Whether you’re a remote business owner, full-time traveler, expat, entrepreneur, or a digital nomad, it’s essential to determine how to manage your mail while away from your home or office. Otherwise, you might fall behind on collecting your physical business mail. Let’s be honest, most of the time, USPS, FedEx, UPS, or other regular mail services just won’t cut it. A virtual mail address can upgrade your mailing experience into something more flexible, versatile, and convenient than anything offered by a physical address.

A virtual business address also has the distinct advantage of providing unique privacy and security perks that go beyond those of a P.O. Box, let alone a home address.

What Is a Virtual Mailbox?

A virtual mailbox is a type of online mailbox that provides you with around-the-clock access, fast notifications, and the ability to see and handle your mail with a few taps on your laptop, phone, or tablet. It provides you with a permanent address, allowing you to work remotely and travel while managing your physical mail from any place with internet access. It’s an invaluable part of having a virtual office for business purposes.

A virtual mailbox offers several key virtual address services, including the ability to:

• View any piece of mail online
• Receive real-time notifications of mail
• Scan your mail
• Leverage mail forwarding and mail receiving options
• Recycle, shred, and dispose of your mail
• Ship and store packages
• Deposit checks

How to Get a Virtual Mailbox

The first step to getting a virtual mailbox is signing up with a provider. Make a list of the features you need and find a provider that fulfills those requirements. Once you have a provider, you’ll need to fill out U.S. Postal Service Form 1583: Application for Delivery of Mail Through Agent. You must fill out this form before your mail can be legally delivered to another address. Your virtual mailbox service will likely provide you with this form, or you can find it easily online.

Once you’ve filled it out, the form must be notarized by your provider, which can take a few days. Provide them with a form of identification, and your mailbox will activate after receiving proof of notarization. After completing this setup process, log in to your account and determine alternatives for scanning, forwarding, removing, storing, or shredding mail. You’ll be set up with a virtual mailbox tied to a solid street address that can receive your postal mail.

Your mail and packages get forwarded to your new virtual mailbox address as soon as the mail arrives. The mail will be scanned and ready to view in your account. Packages will be available for shipment to an address of your choice.

How Virtual Mailbox Services Ensure Security

Safety should be a prime concern for digital nomads, or really any small businesses, as they work and operate in public areas, potentially exposing them to high risk. It’s vital to keep personal and customer data as safe as possible as you travel and work.

As a service provider, SnapMailbox ensures that all mail is encrypted securely and only accessible to the mail recipient. Packages are handled professionally and stored at mailing locations at a real street address with high security standards. 

How Do Virtual Mailbox Services Maintain Data Privacy?

When you register a corporation or LLC, the forms require a business address. This address will be on state and public websites for the world to view. Many new business owners go through the path of least resistance and use their personal address for this. This is problematic for several reasons, not the least of which is it allows someone to just show up at your front door if they want to.

A virtual mailbox provider offers you an office address regardless of where you are. This will safeguard your privacy by not displaying your personal information. It’s an extra layer of protection against dangers such as identity theft.

A virtual mailbox will safeguard your data when you:

• Launch documents with your vendors and suppliers
• Get invoices, statements, bills, and payments
• File for legal licenses, contracts, and permits
• Release your contact information on marketing materials and websites
• Apply for a business credit card

With the assistance of a virtual mail address, you will be able to archive and save all essential business documents. The virtual mail address will provide you with a paperless solution, eliminating junk mail and allowing you to skip the hassle of manually sorting your mail.

Digitizing all incoming mail also allows you to:

• Keep records easily
• Save time by document scanning
• Download digitized copies in PDF format

Things to Look For When Choosing a Virtual Mailbox Service

The primary benefit of a virtual mailbox is scanning your mail so you can view it remotely, but each virtual mailbox service offers slightly different options. Your first task when setting up your account is determining which services you require. 

With virtual mailboxes’ popularity rising in recent years, there are many services available to customers. Here are some things to consider when selecting the best mailbox type to fulfill your requirements:

Package Forwarding

Some virtual mailboxes deal only with letters, but many of them will forward packages to your chosen address.

Package Consolidation

If you get several packages every month, you can integrate your virtual mailbox into a single shipment to save money on postage.

Check Deposits

Upon your approval, your virtual mailbox will deposit checks into your bank account on your behalf. If you operate a business remotely, this can be essential to ensure you receive timely payments.

Real-Time Mail Access

Mail that needs instant replies, like traffic tickets, court orders, legal documents, and bills, might appear in your mailbox when you are not in a position to access them physically. Frequent travelers who cannot access their mail quickly could end up with huge fines, late fees, and missed payments. A virtual mailbox saves you time and allows you to handle your mail automatically as soon as it comes in. 

Use a Secure Resource for Your Virtual Mailbox

SnapMailbox provides secure virtual mail address services in the U.S. for any location, so you’ll never miss out on your mail — anytime, anywhere. We protect your privacy, save your time, and offer fast service to avoid missing any crucial mail, no post office required. Give us a try with our 30-day free trial and experience our dedication to keeping your mail safe firsthand through a digital mailbox.