Light scan (rare content opens) — modeled 12‑month totals (2026)
Mostly envelope scans; contents rarely opened. Forwarding baseline.
Adjusted from the base scenario: 10 mail pieces/mo; 5 content opens/mo, ~5 pages each; 2 letter forwards/mo; 1 package/quarter. Postage assumptions: $5 per letter forward and $12 per 2 lb package. Calculations assume actions taken within free storage windows.
| Provider | Plan | Advertised | Scans | Opens | Forwarding | Inbound Postage | Address/Setup | Other | 12‑mo Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhysicalAddress.com | Plan 50 | $131.76 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $168.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $299.76 |
| US Global Mail | Scale (annual) | $588.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $168.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $756.00 |
| Traveling Mailbox | Basic | $180.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $168.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $348.00 |
| PostScan Mail | Starter (as low as) | $120.00 | $0.00 | $60.00 | $56.00 | $168.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $404.00 |
| Earth Class Mail | Essentials | $708.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $63.00 | $168.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $939.00 |
| iPostal1 | Virtual Mailing Address (as low as) | $119.88 | $0.00 | $67.50 | $0.00 | $168.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $355.38 |
Methodology: We use official pricing pages and help-center fees in effect on the last-verified date. Where plans vary by location, we model a typical entry/mid plan and apply published a la carte fees (e.g., per‑open, page overages, forwarding handling). Postage is provider pass‑through; we include an average postage estimate ($5 letters, $12 packages) to surface this common hidden cost. If your plan includes higher quotas than our scenario, your variable charges may be lower. — Last verified: 2026-09-08
Rare content opens reduce the two scan-related cost lines while shipping stays at the base level. The useful question here is how much a per-open plan saves when less mail needs reading. In this model, PhysicalAddress.com ranks first at $299.76 a year, followed by Traveling Mailbox at $348.00 ($48.24 more). The upper end is Earth Class Mail at $939.00.
This sensitivity model multiplies the base annual scan charges by 0.5, content-open charges by 0.5, forwarding handling by 1, and postage by 1. Subscription, setup and other charges stay fixed. It scales cost lines rather than recalculating plan allowances; a zero base charge remains zero. Check quotas before treating the estimate as a quote.
What rare reading saves
iPostal1 reduces its annual content-open allowance in the budget from $135.00 to $67.50, saving $67.50. Its resulting monthly equivalent is $29.61. PostScan Mail reduces its annual content-open allowance in the budget from $120.00 to $60.00, saving $60.00. Its resulting monthly equivalent is $33.67. The subscription still runs for the full year. For the other stored provider rows, multiplying a zero scan or open charge by one half produces no saving. Rare reading therefore narrows some price gaps without reducing every provider's bill. Postage remains $168.00 even if fewer envelopes need to be opened; reading less is not the same as shipping less.
Light scan (rare content opens): cost changes by provider
- 1. PhysicalAddress.com: $299.76 per year — $0.00 more than its $299.76 base total. Opens: $0.00; handling: $0.00; postage: $168.00.
- 2. Traveling Mailbox: $348.00 per year — $0.00 more than its $348.00 base total. Opens: $0.00; handling: $0.00; postage: $168.00.
- 3. iPostal1: $355.38 per year — $67.50 less than its $422.88 base total. Opens: $67.50; handling: $0.00; postage: $168.00.
- 4. PostScan Mail: $404.00 per year — $60.00 less than its $464.00 base total. Opens: $60.00; handling: $56.00; postage: $168.00.
- 5. US Global Mail: $756.00 per year — $0.00 more than its $756.00 base total. Opens: $0.00; handling: $0.00; postage: $168.00.
- 6. Earth Class Mail: $939.00 per year — $0.00 more than its $939.00 base total. Opens: $0.00; handling: $63.00; postage: $168.00.