Now, 3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Get a PO Box
PO boxes are old-school. In a world that’s becoming increasingly digital, they fail to keep up. Here are three reasons why you should skip getting a PO box and look for a better solution:
Reason #1: PO Boxes Are Inconvenient
Is there anything in your life that you purposefully put in a spot that’s out of your way?
Probably few things, because you value convenience. Right?
Convenience is why people buy washers and dryers for their homes instead of making trips to the neighborhood laundromat, and why you order food from Grubhub. It’s much easier.
PO boxes are the pinnacle of inconvenience. You must go somewhere offsite, every day, just to check whether you have mail. What a colossal waste of time!
And you may have to travel way out of your way to get the right size PO box.
You’re also locked into a specific PO box rental period and might have to pay extra if you cancel too soon.
If you move your home or business and need to change your PO box, that will add even more inconvenience. You will fill out forms, pay new fees, and then wait to get confirmation in the mail.
Plus, your mail is totally inaccessible when the Post Office is closed.
If you’re looking for convenience, PO boxes shouldn’t be high on your list.
Reason #2: PO Boxes Have Limited Mail and Package Receiving Capability
FedEx and UPS will not deliver to a USPS PO box. If you or your senders prefer one of these services to the USPS shipping, you’re out of luck.
If you order PO box that's too small, all your mail may not fit inside.
What happens when your mail doesn’t fit, or you get a package? Well, that depends.
You may receive a note in your PO box to retrieve your mail at the service counter or get a key to a larger storage box.
If your volume of mail becomes an ongoing problem because it will not fit in your PO box, your postmaster will likely ask you to get a larger PO box size. Not only will you need to pay more per month, but you will need to change you mailing address to the new PO box number and inform all your senders.
Reason #3: The Future of the PO Box is Already Here
Believe it or not, traditional PO boxes are already obsolete. Digital mailbox options are available, and you can now have all the benefits of a PO box without stepping foot in a post office or a mailbox store.
Virtual addresses, which are sometimes called virtual PO boxes, allow you to have your mail delivered off-site like you would with a PO box. But instead of checking your box every day, an automated system scans the outside of your mail or packages and delivers the image to you digitally in your personal digital mailbox.
All you have to do is use an app or go online, choose which letters you want to forward, discard or open and scan, and then read your mail on your phone, tablet, or PC.
Plus, since digital mailbox providers like iPostal1 use real street mailing addresses, you can have packages delivered via any carrier. You get to pick your address from over 2,500 locations for added flexibility. Since your mailing address is a real street address, not a PO Box, you can also use it to register your business. This will save entrepreneurs time and money, while upgrading your business image vs. using your home address for business.
Conclusion
If you’re considering getting a PO box for your mail, you’ll be happy to know they’re pretty easy to get.
But “easy to get” doesn’t mean convenient. You will continually to go to the post office to check and retrieve your mail. Who has time for that?
If you plan on receiving parcels from UPS or FedEx, or want to register your business, you might as well forget it! You’ll need a real physical address. And if you need to get a larger PO box, what a hassle!
That’s why you should consider an online PO box instead. They’re the modern solution to your mail needs and will save you time and keep you in touch with your mail, no matter where you are, either with an app or online.
Be honest. Aren’t you ready for a mailing address solution that’s super-convenient, flexible, and fully meets your personal and business needs?