Choosing a Mail Forwarding Service That Works for You

Although email is extremely useful, paper mail continues to play a significant role in our lives. One of the problems expatriates face when moving abroad is figuring out how to continue to receive their postal mail. In these situations, mail-forwarding services are very practical. A typical mail forwarding service will simply redirect your mail to your new address at the frequency you desire. However, many companies also provide online access, content scanning, package forwarding, and repacking services, among other things. There are many contenders in this market and the choices can be confusing, which is why we’ve made a list of the major players so that you can easily compare and decide which is the best choice for you.

Earth Class Mail takes all of your U.S. postal mail, scans it and posts it online for you to review. From there, you can decide to open your mail and have it scanned to a PDF file, have it recycled, shredded, archived or forwarded to another address. You can also choose to forward-ship all your mail in one batch, or pay $2.95 to ship any single piece of mail via USPS First-Class Mail.

• Setup fee – $25
• Monthly fee – $9.95 for annual subscription
• Each additional name on the account/mailbox – $3 per month
• Storage – 1st month free then 3c per inch per month
• Online review and discard option – Yes (shredding and recycling)
• Mail scanning – 50 pages included in monthly rate; extra items cost 50c per envelope and 25c per page
• Monthly rate includes 35 mail items per month received after which 30c per mail; higher monthly rates include more received pieces per month (they are the only provider who count received items for the monthly rate)

Bongo International provides you with a personal US address at their warehouse to accept your mail, which they then forward to you. They also offer a Personal Shopping Service, allowing you to purchase products from sites like e-Bay and Craigslist through a personal shopper, who handles all issues of security and payment; all international shipping rates are 50% off what you would normally pay with couriers such as DHL or UPS. Bongo operates in 223 countries.

• Setup fee – $0; if you choose the pay per use option there’s a $5 sign up fee
• Monthly fee – $15
• Each additional name on the account/mailbox – $0
• Storage – 45 days after which they charge $5 per month per item
• Online review and discard option – Yes
• Mail scanning – 50c per page
• Repackaging – $0
• Shipping charges are based on weight or dimensional weight, whichever is greater.

USA Box offers a simple, straightforward service, which includes a Miami street address, online mail monitoring, junk mail discarding option, and discount shipping rates.

• Setup fee – $25
• Monthly fee – $10
• Each additional name on the account/mailbox – $0
• Storage – Up to 6 months
• Online review and discard option – Yes
• Mail Scanning  – $9.99 per item
• Repackaging – $5.00 per box, non-refundable
• Shipping costs up to 1 lb $35.95; $5.75 per additional lb

USA2ME gives you a US mailing address to receive items from anywhere in the world. The online Mailbox Manager allows you to view and manage all your mail from your internet account. Other features include junk mail discarding, fax reception, online review and online shipment tracking.

• Setup fee – $15 (silver)
• Monthly fee – $10
• Each additional name on the account/mailbox – Up to three 3 names are permitted at $5 per name per month
• Storage – 45 days free then $1 per lb per month
• Online review and discard option – Yes
• Mail scanning – 6 pages includes in monthly fee then 25c per page
• Repackaging – 50% discount per item
• Shipping Costs per pound – $ 24.95; $4.95 per additional lb

USAMail1 offers USA Post Office approved mailboxes and Insured Storage Facilities. A mail manager allows you to see a list of mail you’ve received; you can choose to discard mail at no extra cost. USAMail1 also allows you to consolidate your mail and save on international shipping rates.

• Setup fee – $49.95 includes first 3 months rental
• Monthly fee – $9.99 after first 3 months
• Each additional name on the account/mailbox – Up to three additional names included in monthly rate; $25 onetime fee per additional name
• Storage – 45 days storage free then $1 per lb per month
• Online review and discard option – Yes
• Mail scanning – $2 up to 6 pages and then 25c per page
• Repackaging – $3.95 per letter pack; for boxes and larger items $1.95 per item

Based out of Texas, US Global Mail lets you choose from a suite, box, apartment, or office address. You can monitor your mail in real time and customize shipments by carrier, (UPS, DHL, FedEx, and USPS) price and speed.

• Setup fee – $0
• Monthly fee – $15 or $150 annually (Premium, minimum of three month contract)
• Each additional name on the account/mailbox – $0
• Storage – 1 month free then $1 per lb per month
• Online review and discard option – Yes
• Mail scanning – Not offered
• Repackaging – $3 for boxes or $1.50 for letters and magazines

Paperless Mail: For those looking for a fully electronic option, Paperless Mail is a simple and affordable option. Your mail is picked up each day and delivered to their processing facility where it is opened and scanned. All scans are sent to your email inbox. You can also opt to have your image files archived on a CD-Rom. Original mail is tagged and stored in their warehouse.

• Setup fee – $25
• Monthly fee – $9.95
• Each additional name on the account/mailbox – $0
• Storage – up to 90 days
• Online review and discard option – Yes
• Mail scanning – $0
• Repackaging – Unavailable
• Hardcopy retrieval – $4.95 plus postage per item

Choosing the best option depends on your location and the amount of mail you receive. Figure out your estimated use of the service and any features you specifically require. From there calculate your costs for each provider. Keep in mind that not all services offer the same features, and the pricing can vary substantially. Take consolidation for instance; while some companies simply don’t offer it, others charge a flat fee per item, while others will give you a discounted percentage on shipping. Concentrate on what suits you best. Mail services allow you to easily live outside of the United States without having to depend on friends on family to handle your mail

Mail Forwarding Services

• Earth Class Mail
• Bongo International
• USA Box
• USA2ME
• USAMail1
• US Global Mail
• Paperless Mail
• Mailbox Forwarding (added 10/18/09)

Links and other resources

• Severing Ties: Mail Forwarding Services for Expats
• Package and Mail Forwarding
• Online Post Offices