The monthly rate is the cover charge
Mailbox ads lead with $9.99. The useful number is monthly rent + scans beyond the bundle + postage + handling + notary + extra names + storage after the free week. This page lists publicly posted starting prices and the fee types that do not appear in the hero number. It is not a live rate sheet.
Published starting prices (as of this review)
| Provider | What they publish | Confirm here |
|---|---|---|
| Anytime Mailbox | Cheapest $4.99; average $9.99; vanity up to $50. Extra actions priced by the mail center. | anytimemailbox.com — open the location |
| iPostal1 | $9.99 / $14.99 / $39.99 plan names; Standard vs Select (+$10) vs Premium (+$20) vs Prestige (+$30). Yearly often advertised as 2 months free. 30-day refund if unused, they say. | plans & pricing |
| Traveling Mailbox | $15 / $25 / $55. Annual: 2 months free. Overage $0.25 envelope / $0.50 page. Forward postage+$2. Check $4.95+postage. 10% military. | pricing |
| PostScan Mail | Starter as low as $10; Standard $20; Premium $30. Annual billing shown as lower monthly equivalents on their services page. How-it-works: plans start at $10; online notary extra ($20 mentioned there). | virtual mailbox plans |
| VirtualPostMail | Four mailbox tiers on a JavaScript table we could not scrape as static HTML. Third-party reviews commonly repeat $20 / $35 / $60 / $90 — treat as unverified here. TruLease marketed separately; VPM says the mailbox SKU is not for banking. | VPM mailbox pricing |
| Escapees | $110–$150/year personal categories; $175 business; scanning $10/mo or $100/year; $50 enroll + $50 postage deposit (promos vary); Escapees membership extra | rates |
| America's Mailbox | Bronze $169.99/yr … Platinum from $249.99/yr; Titanium Plus from $248.99/yr; $25 startup; postage fund | americasmailbox.com |
| St. Brendan's Isle | $13.99 / $15.99 / custom from $29.99 per month; $100 deposit; scan add-on $7.99 or $15.99; postage+$2/shipment | SBI pricing |
Fee types that are not “hidden” if you read
- Notary / 1583. Online notary is a third-party charge. In-person at a store may be cheaper or included. You cannot skip it.
- Content scans. Exterior photos are usually included. Opening the envelope is the meter. Traveling Mailbox bundles pages; networks often sell per open.
- Forwarding. Postage is real. Handling is the provider’s cut. Consolidation matters.
- Storage. Free days, then a daily tax on your procrastination.
- Extra recipients / extra company names. Personal vs business plans exist so they can charge for a DBA line.
- Location multiplier. The same software in Midtown is not the same rent as a suburban pack-and-ship.
- Operator increases. Independent Anytime Mailbox stores can raise their own plan. The homepage $9.99 does not freeze your store.
- Postage deposits on RV services — you are prefunding USPS, not paying a mystery fee, but your card still gets hit.
A sane way to compare two locations
Ignore the first month coupon. Add up 12 × monthly rent at the location’s price, expected opens × per-open fee (or whether you are inside a scan bundle), expected forwards × (postage estimate + handling), one-time 1583 / notary, and check deposits if you receive paper checks.
If the provider will not show per-action fees before checkout, pick another provider. iPostal1 and Traveling Mailbox are clearer than a random Anytime location; that is an information advantage, not a moral ranking.
USPS PO Box, for calibration
PO Box prices are USPS fee groups by ZIP and size — see Notice 123 / your local Post Office. Competitive locations sometimes throw in street addressing. You still will not get an open-and-scan app. Cheap and local is a PO Box. Cheap and remote is a low-tier virtual mailbox until the first international forward.
Reviewed 2026-08-29. Always click through; we do not auto-update rates.