Pros and Cons of Virtual Mailboxes and P.O. Boxes For Your Business

Managing incoming mail and listing an address for your business can be a hurdle. In many instances, your company may not have a physical location to accept essential business documents. Or, the address your business operates out of may not be one you’re eager to publicize on a state website.

This is where solutions like post office (P.O.) Boxes and virtual mailbox services come in. Deciding which one works best means understanding how these types of services differ and what benefits each one offers.

What is a virtual mailbox?

Virtual mailbox and virtual office services give you a real street address, which is typically a commercial office space. The main difference between a virtual office and a virtual mailbox is that a virtual office service sometimes offers a physical location to meet with clients.

With a virtual mailbox service, your mail is scanned and uploaded digitally for you at regular intervals. The best services will offer daily uploads, so that you can keep up to date with crucial business mail.

Pros of a virtual mailbox service

Virtual mailboxes are designed to streamline how your business manages mail, and they will typically include built-in features that go beyond a simple receiver for documents.

Some of the key benefits of virtual mailboxes include:

• State filings – Virtual office services are great because, oftentimes, they can serve as the business address you provide to your state when registering an LLC or corporation.
• Mail forwarding – Most virtual mail services are operated from a fully staffed location, so if you need an original copy of a document, it can typically be forwarded for an additional fee.
• Flexible access – 24/7 access to your digitized mail means you aren’t tied to business hours if you need a copy of your documents quickly.

Pairing a virtual mailbox with a reputable registered agent service can cover virtually all of your business mail, from state documents to regular business mail like invoices, bank statements, and compliance notices.

Are you looking for a convenient way to manage your business mail from a distance? Northwest’s virtual office service is reliable, affordable, and available in 18 states and counting.

Cons of a virtual mailbox

While they offer flexibility and convenience, virtual mailboxes won’t suit every business. For starters, most virtual mailbox services specialize in receiving and handling your incoming documents, but larger packages typically won’t be accepted. For example, if you sell products on Amazon, and there’s a reasonable likelihood of returned items coming your way, a virtual mailbox may not be right for you.

Additionally, since virtual mailbox services feature more perks, like digitizing your mail, the monthly price point can be slightly higher than some P.O. Boxes. Virtual mailbox service basic packages can cost anywhere between $6.99-$50 a month, depending on the service.

While these may not be deal breakers, consider your situation and the type of mail you expect to receive when shopping for virtual mailboxes.

What is a P.O. Box?

A P.O. Box is another common option for managing personal and business mail. P.O. Boxes are lockable mailboxes located on-site at United States Postal Service (USPS) locations, and are often used by both businesses and individuals to securely receive mail outside of a home or office address.

Pros of a P.O. Box

P.O. Boxes work well for small business operations with a lower anticipated mail volume. If your business is local, a P.O. Box can be a great short-to-long-term solution for business mail. Some of the key perks include:

• Central and local facility – Since P.O. Boxes are a USPS service, nearby locations are easy to find and visit during business hours.
• Package acceptance – USPS locations typically have the means of accepting and storing larger packages.

If your operation needs a simple solution for the occasional document, P.O. Boxes can be an easy option.

Cons of a P.O. Box

As simple and ubiquitous as P.O. Boxes are, they aren’t without their own faults, especially when they’re being used for official business mail. P.O. Boxes are just that—a mailbox. You won’t have a physical address to provide on business correspondence, and most states won’t accept a P.O. Box as your principal business address.

Additionally, rather than accessing digital copies of your mail, you’ll need to visit the office where your P.O. Box is located during business hours to retrieve your mail. And due to the physical nature of them, the cost to own one is often more expensive than a virtual mailbox service, with the most affordable prices for small mail running around $12 a month, according to USPS P.O. Box pricing chart.

If you need more agency over your mail and more access than typical business hours can provide, you might want to look beyond a P.O. Box.

Choosing Between a Virtual Mailbox and a P.O. Box

P.O. Boxes and virtual mailboxes can both serve as excellent options for managing your business mail, but they serve distinct purposes. If you expect the occasional invoice or notice, and just need a place for them to go, a P.O. Box could be right for you. If you regularly receive documents with time-sensitive information or need a street address to use for your business, virtual mailboxes can be the ideal solution as your business grows.