Virtual mailbox 12‑month bill builder
Enter your real mail habits — pieces received, contents opened, pages per open, forwards, packages, postage — and see the modeled 12‑month bill for six US providers side by side, cheapest first.
Estimated 12‑month bill, cheapest first
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| Provider · plan modeled | Plan / yr | Opens + scans | Forwarding handling | Postage | 12‑mo total |
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Published scenario table, methodology and sources → · Provider links go to official pricing pages; we have no affiliate relationship with any provider listed.
Methodology, assumptions & sources
- Same model as the 12‑month comparison: plan price × 12, plus published à‑la‑carte fees for interior opens, page overages, over‑quota items, and forwarding handling, plus your postage estimate. With the default inputs (10 pieces, 5 opens × 5 pages, 2 letter forwards a month, 4 packages a year, $5 / $12 postage) every row matches the published table.
- One plan per provider is modeled — the entry or mid plan used in the comparison. Higher tiers with bigger allowances may be cheaper at high volumes; the notes say when you are over a quota.
- Per‑provider fee rules (from official pricing/help pages, last verified ): PostScan Mail $2/open ≤10 pages + $0.25/page, $2 handling per forwarded shipment; Earth Class Mail 25 items/mo included then $3/item, contents ≤20 pages included then $0.10/page, $1.25/shipment + $1/item handling; PhysicalAddress Plan 50: 50 envelope + 25 content scans/mo then $0.20 each, forwarding at carrier rates; US Global Mail Scale: unlimited incoming, 360 interior scans/yr then $3 each; Traveling Mailbox Basic: 40 envelopes + 35 page scans/mo then $0.25 / $0.50; iPostal1 VMA: $2.25/open ≤10 pages + $0.25/page, letter consolidation free.
- Postage is carrier pass‑through and is the single biggest line for most users — set it to your real average. Location‑tier surcharges (iPostal1, Traveling Mailbox premium addresses) and PostScan's location‑dependent plan quota are not modeled.
- Independent directory. No affiliate links on this page; see disclosure.
How to read the result
The plan column is the sticker price × 12. The next two columns are the variable fees most people don't budget for: interior opens and page overages, and per‑shipment forwarding handling. Postage is the same in every row because carriers bill it, not the provider — but it is usually the largest line, so put in your real average.
Rankings flip with usage. Low sticker plans that charge per open (PostScan Mail, iPostal1) win when you rarely open contents; plans with bundled scans (PhysicalAddress, Traveling Mailbox, US Global Mail) pull ahead as opens climb. When a note says you are over a quota, the next plan tier is often cheaper than paying overages.
What this does not model
- Address‑tier surcharges (premium or prestige locations).
- Storage beyond free windows, check deposit, shredding beyond included, and setup or notarization fees.
- Promotional or annual‑prepay discounts other than the plan named in the row.
Full scenario table, methodology and sources: Virtual Mailbox — 12‑Month True Cost (2026). Independent directory — no affiliate links on this page; see disclosure.
Choose a starting point for your annual budget
The stored base model ranges from $299.76 for PhysicalAddress.com to $939.00 for Earth Class Mail, a spread of $639.24. Each includes the same $168.00 postage estimate. Choose a provider to inspect the plan and fees, or choose a usage pattern to see which cost lines change. Scenario totals scale the existing annual charges; they do not reselect plans or recalculate included quotas.