The Best Mail Scanning Services

Thursday, February 9th

2023 Mail Scanning Service Reviews

US Global Mail

• Choose between two company-managed addresses (TX/CA) or a partner address near you
• Unlimited envelope scanning on all plans
• Integrates with Google Drive and Dropbox
• 30-day guarantee
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business for over 20 years

US Global Mail wants to make it as easy as possible for you to get mail scanning services the way you want them. Do you prefer for your mail to be personally managed at a USGM warehouse? Choose between an address in Texas or California. Prefer a location near you through a third-party mail center? Just enter your zip code. Just be aware that you might be asked to create a US Global Mail account to see the in-depth details about the plans they offer and the address you select.

3 affordable plans

US Global Mail has a stellar reputation, as demonstrated by an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. You can also check out some of their customer comments at the bottom of the site: at the time of this review, there were nearly 700 independently-verified reviews, and US Global Mail had a fantastic 4.6/5 average rating.

• Basic ($14.99 billed monthly, $9.95/month billed annually): this plan gives you one recipient name and 45 days of free physical mail storage, plus discounts of up to 50% off retail shipping rates.
• Plus ($19.99 billed monthly, $14.95/month billed annually): this plan lets you add multiple family members as recipients, gives you 90 days of free physical mail storage, priority response time, and discounts of up to 80% on retail shipping rates.
• Business ($34.99 billed monthly, $29.95/month billed annually): US Global Mail's highest tier of services provides the ability to add multiple company names and family members, 180 days of free physical mail storage, and that discount of up to 80% on shipping rates.

Lots of no-cost extras included

All mail scanning plans at US Global Mail come with free check deposits, free mail shredding, and an unlimited number of envelopes scanned each month. That's a fantastic perk.

Pay for mail scans a la carte

The only downside is that no mail scans are included in this mail scanning service. You'll pay $3 per letter (and an extra $0.50 per page). You'll also pay extra to have US Global Mail staff open and inspect packages or if you pick up any of your mail in person: the assumption here is that customers will be doing everything virtually, so the service isn't really set up to provide a hand-off of mail pieces. Keep that in mind.

A green approach to mail scanning

That mainly-virtual approach to mail scanning is part of US Global Mail's efforts to be eco-friendly. All junk mail and other discarded pieces are recycled, and they plant a tree for every new member that signs up.

Get your form notarized remotely

Another service we really appreciate is USGM's Zoom Notary. Remember that Form 1583 that you need to fill out with most mail scanning services, authorizing the provider to receive your mail? Schedule your appointment right through the US Global Mail website, pay your fee ($15 or $25, depending on the day you select), and you're good to go. It doesn't get more convenient than that.

30-day guarantee

US Global Mail has slightly modified their guarantee and refund policy since our last review: you're covered by a 30-day guarantee. We're pretty sure that overrides the statement in the Cancellation FAQ that says "if you leave in the middle of your account term, you will not get a refund" - as long as you're making the request within 30 days of setting up your account.

Flawless reputation

Where this mail scanning service really shines is reputation. They've got a perfect listing with the Better Business Bureau - "A+" and accreditation - and thousands of glowing five-star reviews from clients who wouldn't even consider using any other mail scanning service. This is especially true for customers living overseas: US Global Mail is genuine in their commitment to helping people get their mail, whatever it takes, and without a hefty mark-up on postage. People praise the "can-do" attitude of USGM's representatives and describe this service as being indispensable if you live overseas.

First choice for mail scanning

US Global Mail continues to be our favorite mail scanning service for anyone who wants to transition to receiving most of their mail virtually. While we'd love to see USGM include some content scanning as part of their packages, we're excited at the idea of getting unlimited envelope scans for under $10/month and so many other services at no additional cost. We're happy to give this mail scanning provider another first-place finish.

Physical Address

• Eight address locations to choose from: NY, CA, NV, TX, FL, ID, GA, DE
• Same-day scanning of all received mail
• No third-party mail centers used to process your mail
• Free check depositing
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• "A+" rated by the BBB
• In business since 2013

You're not going to be impressed with Physical Address at first glance. The site itself isn't the most polished: it isn't mobile-responsive or formatted in an up-to-date style. And yet, this mail scanning service still earns one of our highest recommendations.

Very affordable services

To start, the pricing on mail scanning services here is impressive:

• Plan 30 ($7.98/month): this entry-level plan includes 30 envelope scans and 10 content scans.
• Plan 50 ($10.98/month): this tier takes your envelope scans up to 50 and content scans to 25 per month.
• Plan 100 ($16.98/month): no surprises here, with 100 envelope scans and 50 content scans per month.
• Plan 200 ($26.98/month): 200 envelope scans and 100 content scans per month come with this level of service.
• Save 20% on any plan if you pay annually instead of monthly
• Corporate plans are available (more than 300 mail items per month); call for a quote

Get a lot for your money

Every plan at Physical Address includes an unlimited number of mail recipients, free local pickup, free registered agent, free secure shredding, and three months of free (non-parcel) storage. That's an extraordinary value compared with other, more expensive mail scanning providers.

No charge for check deposits (other than postage)

You'll also get free check deposit processing here. Physical Address doesn't tack on a service fee: you'll just pay the postage to forward checks to the bank of your choice. That's a huge savings too, given that most of their rivals charge anywhere from $4.95 to $10 per check (and that doesn't always include the postage).

Fewer addresses, more hands-on attention

You won't have as many address choices with Physical Address as you'll see with some mail scanning services: Wall Street, NY; Laguna Beach, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Dallas, TX; Orlando, FL; Boise, ID; Atlanta, GA; Wilmington, DE. Why is that a pro and not a con? This company processes all of your mail itself. That means you get same-day scanning of every piece of mail, and you're not relying on a third-party mail center partner to do the work or to forward your physical mail to another location.

99% of clients recommend this company

Sounds too good to be true, right? You get what you pay for? Believe it or not, you can absolutely trust that you'll get the value Physical Address promises. The company has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, but more impressive is the 99% average of 4- and 5-star ratings from hundreds of happy Physical Address clients. Customer service here is described as friendly and responsive by brand-new users as well as those who have used the mail scanning service for five years or more. It also doesn't seem to make a difference if you're using the company as a local option for business mail or having your physical mail forwarded overseas: you can expect the same great service.

Excellent service and affordable pricing

Physical Address may be the best-kept secret in mail scanning services. You'll get so much for your money here, with complimentary features that tend to rack up the costs with other providers and world-class customer service (despite the not-so-impressive website promoting it). With a 30-day money-back guarantee, Physical Address is literally risk-free to try and should be one of your top providers to consider for mail scanning.

Docufree

• Pricing based on your business needs
• Request a quote via online form or toll-free number
• Available services include virtual PO box, physical mail services, real-time alerts, eForms and eSignatures, automated workflows, and more
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business since 1999

Docufree's Digital Mailroom service is an award-winner. In 2022, it received a Bronze Stevie accolade specifically for its law firm solutions, but the company serves more than 1,000 clients across a broad spectrum of categories. Noteworthy names in Docufree's client roster include Alaska Airlines, Ryder, Panasonic, Four Seasons, and Kaiser Permanente.

Outsource the handling of all physical mail

Docufree's mail scanning service could help boost your business productivity right through the roof. Take a look at the case studies featured in the links at the bottom of the page and see for yourself. Imagine having all of your business mail scanned upon arrival at Docufree's secure facility, where it's routed exactly where it needs to go - all digitally, of course. Recipients get an email notification and an access link.

Easily convert documents to forms, get signatures remotely

Got a document that needs to be signed? Docufree makes it possible to turn a document into an electronic form, complete with drag-and-drop fields, data input, and legally-binding electronic signatures. Especially given the number of employees who are working remotely these days, Docufree can help you keep everyone on the same page - pun intended.

Fill out online form to get a quote

What will you pay for Docufree's Digital Mailroom or other services? As you might expect, the answer is always "it depends" . If this sounds like the right fit for your business, we encourage you to reach out through Docufree's online quote request form: provide your name, company name, email and phone number, plus a short description of your current mailroom process, and one of their solution experts will get in touch to help develop the right solution.

Great reputation

We have zero concerns about Docufree's reputation. Between the awards the company has won and its "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, it's easy to see that this is a mail scanning provider that can be trusted.

Best choice for big business

At the end of the day, Docufree is an excellent choice for enterprise-level mail scanning services. Trusted by numerous large corporations, this company can streamline your business processes and help you scale effectively. Of course, if you're an individual looking to have your mail scanned while you travel the globe, Docufree will have nothing to meet your needs. We give this company high marks for doing what it does very well, but not quite our highest ranking because of its nonexistent offerings for the average consumer.

Post Scan Mail

• Over 400 mailing addresses to choose from
• View your dashboard via desktop or mobile app
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• "A+" rated by the BBB
• In business since 2012

Post Scan Mail is headquartered in Anaheim, California and has been in business since 2012. You'll have over 400 address locations to choose from within the US, as well as international options if you need them.

Won't leave you in the lurch

Like many mail scanning services offering numerous address choices, Post Scan Mail relies on mail centers and other third parties to receive and process your mail. However, we were pleased to see that this service will help you resolve any issues if a piece goes missing or you need other assistance: many similarly-structured providers don't necessarily take that extra step.

Lots of five-star reviews from individuals and small businesses

That benefit is reflected in client feedback for Post Scan Mail. Not only has the company received an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, but thousands of people have given this service a perfect five-star review too. We love to see client comments that describe using Post Scan Mail for years as an expat, or across dozens of addresses as a small business owner, all with zero problems. You're also protected by a 30-day money-back guarantee, letting you try Post Scan Mail risk-free.

3 plans to consider

So, what can you expect about the process here? First, you'll enter a city and state or zip code where you'd like to look for a mail scanning address. You'll get a list of locations in the area and an overview of pricing. It varies according to the mail center you choose, but here's a starting point:

• Starter ($15+ per month): includes 30 incoming pieces of mail, one recipient, no included document scanning.
• Standard ($20+ per month): includes 60 incoming pieces of mail, two recipients, and open/scan of 10 items (up to 10 pages each, then $0.25 per additional page).
• Premium ($30+ per month): includes 120 incoming pieces of mail, six recipients, and open/scan of 20 items.

We found those prices to be right on the money for most of the locations we browsed.

Just a few downsides

Downsides? We found a few of those too. Check depositing didn't seem to be offered at any Post Scan Mail locations. And, when you choose an address, you're not told who operates the location. You can search for it yourself, though - and we recommend that you do so, because it might offer some insights into the reputation of the third-party service that will actually be receiving and processing your mail. (For example, one of the higher-priced address choices we picked turned out to be a mail center with a 3.9 out of 5 stars rating average: not terrible, but not as highly rated as Post Scan Mail itself.)

Best suited for individuals and small businesses

Overall, Post Scan Mail is a great choice for a mail scanning service. They stand behind their network of mail centers, offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, and boast thousands of five-star reviews that include long-term clients. While it won't be a good fit if you're a large business trying to replace a physical mailroom, Post Scan Mail should get your attention if you're a small business owner or traveler who wants an option for handling mail remotely.

Virtual Post Mail

• Services starting at $20/month
• No contracts, setup fees, or cancellation fees
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• All mail processed at a commercial address, not a PO Box
• In business since 2009

Virtual Post Mail handles all of your mail personally: no contracting with outside locations and services. That means you'll get same-day processing of everything you receive, instead of the "up to a week" timeframe you might find with other mail scanning providers. They offer four commercial address locations for your "mailbox" : Florida, Delaware, Nevada, and California. Since its founding in 2009, Virtual Post Mail has had more than 27,000 customers, processed nearly 13 million pieces of mail, and deposited almost $450 million in checks.

4 different mail scanning plans

There are four plans to consider here, depending on how much mail you expect to receive and how many recipients you need to include at your address:

• Starter ($20/month): this entry-level plan includes two recipients, processing of 25 pieces of mail per month, and 10 free document scans. You can include extra recipients for $5 per person per month. You'll be charged $0.50 for every additional piece of mail that comes in.
• Plus ($35/month): this tier includes processing of an unlimited number of mail pieces, 50 free document scans, and you can add more recipients for $3.
• Business ($60/month): boost your recipients to 10 and get up to 100 free document scans. You'll also have no limits on the number of pieces processed, and you'll pay $2 per recipient per month if you need more than 10.
• Premium ($90/month): VPM's top level of service includes 20 recipients ($2 per person per month if you need more) and 150 free document scans. As you'd expect, this tier also gives you an unlimited number of mail pieces.

Some common services are a la carte

Virtual Post Mail offers several other services you can pay for as needed. Check deposits will cost you $10 each, extra document scans are $1 for the first 10 pages and $0.25 for each page thereafter, and forwarding of packages is billed separately. We'd recommend looking at the Custom Pricing page to see what extra services are available here, so that you'll have an idea of what your add-ons might cost.

30 days of free storage

Your mail will be stored free for 30 days. You'll definitely want to make sure you have it scanned/shredded or forwarded within that timeframe, because you'll pay $1.50 per letter or magazine and $20 per package for every 30-day period beyond the first month.

Not a lot of client feedback

At the time of this review, Virtual Post Mail had no rating from the BBB. That's not very common for companies that have been in business for 10+ years, and often indicates that the business is under review (but that isn't always a negative thing: it could be taking into account new, positive feedback). But, speaking of feedback, there's not a ton of it for this mail scanning service. Outside of the testimonials featured on the VPM site itself, we only found a handful of comments from clients: most were positive, and we were glad to see praise from some people who have been with this service since it began. Those who reported problems with VPM described concerns with forwarding packages or with slow loading of scanned email images.

Good but not great

Overall, Virtual Post Mail comes in as "just above average" . You might really appreciate that the company doesn't contract out to third-party locations, processing all of your mail at one of their three sites. On the other hand, you might feel limited by only having a choice of three different addresses. This isn't a bad option for mail scanning, but it's a little less robust than some of its higher-ranked rivals.

iPostal1

• Prices start at $9.99/month and vary by location
• Over 2,500 real physical street addresses to choose from, in all 50 states and international
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business since 2015

iPostal1 offers mail scanning services to home-based businesses, expats, renters, and frequent travelers. No matter which state you would like your mail to call home, iPostal1 has a location for you - as well as several dozen overseas. There are more than 2500 real physical addresses in the company's network of mailbox locations, office buildings and workspaces, and discounted international forwarding destinations.

Pricing determined according to the address you select

Because iPostal1 is network-based, your available services and pricing will vary based on the location you select. Using this site isn't as streamlined as some of the ones we've evaluated: instead of entering a zip code and browsing a list of all possible locations within that area, you have to choose a state and then select a city from a dropdown list. That's fine if you're familiar with an area, but what if you've picked a state you don't know and can't quickly tell the difference between Athens and Atlanta? It's not a deal-breaker, but it potentially represents a little bit more setup time.

Packages and pricing aren't very clear

Broadly speaking, iPostal1 offers the following packages and pricing:

• Virtual Mailing Address ($9.99+ per month)
• Virtual Business Address ($9.99+ per month)
• Virtual Office ($39.99+ per month)

What services are included for those prices? Again, that is 100% dependent on the service location/address you choose. When you click to learn more, you'll see that the pricing gets further broken down into Green, Blue, Silver, and Gold plans, with discounts on yearly plans (instead of monthly) and processing of anywhere from 30-240 mail items each month. But, every plan gives you up to five recipient names for personal use or four names plus one company name per address, free storage ranging from 5-30 days (depending on the size of the package), and check depositing of up to five checks for $4.95 total plus postage.

Be sure to read each location's services carefully

You'll want to read the details provided for any iPostal1 location that catches your attention. For example, in one major metro area, we found two options in the same suburb with the same starting monthly cost. But, one of them offered free local pickup for letters and packages, while the other charged a per-item fee for the same service. iPostal1 won't come out and tell you the name of the third-party mail center you'll be using, but you can easily search for the address and find out for yourself.

Impressive ratings at first glance

iPostal1 has an "A+" rating and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau. Plus, if you look at this mail scanning service's ratings elsewhere, you'll see thousands and thousands of four- and five-star reviews. Generally speaking, clients are happy with the service they receive here.

Problems may arise later on

However, we noticed a trend worth pointing out: the vast majority of the highest ratings come from people who have just barely signed up, often saying that they chose iPostal1 based on earlier high ratings (also from brand-new clients). And while there are also reviews from more established customers that praise iPostal1, the less-satisfied ones say that it can be hard to reach support to get help. Problems can arise weeks or months later when customers realize they're not seeing any image scans, and then they don't get a response even after leaving several messages on iPostal1's voicemail. It's not a widespread enough problem to drop this mail scanning service to the bottom of our rankings, but you should be aware that it's a possibility.

Not much of a guarantee

We also weren't very impressed with iPostal1's "full refund within the first 30 days" offer - because it also came with the stipulation that the account not have been used "for receiving mail or other purpose" during that time. In other words, if you try the service and wind up thinking it's garbage, the joke is on you.

Not our first choice for mail scanning

iPostal1 is a mail scanning service that offers a wide range of addresses and pricing plans, and it's easy to be impressed with the thousands of five-star reviews from their customers. And yet, as you dig a little deeper, you might wind up with the same impression we did: there are other affordably-priced providers that are currently offering a higher level of customer service and support. We encourage you to see what some of iPostal1's rivals can do for you before making a commitment here.

Anytime Mailbox

• Pricing starts at $5.99/month
• Addresses available throughout the US and worldwide
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business since 2013

In business since 2013, Anytime Mailbox has numerous addresses throughout the United States - and even in other countries - that you can choose from. For example, at the time of this review, there were more than 250 locations in California, almost 150 in Florida, and at least a few options in almost every other state. (Notable exceptions were Alaska, Nebraska, and North Dakota). If you can't find a suitable virtual mailbox address among the 1,700+ options here, chances are you won't have any luck elsewhere either.

Prices determined by third-party mail centers

Once you've selected your location, you'll choose a service plan. While Anytime Mailbox says that their plans start at $5.99, that depends entirely on the location you choose. For example, we found pricing starting at $9.99 in Florida, but some locations started at a whopping $63.99/month. Why? Like many mail scanning services, Anytime Mailbox relies on Mail Center Operators to collect your physical mail: they don't do it themselves. That comes with some advantages - like having so many addresses to choose from - and some potential disadvantages as well. If there's an issue at your selected address, who's responsible for fixing the problem and getting your mail scanning back on track?

Just the software, not the service

When we tried to reach out via online chat to ask how the service interacts with mailroom partners, we were told that they were "short staffed due to the recent outbreak" (which had started several years prior) and that they were replying in under three minutes. We finally got a response after about 15 minutes. In the rep's exact words, Anytime Mailbox is "only the software company for the virtual mailbox portal used by the mail center operator" . At the end of the day, that means all you're really getting here is a list of places that use this software to scan your mail: everything else about your experience rests entirely in the hands of the mail center you select (which, fortunately, is specified when you select a plan).

Surprisingly positive reviews

And yet, Anytime Mailbox has a ton of positive feedback: across thousands of reviews, almost 90% give this service a 4- or 5-star rating. We were particularly pleased to read comments from clients who have used Anytime Mailbox almost since day one, and who wouldn't think of using any other company for their mail service. That's on top of the Better Business Bureau's "A+" rating and accreditation. All of that had us feeling more than a little puzzled, given how little Anytime Mailbox actually does for their clients.

Your experience will vary

We give Anytime Mailbox a middle-of-the-road rating of three stars. We can't overlook the numerous positive reviews and the strong reputation with the BBB: clearly this mail scanning service (or referral platform, more accurately?) is working for a solid number of clients. However, we're not sure people will really understand that Anytime offers zero help if anything goes wrong - that they're relying entirely on a mail center that uses the Anytime Mailbox software to process their mail.

Sasquatch Mail

• Mail forwarding priced at $9.99/month or $99.99/year
• Unlimited incoming mail and recipients
• Virtual phone service for $9/month after 60-day free trial
• Addresses available in Delaware, Florida, Idaho, and Wyoming
• In business since 2018

Sasquatch Mail started out in Idaho in 2018 as a mail forwarding service, growing to offer other virtual mail services for individuals and businesses. The company has locations in Idaho, Delaware, Florida, and Wyoming - so your "address" will always be in one of those four states. Sasquatch Mail processes all of your mail themselves: no third-party contractors allowed.

Get a lot for a low price

Initially, you might get excited to see Sasquatch's straightforward pricing: $9.99/month or $99.99/year for an unlimited number of incoming mail pieces and recipients, 30 days of physical storage, and free shred/recycle. If you don't indicate that a piece of mail should be scanned or shredded within 30 days of receipt, it will automatically be destroyed. Sounds harsh, but it's actually a plus - compared with rival mail scanning services that charge daily or monthly fees per piece of mail once you've passed the free holding period.

60-day free trial on virtual phone number service

You can also get a 60-day free trial of Sasquatch's phone service. This lets you select a virtual phone number from any state and receive unlimited calls, texts, and voicemails through your browser or forwarded to the number of your choice (like your mobile phone). It's priced at $9/month after the intro period.

Some services cost extra - or aren't offered

After that, however, the good times are over (so to speak). If you want your mail scanned (and not just the envelope preview in your digital dashboard), it's $2 per piece. Forwarding is another $2 per piece, plus postage. Check depositing? Not available, apparently. That's fine if you don't expect to have a ton of mail you want opened and processed, but not ideal if you're trying to set up a way to get mail for your business. Sasquatch Mail's services are clearly geared towards individuals and families - RVers, traveling nurses, digital nomads, and so on - and not towards companies.

Not a widely-used mail scanning service

We're not sure if Sasquatch Mail doesn't have a ton of feedback because they're so new to the industry - or because there's not that many people using their mail scanning service. The company has no listing with the Better Business Bureau, and we found fewer than a dozen reviews elsewhere. Unfortunately, those didn't tend to be very complimentary: some called out the "cutesy" vibe (including playing "Another One Bites the Dust" when a customer cancels, or the out-of-office voicemail message saying that the staff is out having a beer), and others said they had issues getting mail forwarded overseas. We were glad to see that the owner responded to complaints, but should they have happened in the first place?

Try a more established provider first

Given how quickly the costs could add up here, and the fact that not many people seem to be using this mail scanning service, we don't feel comfortable recommending Sasquatch Mail as one of our preferred companies. Circle back if you don't find what you're looking for with a different provider, but otherwise you may want to avoid setting up an account with Sasquatch.

Earth Class Mail

• Services starting at $19/month
• All plans include up to 50 pieces of mail per month, free shredding, 30 days of physical mail storage
• No cost for mail scanning on documents of 20 pages or less
• Plans for individuals/small offices and larger businesses/enterprises
• In business since 2004

Earth Class Mail has been helping individuals and businesses for almost two decades. This mail scanning service has processed more than 18 million pieces of mail and $2.4 billion in checks. Some of ECM's clients include big names like Lyft and Coinbase, but their services are available for individuals and small businesses as well.

Personal mail scanning services

The company has restructured their plans since our last review, making them much more accessible to the average customer. Every plan will include up to 50 pieces of scanned mail each month, free secure shredding, and up to 30 days of physical mail storage. Here are your options for individuals and small businesses:

• Personal MailBox ($19/month): if all you need is a place to get mail, this will be your most affordable option. You'll get a Beaverton, Oregon address for one recipient.
• Shared MailBox ($29/month): this is the same plan as Personal, but for up to five recipients. This is the right plan for families and groups of travelers.
• Premium MailBox ($79/month): designed to serve small organizations and offices, this plan gives you a choice of over 80 address locations nationwide for up to 20 recipients.

Corporate mail scanning services

If you're looking for mail scanning services on a more corporate level, you'll want to check out Earth Class Mail's MailRoom plans:

• Startup MailRoom ($139/month): you'll get processing of up to 100 pieces of mail at your choice of address (also 80+ possible locations).
• Business MailRoom ($229/month): designated as the plan for "high-volume mail scanning for medium to large businesses" , you'll get handling of up to 250 pieces of mail every month for a single address.

You'll pay a lot for extra services

Everything else at Earth Class Mail is an a la carte add-on - and the costs can really add up. Need an extra recipient? $5 more per month. Have a banner month and get more pieces than your plan's limit? That's anywhere from $1 to $2 per item, depending on the plan you have. Mail storage after 30 days? $1.50/month. The list goes on and on, from $39/month for depositing up to five checks to hefty forwarding fees on physical mail. The only "freebie" we found is on mail scanning itself: as long as the piece of mail is 20 pages or less, it's included with your plan.

Customer sentiment is on the decline

We weren't thrilled to see that this service has a "D-" rating from the Better Business Bureau for failing to respond to a handful of complaints. Unfortunately, that tracks fairly closely to client feedback we found in other places: you'll either love this service or hate it, and either way you shouldn't expect prompt resolutions when you encounter problems. One person even said that ECM's customer service was the most incompetent he'd experienced in 30+ years in the business world. Other complaints frequently mention feeling "nickel-and-dimed" with extra fees, challenges in getting the service working properly, and problems with post-cancellation charges.

Cancellation fee

We can understand Earth Class Mail charging a $50 cancellation fee - to cover the costs associated with handling your mail for six months after you close your account, since it can take a while for people to get the memo about your new address - but that doesn't explain why clients report being charged monthly service fees well after terminating their accounts.

No longer a recommended mail scanning service

For all of these reasons, we've had to drop Earth Class Mail a full star since our last evaluation. It's not enough to make big promises during the sales and onboarding process: failing to respond to complaints and cancellation requests isn't acceptable. We recommend you choose one of the higher-ranked mail scanning services in our review.

Traveling Mailbox

• Over 50 addresses to choose from
• Pricing starts at $15/month
• 30 days of free storage
• Easy integration with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Evernote and Box
• "A+" rated and accredited by the BBB
• In business since 2011

Traveling Mailbox is based in North Carolina and has been providing mail scanning services since 2011. You can choose from over 50 different physical addresses - no generic PO boxes here - in a variety of states. This service is geared towards individuals, travelers, expats, and small businesses who want to see their postal mail online from any location around the globe.

5 mail scanning plans for individuals and businesses

There are five different mail scanning plans you can choose from at Traveling Mailbox:

• Basic ($15/month): this is a great starter plan for most consumers. It includes 40 incoming envelopes each month, 35 page scans, and three mailbox recipients.
• Extended ($25/month): this tier jumps up to five recipients, 100 incoming envelopes, and 80 page scans. With the Extended plan and all higher tiers, your unused envelope and page scans can roll over from month to month.
• Small Business ($55/month): with this package, you'll get 200 incoming envelopes, 180 page scans, and 10 mailbox recipients.
• Enterprise Tier 1 ($99/month): this business-level plan provides 500 incoming envelopes, 500 page scans, and an unlimited number of mailbox recipients. Enterprise plans give you a dedicated account team, support and mail processing seven days a week, and 99% uptime guaranteed.
• Enterprise Tier 2 ($1 per envelope scan): you'll have to call to set up a Tier 2 plan with Traveling Mailbox. You pay per scanned envelope, but you get unlimited page scans.

Free shredding, fax services, and integrations

On all plans with Traveling Mailbox you get free shredding, and junk mail never counts against your total number of incoming pieces. You can also integrate your account with Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Evernote, and Box. Every Traveling Mailbox plan comes with a toll-free fax number, allowing you to receive and send faxes at no cost.

A la carte services also available

How about additional services? Just scroll down to the bottom of the site to see everything Traveling Mailbox can provide. For example, you can get checks mailed to your bank for deposit for $4.95/check plus postage, and mail storage beyond the complimentary 30-day period is $1/envelope per month.

Customer disappointment

One thing that makes Traveling Mailbox feel a little less professional is the presence of typos throughout the site, even glaring spelling mistakes like "peice" in big headers. To our dismay, customer comments about this company also paint a picture of less-than-excellent service here as well. Despite having an "A+" and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, this mail scanning service had over 50% of its clients giving it a rock-bottom one-star rating in one place we looked.

Trouble under the hood

The most common complaint relates to how mail is processed: unless you choose the company's NC location as your address, your mail will be sent from the address you select to the headquarters, adding significant time to the entire procedure. Some people said that they got USPS and FedEx delivery notifications for mail that didn't appear in their Traveling Mailbox dashboard for two weeks - or longer. "Incompetent" and "unreliable" are descriptors frequently used by disgruntled clients to describe the service here.

Avoid this mail scanning service

Because of this consistently negative feedback, we feel obligated to drop Traveling Mailbox significantly in our rankings, compared with our previous evaluation. Why would anyone choose a service with a turnaround time of a week or more when other mail scanning providers offer same-day processing? There's nothing about Traveling Mailbox's services that makes them worth that kind of hassle.