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Virtual Mailbox — Forwarding & Scanning
Get a real US street address. Mail is received, scanned, and forwarded to you anywhere in the world — all managed from an online dashboard. These services handle both forwarding and scanning together.
Real cost for a typical expat month (10 items received: 5 scanned + 5 shredded):
🥇 Traveling Mailbox: $15 flat — scans & shredding included = ~$15/mo
🥈 PostScan Mail: $10 + $2.00×5 scans + $1.00×5 shreds = ~$25/mo
If you have family in the US who can manage your mail, USPS Forwarding at $1.25 one-time is all you need.
🥇 Traveling Mailbox: $15 flat — scans & shredding included = ~$15/mo
🥈 PostScan Mail: $10 + $2.00×5 scans + $1.00×5 shreds = ~$25/mo
If you have family in the US who can manage your mail, USPS Forwarding at $1.25 one-time is all you need.
Cheapest
USPS
Standard Forwarding
$1.25
one-time (online)
- Official USPS address change
- Redirects all mail to any US address
- Great if family can receive & help manage mail
- Cheapest option by far
- Does NOT forward internationally
- Requires a trusted US contact to help
- No online dashboard or scanning
Our Pick
Traveling Mailbox
Basic Plan
$15
/ month flat
- Scanning & shredding included — no per-item fees
- Real US street address
- Ships worldwide (USPS / UPS / FedEx)
- Google Drive / Dropbox / Evernote sync
- 30-day free mail storage
- Typical expat month (10 items, 5 scanned + 5 shredded) ≈ $15 total
- NC hub — possible 2–3 day delay
PostScan Mail
Starter Plan
$10
/ month + per-action fees
- Real US address for mail & packages
- 30 mail items/month included
- Open & scan: $2.00/item
- Shredding: $1.00/item
- Same-day scanning turnaround
- International forwarding — pay shipping only
- Best-in-class mobile app
- Typical expat month ≈ $25 total after fees
| Service | Price / Month | Open & Scan Fee | Shred Fee | Intl. Forwarding | Scan Speed | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USPS Forwarding | $1.25 one-time | N/A | N/A | US only | N/A | Expats with family in the US |
| Traveling Mailbox | $15 flat | Included | Included | Yes | 1–2 days | Best overall — ~$15/mo true cost |
| PostScan Mail | $10 + fees | $2.00/item | $1.00/item | Yes | Same day | Low mail volume — ~$25/mo true cost |