no money on referring customers to these services.
When we decided to move to Costa Rica, it was going to be my sixth international move and sixth country in ten years. I’d been lucky through all the previous moves – my mother was in one place and let me use her home as my permanent address in the U.S. so I could continue to get essential mail from banks, the IRS, wedding invitations, and some magazine subscriptions I could never manage to cancel.
But with the mail piling up, and wanting to avoid burdening our family members, we decided to look into alternatives as to how we could continue to receive our U.S. mail abroad. Turns out there are many options out there!
What is a virtual mailbox?
A virtual inbox receives your physical mail, scans the envelopes, and allows you to review those scans online in a secure portal. You can then request various services. You typically have the options: recycle, shred, open & scan, forward, or store.
Perhaps most useful, you can ask the service to open any individual letters and scan the contents, allowing you to read your mail online.
This type of service is great for Americans who want to maintain a physical mailing address in the U.S. Physical mail is often the only option, especially with sensitive or official material from banks and government agencies. Or you may just want to continue to receive mail from friends and family, without asking them to pay exorbitant rates to send you mail abroad.
What is an international mail forwarding service?
An international mail forwarding service will receive U.S. mail and forward any letters or packages you select to an international destination. If you receive any important item in the mail, like a new credit card, your forwarding service can ship it to you in your new country of residence. This service will come with an additional fee, depending on the size of the package or letter, the destination, and how fast you want it to arrive. You’ll need to provide your address in your new country, pay for customs, and be patient as you wait for your mail to make the international journey.
Note: These two services are often combined. Each company below gives you the ability to read your U.S. mail online AND forward selected letters and packages internationally.
What to look for
An address in a convenient location
As you look for the best service for your needs, you’ll want to pay attention to the available addresses. You may want an address that is close to a friend or family member who can physically pick up your mail if needed. You may want an address in your home state, or in a state that is advantageous for your small business.
Security
All companies reviewed below provide secure online portals where you can read your mail. But you may also be interested in the security of your physical mail.
International forwarding options and rates
If you think you’ll be forwarding mail regularly, be sure to look at both the company’s rates to forward (usually they charge an extra fee to facilitate the service) AND the rates charged by the shipping companies they work with. Some companies below will ship your mail using USPS. Others let you choose among many shipping services – UPS, FedEx, Express, and more.
Recipient numbers to fit your household
The most affordable plans below typically cover only one recipient – perfect if you’re signing up as a single person, but perhaps not a fit for a family. If you want to be able to read mail addressed to multiple people, you may need to sign up for an upper-tier plan.
Mail volume
How much U.S. mail do you think you’ll receive each month? The services below all have slightly different monthly limits on pieces of mail that they will receive and scan, although you can typically pay an additional amount per letter if you go over the limit.
Storage
Most companies will store your mail for up to a month before recycling or shredding. In this time, you’ll be able to request that any item of mail is opened and scanned, or (in some cases) get it picked up locally. Some companies also offer extended storage options for an additional fee.
Check deposit
Will you be receiving physical checks in the mail? Would you like them to be deposited on your behalf, instead of requesting mail forwarding? Some companies below offer this service, typically for an additional fee per check.
Local pickup
Do you have a good friend or family member who’s willing to pick up your mail from time to time? You may want to look for a company that offers a local pick up service. This could save you a lot of money if you can avoid international forwarding. Of course, the address must also be conveniently located for your friend.
Comparison Table - Services We Recommend
Services We Do Not Recommend
Earth Class Mail: Charges are high for limited services and the service charges for cancellation and reactivation
iPostal1: Mail scanning comes with an extra fee, not the right service for expats
Important Facts to Remember
Taxes and customs: Each country has its own customs, tariffs, and taxes on packages arriving from outside the country. These can be shockingly high, so be sure to check how much you’d pay in your new country of residence before forwarding a package!
P.O. Box Limitations: UPS and FedEx will only deliver to physical addresses, NOT P.O. boxes. If you want to receive packages from these services, be sure to check that the address you get with your subscription is not a P.O. Box.
State taxes: When you set up a physical address in another state, it typically does NOT come with any state tax requirements, but there are exceptions. New York and California are particularly known for interpreting any address in their state as residency, and therefore often come with state tax requirement. To be safe, you may want to avoid getting an address in these states.
Change of address form: You can fill out a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service to get your mail sent to your virtual mailbox + forwarding service. Doing this might result in your mail taking longer to arrive, but it will also simplify your set-up. Once you’re done using your virtual mailbox + forwarding service, you can easily revert any change of address with the USPS.
Closing your account: U.S. Postal Service regulations require mail forwarding services to continue to accept incoming mail for 6 months after the date of cancellation. That means you may continue receiving mail to your forwarding service and might have to pay forwarding or storage fees for six months. After the six-month period your mail forwarding service will return all mail to sender or (more likely) shred it. This is another reason why we recommend using a change of address form (see above).
StartAbroad is here to help
Get a free consultation with international move experts at StartAbroad to discuss your situation and learn what’s right for you. StartAbroad provides a comprehensive suite of services to make your move abroad as easy and painless as possible. StartAbroad’s international moving experts have over 20+ years of experience living abroad and helping others get settled. Get a free consultation at www.startabroad.com to discuss your situation and learn what’s right for you. Ask us about our holistic concierge package, and our medical, visa, and tax solutions!
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