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When you're away for an extended period (such as traveling long-term or working overseas) - or you simply want a digital solution for handling your company's mail - mail scanning services provide a practical alternative. Instead of your mail piling up at home or sitting in a physical mailbox, these services receive your mail at a secure facility where they're opened, scanned, and uploaded for you to view online.
As you explore different mail scanning services, it's essential to know what features matter most. A good service will offer not only secure access to your mail but also options like package forwarding, mail storage, and shredding. For businesses, services that can handle a variety of document types, including legal and financial paperwork, are a huge plus.
Wednesday, February 19th
US Global Mail strives to make the world a better place by giving everyone "a permanent address in the cloud” and by shredding and recycling junk mail, plus planting a tree for every customer they enroll in their mail scanning services. With more than 80,000 customers in the last 20+ years, that's a lot of trees planted so far.
Save 25%...on something
When we first landed on the US Global Mail website, we got an offer to save 25% if we subscribed to marketing emails - but it didn't specify what the discount would apply to (the first month? the first year? forever?), and the pop-up kept getting stuck on our screen and we were forced to refresh. Annoying.
Several affordable package options
But, it's worth it to press forward, irritating website issues aside, because US Global Mail is one of the best mail scanning providers available today. Let's take a look at the packages you can choose from:
Not all-inclusive
But, take note of the services that aren't included in those packages. You'll find a great comparison list on the Pricing page, but the one that jumped out at us was the lack of any interior document scans. There aren't any that come as part of a package, and the everyday cost on both the Basic and Plus tiers is $3 plus an additional $0.50 per page. That could add up quickly. Also, you only get 180 days of digital scan storage. Although many rivals provide unlimited storage with no expiration date, we think that six months is plenty of time for you to save anything you want to keep long-term over to your Google Drive or Dropbox.
No fees for depositing checks or pre-sorting junk mail
On the other hand, check depositing is free on all of US Global Mail's packages; you only have to cover the postage of getting the check sent along to your bank. You also get no-cost pre-sorting of junk mail, so you don't even have to see it land in your virtual inbox.
30+ address options within the US
How about address selection? US Global Mail has three company-owned locations in Texas (Houston), California (Concord), and Nevada (Las Vegas). They also offer mail scanning services through 30+ partner facilities; you can search by zip code if you'd like one close to you (for easy in-person pickup of packages, for example), or take a look at the map on the US Global Mail website. However, all of the addresses are within the US; this is not a mail scanning service that allows you to set up an address overseas.
30-day satisfaction guarantee
Should you be unhappy with your mail scanning service through US Global Mail, you're eligible for a full, no-questions-asked refund within the first 30 days.
Customers love this company
US Global Mail has received the highest accolades available from the Better Business Bureau: an "A+” rating and accreditation. There were only 8 complaints registered with the BBB in the last three years. But, the biggest reason why US Global Mail gets the #1 spot on our list is because of their customer feedback. On Trustpilot alone, over 90% of the 1,300+ people who rated this service give it a 4- or 5-star score. Although some customers have had to jump through a few too many hoops to cancel their mail scanning and forwarding service when the time came, and some thought that the forwarding shipping costs were too high, the vast majority say that this company absolutely delivers on its promises. We were really impressed by the praise and feedback from those who have used US Global Mail for 2, 5, even 14+ years; those typically come from people working abroad who rely on US Global Mail to keep them updated on all of their stateside deliveries.
Top-notch customer support
Another common compliment is directed towards the company's customer service team: "immediate response”, "rapid and correct help”, and "highly responsive” are just some of the phrases that stood out to us. That's not a given in the mail scanning industry, so it's wonderful to see that US Global Mail has a fantastic track record in that department. You're never trapped interacting with a bot, and US Global Mail doesn't outsource any of their customer support.
#1 pick for mail scanning services
It was a close race for the top spot on our list, but US Global Mail just edged out its closest rival to once again secure our #1 ranking among mail scanning companies. We're super-impressed by US Global Mail's reputation for excellent customer service, and their prices are reasonable and inclusive of a broad range of features. Although you may want to shop around if you expect you'll need a high volume of content scans, US Global Mail is going to be the easy pick for just about anyone needing a reliable mail scanning service.
Physical Address' mail scanning service provides many benefits that their rivals don't. One of the biggest is the fact that they operate and maintain every address that customers can choose to process their mail.
Different than their competitors
Competitors often outsource the actual receiving of the mail to third-party partners, often located in strip malls and other facilities - making them prone to losing their leases (and causing lots of headaches for their customers, who then have to change their addresses again). In contrast, Physical Address uses its own mail centers and employees throughout a few different states, which also lets them use whole addresses (like "123 Main St.”). They even brag about the fact that they've never lost a virtual address location (and that is something to be proud of, actually). And, they also make sure their facilities are highly secure: all employees go through strict background checks, there's 24/7 monitoring, and there are no cameras or cell phones allowed in mail handling areas. You definitely won't get that when you use a mail scanning company that works with those strip mall-based partners. Now you're beginning to see why, since 2013, more than 100,000 clients have chosen Physical Address to handle their mail.
Exceptional value
Another huge win for Physical Address is how much you get for what you pay. Every plan comes with unlimited mail recipients, unlimited digital storage, free local pickup, free registered agent service, free secure shredding, and 3 months of non-parcel storage. They offer a 20% discount on all annual plans, but even their month-to-month pricing is super-affordable and comes with a lot included. See for yourself:
No fees on check deposits
Although we had to dig into the FAQ to find this detail, we're happy to say that Physical Address provides check deposit processing at no extra charge beyond the cost of the forwarding itself. Many competitors charge a $5 fee on top of the postage, but not Physical Address.
Great reputation and 30-day refund policy
The Better Business Bureau thinks pretty highly of Physical Address, offering an "A” rating and accreditation primarily because this service has only received three complaints at the BBB in the last three years. That's a good sign, because we read some comments from Redditors who said that the positive reviews we see at Trustpilot (to the tune of 1,300+ 5-star ratings) were largely written by employees. However, if that were the case, and those were being written to mask poor service, we'd undoubtedly see far more complaints registered over at the BBB. Whew! And, every plan here comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving you at least a little time to get up and running, and decide for yourself.
Fantastic choice for affordable mail scanning
Physical Address is an amazing option for mail scanning services. You get a ton for what you pay, and we love the 7-days-a-week customer support here. Clients have great things to say about the security of their mail and packages, and the overall value for their monthly fees. Physical Address is our #2 pick among mail scanning providers out there today.
Docufree got its start in 1999, offering office services to help businesses manage copy and mailrooms. Over 25 years later, this service is enabling companies and organizations to reimagine the corporate mailroom, saving time, money, and space by digitizing the process of receiving and distributing documents. Say goodbye to filing cabinets, shelves, and stacks of paper! Well-known companies that entrust Docufree with tens of thousands of documents a day include the law firm of Morgan & Morgan, Ryder, ADP, and even educational institutions like UC Santa Barbara.
Clear up your backlog of mail for $3,500
If you need Docufree's services, you should plan on reaching out to get a quote. They'll create a customized plan for your business needs and go from there. But, here's a bit of what we were told when we reached out. First off, if you have a backlog of mail that needs to get cleared out, Docufree offers the following for $3,500:
Reach out for a quote
Next, Docufree provides what you'd typically imagine with a mail scanning service. This includes scanning mail as it arrives at their secure facility and digitally distributing it to the right employee(s). Those recipients will get an email alert, providing a link for them to access it through the Docufree Digital Mail site. The pricing for this service depends on mail volume, delivery preferences, and workforce requirements. Just click on the "Get a Quote” button and fill out the form; if you're reaching out during regular business hours, you may get a response within a few minutes (we did).
Easy access for your whole team
Docufree is very proud of the way that their mail scanning service makes documents "actionable from anywhere”. Not only can you get all of your mail digitized and distributed, but you can also collaborate with in-office and remote teams, get electronic signatures, and keep track of it all in real time.
Certified and compliant
They're also rightfully proud of their industry certifications. That includes, but is not limited to, HIPAA and PCI DSS compliance. Whatever standards of security and privacy your business requires, Docufree will undoubtedly be able to design a solution that meets and exceeds that.
Feedback is limited but very positive
The Better Business Bureau gives Docufree its highest accolades, with an "A+” rating and accreditation. We're also happy to report that there have not been any complaints filed against Docufree with the BBB. And, while we couldn't find a ton of reviews from employees or company owners where this mail scanning service is being utilized, the ones that we did track down were almost always a 4- or 5-star rating. It's been described as "the real deal”, a service that makes it easy "to transform to eco-friendly paperless environments”, and an option for any company or organization that wants hassle-free scanning, storage, and retrieval of documents.
Ideal corporate-level mail scanning solution
When it comes to mail scanning services for big businesses, the name to know is Docufree. They've got an excellent reputation, tried-and-tested processes, and they're staying on the cutting edge of technology so that they can provide the most current methods of digitizing mailrooms and documents overall. They're not going to be useful for other types of clients (like RVers who need somewhere for their mail to go, or freelancers working overseas), but that's the main reason we have for not giving Docufree a higher score.
iPostal1 serves as an interface between you and various partner locations around the globe that you can use as a physical address for your personal mail or your company. Launched in 2015 as an integration of a long-standing digital mailbox platform with international mail forwarding capabilities, iPostal1 uses retail pack-and-ship stores and executive coworking spaces in office buildings to help you obscure your personal address, protect packages from porch pirates when you're not home, or simply receive and scan your mail while you travel the world.
Choose from domestic and international addresses
As we mentioned, iPostal1 connects you with a network of postal service providers. That goes everywhere from Alabama to Wyoming and from Austria to the UK. Although iPostal1 isn't in quite as many countries as its closest rival on our list, they've got more stateside options than the competition. For example, you'll have 532 choices in California, 325 in Texas, 212 in New York, even locations in the USVI and Puerto Rico if you prefer. Click on a state or country and you'll be able to see the specific cities where iPostal1 can get you set up. There aren't many filters, even when you select a city, beyond options with international forwarding capabilities or ones in office buildings. So, you'll have to click through each one to see the details for what's provided. iPostal1 doesn't disclose the name of the operator for each location, but a quick Google should do the trick (if that's important for you to know).
Multiple tiers of pricing and service
There are three main tiers of service offered by iPostal1's network of providers:
Mailbox types also affect pricing
However, there's another little tweaky part to the pricing at iPostal1 - or rather, with the options among the partner locations you can select. Mailbox locations are designated as "Standard”, "Select”, "Premium”, or "Prestige”, and that too will affect how much you pay. It's a lot to take in!
Lots of services with extra fees
Before you sign up for a mail scanning plan here, we also recommend that you go take a look at the "Optional Services” list. It applies to all packages and tiers of service, and it's also why some iPostal1 clients grumble about feeling nickel-and-dimed here. Mail items above plan maximum? $0.35 each. Scanning the contents of an envelope (and not just the outside, which gets uploaded to your virtual mailbox dashboard)? $2.25 for up to 10 pages, then $0.25/page after. Check deposit by mail? $4.95 plus trackable shipping for scanning up to 5 checks. Extended storage? $1.10/item per month on letters and such, or $1.10 per pound on packages. You get the idea.
Good record with the BBB, despite complaints
The Better Business Bureau has given its accreditation and "A+” rating to iPostal1, despite having almost 150 complaints filed there in the last three years. That high grade means that the BBB hasn't found any issues with the way the company has responded to those client concerns. Plus, there were almost 300 people who came to the BBB to leave a review (separate from complaints), and those average a respectable 4.3 out of 5 stars. Feedback left via Trustpilot and compiled by Google is roughly the same in the pros and cons department.
Can be tricky at the outset
But, reading through more recent comments reveals that more than a few new clients got stuck at the verification and notarization step of setting up their accounts. You might wind up having to use iPostal1's service, which in some cases has had customers going in circles. Others sail right through and create their new virtual mailbox with no issues.
Solid choice for mail scanning
Overall, we'd say that iPostal1 comes in as better than average. You've got more locations to choose from than some comparable mail scanning services, and even though it can be annoying to have to sift through all of the pricing options, it lets you get really granular about what you pay for. It can get spendy fast with iPostal1, and not everyone has a flawless experience. But, on the whole, people seem to be happy with this service and with the partner locations that iPostal1 has selected for its network. This is a good backup plan if you don't find the mail scanning packages you need with a higher-ranked provider on our list.
PostScan Mail offers mail and package management for individuals and companies alike. Originally launched in Anaheim, California back in 2012, they now serve clients around the world by offering more than 800 domestic and international address locations for scanning mail.
Exceptionally affordable
Straight out of the gate, PostScan Mail offers some of the industry's most affordable packages for receiving and scanning mail and packages. Here's what you'll find if you look into their services:
Some benefits included with every plan
Every plan comes with a list of benefits. Those include a professional US street address, unlimited cloud storage, free local pickup, and flexible usage for both personal and LLC business purposes.
Watch out for extra fees
There's also a long list of a la carte services that will cost you extra, and you've already gotten a taste of that from the explanations of the service tiers. If you go over your quantity limit or your "open and scan” limit, you'll pay extra. It'll also cost you extra if you want your mail shredded instead of simply recycled. (We didn't even know that some mail scanning services don't automatically shred your discard pile until we evaluated PostScan Mail!)
No check deposit services
Another downside for PostScan Mail: they don't offer check deposit services. So, you'll have to ask them to forward those to you, at a cost of $2 per item (and $0.50 for each additional item in a shipment) plus postage. That's not a great turnaround time if you regularly get checks in the mail - although that may impact people using mail scanning for business purposes more than individuals.
Easy to get forms filled out properly
Going back to the benefits of PostScan Mail, they offer online notary services for an extra $20, if you want to use that for quick and easy completion of the required US Form 1583. Otherwise, you can take the form to a local notary of your choice. Either way, the online wizard on the PostScan Mail website will help you get the form filled out quickly and accurately.
Reach out for customized plans
And, this mail scanning service has customizable plans if you need them. Additional use cases include enterprise mailroom solutions, and package fulfillment strategies for e-commerce businesses. Just reach out to PostScan Mail's customer support via toll-free number, email, or live chat; they're available 7 days a week.
Great filters for choosing your address location
Finally, when it comes to choosing a location, this is one of the easiest-to-use mail scanning services on our list. Once you've selected a state or country, it's easy to filter them by some of the most popular options like "office building” or "free local pickup”. You can also see at a glance what the starting prices are for each location; the ones we quoted earlier are the lowest they'll go, but some of PostScan Mail's partners charge a little more. You'll also have to search up the listed address if you want to know the name of the third-party provider that will be operating on PostScan Mail's behalf.
Lots of 5-star ratings
Although we couldn't find a Better Business Bureau listing for PostScan Mail, we were able to find thousands of 5-star reviews throughout the internet. (We do want to point out, though, that some of those weren't from verified clients and often just said one word like "good”, or had a 5-star rating despite being a complaint.) But, by and large, clients seem to be happy with this mail scanning service. Most reviews say that help is available when needed, mail is processed exactly as advertised, and so on.
30-day satisfaction guarantee
That satisfaction level drops a little bit when you look at longer-term client feedback - many of the comments come from individuals who were asked to provide a review immediately after signing up - but not by a ton. And, of course, as a middleman between customers and partner locations, your overall satisfaction will be greatly impacted by the site you choose for your address. It's worth looking up reviews for the local provider you select through PostScan Mail, just to make sure that they've got a decent reputation within the community too. You're also protected by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, offering a full refund for any reason.
Better than average
PostScan Mail comes in solidly above average when compared with many of its competitors in the mail scanning marketplace. Client satisfaction is good overall, the services are clearly spelled out, and you shouldn't have any trouble choosing a location for your personal or business mail to be processed. PostScan Mail is missing some services, though, and that keeps this company from ranking a little higher. But, if check scanning is low on your priority list and you like the peace of mind that comes with a 30-day refund window, PostScan Mail is worth a look.
Virtual Mail by LegalZoom is the newest option for mail scanning on our list. It's focused on protecting the privacy and managing the mail of businesses, shielding your personal information from clients and spammers alike. Given that LegalZoom provides a host of services for both individuals and business owners, we were a little surprised that their mail services are only for companies, but it is what it is.
Most states have at least one location for your address
You're able to choose from LegalZoom's network of real addresses for your mail. You'll see those options after you choose a plan: you can either search by city or state or scroll through the list and see what's on offer. Many of the states on Virtual Mail's list only had one location in one city (like Nashville, TN); Texas, Colorado, and California were the only ones that had addresses in multiple cities. Those all track to third-party mailing centers that have partnered with LegalZoom to receive your mail, so don't expect any dedicated facilities owned by LZ when you choose them for your mail scanning service.
5 plans to choose from
The plans and pricing for LegalZoom's Virtual Mail service are pretty straightforward:
Scans, shreds, and storage included
Scanning is included on all of the pieces received, with no extra charges as long as the document is 20 pages or less. Secure shredding is also part of all Virtual Mail packages. You get unlimited storage of digitized mail; physical mail is stored for free for 30 days, and packages are held for 10 days.
Lots of nit-picky fees
But, there's a lot of a la carte and overage pricing you should be aware of before you commit to using LegalZoom Virtual Mail for your business. If you go over your limit of included mail items, you'll be billed $3 per piece. If your content scans exceed 20 pages, you'll pay $0.10 per page in black-and-white and $0.15 per page in color. Check deposits? You can either pay a $10 fee as you go, or you can subscribe for $39/month and get 5 included checks (and then additional are $2 each). And, if you decide to close your LegalZoom Virtual Mail account but you still want to be able to access it for 6 months (to take care of tying up loose ends, receive any mail that doesn't get caught in time for your change of address paperwork, and so on), you'll pay a $50 "cancellation fee”; that's not charged if you let your account fully close at the end of the current billing cycle.
Too early to say much about the service
It's also difficult for us to say how effective and customer-friendly this mail scanning service actually is. Aside from a few testimonials about LegalZoom Virtual Mail on the website itself, there's just not a lot of buzz about this particular product. There are a few dozen ratings on the two app stores (mostly positive, some negative) and LegalZoom itself has a solid reputation, but Virtual Mail feels too new to have garnered much useful feedback just yet.
Limited and spendy
This service also has quite a few limitations compared with rival mail scanning platforms. There are no options here designed for personal use (RVers, world travelers), and the packages don't include many of the services that rivals give you with their packages. That makes LegalZoom Virtual Mail a more expensive choice for businesses.
Good but has room to grow
Until we hear more from satisfied business owners who have used LegalZoom Virtual Mail for several months (or preferably years), we can only offer a "just average” rating for this mail scanning service. If you're not a business owner, you'll definitely need to look elsewhere. If you do own a company and you're trying to take your mailroom to the all-digital level, we'd recommend checking out the competition before signing up with LegalZoom.
Since 2011, Traveling Mailbox has been partnering with small business owners, travelers, expats, and more, offering each client a unique physical street address for mail scanning. In the years the service has been in operation, Traveling Mailbox has scanned over 8 million envelopes, shipped over 500K packages, and helped with 100K+ check deposits - serving more than 50,000 customers.
You'll need a notarized form
Let's take a look at how this mail scanning service works. First, you'll create a subscription (with more on pricing later). From there, you'll log into your client portal and complete/submit USPS Form 1583, which allows Traveling Mailbox to receive mail on your behalf. That has to either be signed electronically with a rep of Traveling Mailbox over a video chat or notarized at your location of choice.
Update your address
Next, you'll have to undertake the tedious-but-necessary steps to update your address, so that senders know where to find you; that can be done one-by-one, or you can fill out the Change of Address form on the USPS website.
Decide how they should handle each piece of mail
Once your mail starts arriving, Traveling Mailbox will scan the outside of each envelope and load the image into your dashboard. You'll then tell them what to do with each piece: open and scan, forward, or shred. Traveling Mailbox integrates with platforms like Google Drive and Dropbox, making it easy for you to stay organized by using a system that's already familiar. You can also use your virtual mailbox to send and receive faxes.
3 main pricing plans
So, what does it cost? That will depend on which tier of service you choose. There are three core plans with Traveling Mailbox:
Pay attention to the fees for extra services
What if you go beyond your monthly allotments? Extra envelope scans are $0.25 each, and page scans are $0.50 each. Other services are a la carte. For example, if you get a check in the mail and would like it deposited to your bank, you'll pay $4.95 plus the current postage rate. Package shipping rates will depend on the size of the package and where you're having it sent; try the Shipping Calculator (we found it in the FAQs) if you'd like to get an estimate. And, if any of the mail you receive should be forwarded, you can have it sent to you piece-by-piece or in a consolidated package; that costs $2 per shipment (not per piece) plus the applicable postage.
Lots of complaints on Trustpilot...
Traveling Mailbox has been "A” rated and accredited by the Better Business Bureau, with just 11 complaints filed over the last three years. However, just like the last time we evaluated this mail scanning service, the feedback elsewhere in places like Trustpilot and others is still overwhelmingly negative. Just look at some of the review titles on Trustpilot alone: "Crappy Service”, "They lose valuable mail”, and "Absolutely the worst” are just a few that have come in lately. Multiple customers ranted about receiving other people's mail on a regular basis - and if they got other people's mail, that means there are customers who had mail go missing (and there are complaints about that as well).
...but lots of praise in Google reviews
What's crazy, though, is if you look at the company's reviews on Google, they're almost the exact opposite - averaging 4.8 stars out of nearly 600 ratings. They all seemed to be from legitimate reviewers too: many of them had lots of reviews on other businesses and services, so there wasn't a pattern of a ton of 5-star reviews from people only reviewing Traveling Mailbox. People describe the service as working perfectly, and they're grateful for the 7-days-a-week customer support. We're genuinely puzzled by the discrepancy between the rants on Trustpilot and the raves on Google.
Doing better but still inconsistent
However, what's clear is this: you can't necessarily count on Traveling Mailbox to deliver consistent service. Chances are good that you will either love it or hate it here, and that's not a great sign when you're thousands of miles away, wondering where an important piece of mail has gone (like a big check). We're willing to bump this mail scanning service up by a star and a half since our last evaluation, but overall this still isn't a company we can completely endorse.
If you're wondering how you can live abroad while still running a US-based business with a stateside address, Virtual Post Mail's founder Alex Sanz knows exactly how you feel. That's why he created this mail scanning service: he couldn't find any providers that could deliver the high-level services he needed. Whether you, too, are running a company from overseas or you're just getting ready to travel the US in an RV, Virtual Postal Mail would like to help you manage your mail.
Only 5 states to choose from
Call us snarky, but we laughed when we read that Virtual Post Mail had a "big hairy audacious goal” of having locations in all 50 states, and since 2007, they've managed to accomplish... 5. The company says that they take great care to only establish locations that will be reliable in the long-term, but we're still not blown away by that "progress” in almost 20 years. But, for what it's worth, those states include California, Nevada, Delaware, Florida, and Texas - and that's where you'll be able to choose from when setting up your new mailing address.
Bonus features for business owners
We do like some of the features that Virtual Post Mail offers, especially for new business owners who might need the prestige (or documentation) of a physical address while operating virtually or out of their own homes. First off, VPM's TruLease can give you a physical address (and not a PO box) so that you can open a business bank account and take credit card payments. And, if you need it, they'll give you a utility bill (as required by some vendors such as Shopify Payments and Amazon Store).
Want a prestigious personal address?
You can use VPM's TruResidence in a similar way. One of their locations is in a "prestigious condominium tower”: you could direct all of your mail there, to keep your actual residence private and protected.
New businesses can benefit from TruStart
And, if you need a little extra help getting your new business off the ground, Virtual Post Mail can serve as your registered agent at no extra cost (which could save you $100+ per year). Take a peek at VPM's TruStart video series if you'd like to see their recommendations for the steps to take to form your brand-new company and be ready for business.
4 tiers of service
Ready to see what mail scanning plans you can expect with this service? Here you go:
Extra time for physical storage
All of VPM's plans include 60 days of physical storage. That's a big advantage over services that make you decide within 5, 14, or 30 days if you want your mail or packages forwarded, shredded, or tossed out. You'll also get unlimited digital storage and API integration if you need it.
Reputation is still undetermined by the BBB
Although this mail scanning service comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, Virtual Post Mail is still a question mark when it comes to reputation: the Better Business Bureau says that it doesn't have enough information to issue a rating for the company, despite its having been in business for 15+ years. That doesn't really seem to track with VPM's professed "33,000+ customers served”, but at least the "NR” designation isn't a bad-news "F” grade.
Customer service has taken a nosedive
However, the story told on Trustpilot by Virtual Post Mail clients is not only limited but also negative. There was one five-star rating left in the last 9 months, praising the customer service and support; all of the rest were just 1- or 2-star reviews, saying that VPM's reps aren't as good as they used to be, the service has gotten slower, and that a recent change in location left multiple people scrambling to reroute their mail to the new business address. Another ranted that it's practically impossible to get someone on the phone, and we had the same experience (no one picked up when we called squarely during the middle of a workday across all four main US time zones).
It's a "no” for us
That's a bummer, because Virtual Post Mail really checks a lot of boxes among mail scanning services - at least, on paper. We just wish that they had a better track record for keeping customers happy, and that they would pick up the phone when prospective or current clients call. We'd like to be able to give VPM our recommendation, but we don't feel that they've proven themselves worthy of anything higher.
Anytime Mailbox was built in 2013 when the company's founders couldn't find a hassle-free solution for viewing and managing postal mail (personal or work-related) on their phones. This mail scanning service was designed to make that happen, for both individual customers and mail center operators at the corporate level, streamlining the process of receiving paper mail and making it all digital. Anytime Mailbox is available for clients in 47 different countries.
Thousands of address options worldwide
One unique feature of Anytime Mailbox is the ability to choose the location of the address where your mail will be received - from more than 2,400 places worldwide. For example, at the time of this evaluation, there were 10 different choices for Alabama, 218 in Florida, 102 in New York... plus 5 in Rio de Janeiro, 2 in Dublin, 2 in London, and even 1 in Lusaka, Zambia, literally taking you from A to Z.
Pricing isn't clearly displayed upfront
There are a ton of services that you can access through Anytime Mailbox. Just look under the Solutions tab and see for yourself. Those include having a virtual mailbox, a virtual business address, getting mail forwarding, having a physical address (not a PO Box) for mail and packages to be delivered, and so on. But, until you click the "Sign Up” button and start walking through the process of becoming an Anytime Mailbox customer, it's almost impossible to see how those services come together in packages (and what they might cost you). We wish that there was an easy-to-find, clearly-spelled-out list of pricing on the website.
What you pay depends on the address you choose
To get that information, you'll have to start by choosing where you might like to have your new address. We picked Texas, because with 255 different locations offered, it was Anytime Mailbox's most robust option. If you'd like to see the advantages of choosing a particular location, look at the top of the page where it says "Why get a mailing address in ______?” and click "Read more”. Once you've settled on a state or country, you'll see that the pricing and services offered can vary widely based on the location of Anytime Mailbox's partners. For example, look at these two different options in Allen, Texas:
Site would benefit from filters
Another item we'd put on our wishlist at Anytime Mailbox is some kind of filtering. If we really needed, say, check deposit capabilities, the only way to find that currently is to click on location after location, hoping to finally spot one that includes it in the service list.
Decent rating from the BBB
And reputation? At first glance, Anytime Mailbox has a pretty solid track record. We don't love the "B+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, but the BBB does think highly enough of this company to give it accreditation. There were 78 complaints filed there in the last three years, but that above-average grade means that the BBB feels like Anytime Mailbox is doing a good-enough job of responding to them. There are a decent number of reviews for this mail scanning service on Google (about 360 at the time of our evaluation), averaging an impressive 4.8 stars out of 5. But, reading through those ratings, it seems like many of them come from people who had just barely signed up - or just visited the website - and not from long-term clients.
Recent feedback is mostly negative
And, when you jump over to Trustpilot to see what people are saying there, it tracks with those 80-ish complaints filed with the BBB. In just a few weeks leading up to the time of our review, unhappy customers said things like "mail constantly lost”, "overly complicated”, "scam”, and there were rants about Anytime Mailbox changing customers' addresses twice in two months. Across more than 110 ratings on Trustpilot, the average is just 3 stars, with 11% of them just a single star, and most of the recent ratings are exactly that low. It's not a good look.
Just a middleman (and not a great one at that)
Anytime Mailbox is really nothing more than a middleman between you and the mail scanning service location you select. That's at the root of many of the complaints people have here: where's the accountability when a facility in Albany or Albania drops the ball on handling your incoming mail? This site makes it easy to find options in numerous locations (which is nice), but not so easy to find ones that have the services you'll need and can deliver them reliably (which is not so nice). Anytime Mailbox drops to a lower rating now, and we recommend you get your mail scanning services through a higher-ranked provider.
Sasquatch Mail is set up primarily as a mail forwarding service, designed to give clients privacy and a certain degree of separation from their clients (or maybe even from friends and family... it happens). When you sign up for a virtual mailbox here, you can choose to have a unique physical address in the state of your choice, selected from about a dozen options offered by Sasquatch Mail. This company owns all of its own servers, employs its own IT department, and never sells your information. If you choose to be, you could be as mysterious as, well, Sasquatch himself.
Starts at $9.99/month
To get started with Sasquatch Mail, you'll have to fill out your contact information through their online form. You'll then have access to Sasquatch Mail's pricing for their mail forwarding. At the time of this review, you could expect to pay $9.99/month or $99.99/year as the base price for a mail forwarding address. That also comes with a 60-day free trial of "Phone Service”: a virtual phone line that you can use for calling, texting, and checking voicemail from the device of your choice. It's $9/month thereafter, if you decide to keep the service.
Services aren't explained clearly
From what we can tell (though it wasn't spelled out very clearly), your base plan includes unlimited incoming mail and recipients, as well as free shredding and recycling. Sasquatch Mail charges a $2 flat rate per scan of an envelope and its contents, but they don't say if that means they'll show you an image of the exterior of the envelope and you can decide if you want to pay the $2 to have it opened and scanned, or you're just automatically charged $2 and it's scanned. And, if you want any mail physically forwarded to you, it's $2 per piece plus postage. Yikes!
Your stuff will be destroyed if you don't speak up fast
You'll need to decide within two weeks (packages) or 30 days (mail) what you want Sasquatch Mail to do on your behalf, because that's as long as your free storage lasts. If you haven't specified that you want it forwarded (and paid the corresponding fees), your envelope or package will be destroyed.
No improvements to its reputation
In the time since our last evaluation of Sasquatch Mail, we would have expected to see an increase in the number of reviews and an expanded overall reputation for this mail scanning service. That didn't happen. We found almost no reviews left within the last two years, and the only ones we came across said things like "this was my worst experience ever” and complained that they were only getting replies to questions and concerns from Sasquatch via email... once a week. If that. We couldn't find a listing with the Better Business Bureau, either.
Last place among mail scanning services
All of this drops Sasquatch Mail down to our lowest-ranked option among mail scanning services. You're not likely to get the service you've paid for, you'll have a hard time getting responses from customer support (especially if you're not in the US and can't make a call during regular business hours), and who knows where your mail will wind up? Choose a different service, because Sasquatch Mail is bound to disappoint you.
Most providers let you decide what to do with each piece of mail - store it, forward it, or have it securely shredded. Some even offer access to their features from a convenient online dashboard.
How much do mail scanning services typically cost? Pricing can be a bit tricky. Some services bundle almost everything into a single monthly fee, while others have tiered plans or charge a la carte for many features like extra scans, check depositing, or package forwarding. It's important to clarify what's included upfront, so you don't end up with unexpected fees. Depending on your volume of mail and the services you need, the total cost can vary significantly, so you'll want to compare the value provided by each mail scanning provider.
There are quite a few options for mail scanning out there today. Confused by which one is right for you? To help you narrow them down, consider these criteria:
To help you get the right mail scanning service for your needs, the world-traveling experts at Top Consumer Reviews have researched and ranked some of today's most popular options. Use this information to sort the best from the worst and pick a mail scanning provider that will make your life easier, whether you're trotting the globe in an RV or simply trying to take your corporate mailroom to the all-digital level!
Select any 2 Mail Scanning Services to compare them head to head