A digital nomad lifestyle seems too good to be true.
Work remotely from exotic locations, explore new countries, and leave the 9-to-5 corporate grind in the dust.
The only problem…
Mail. Things keep getting sent to your old address. Contracts. Paperwork. Packages from clients and vendors. Random junk mail that your aunt from Omaha keeps forwarding your way.
Sound familiar?
It’s here the benefits of an online mailbox for a digital nomad become abundantly clear.
The good news?
There’s a straightforward solution to keep all of your mail organized and accessible, no matter where in the world you travel.
Let’s take a look at what makes iPostal1 the ideal online mailbox for a digital nomad:
- Why do digital nomads need a permanent address?
- The key benefits of an online mailbox for a digital nomad
- How virtual mailboxes for digital nomads work
- How to choose the right service for your lifestyle
Why Digital Nomads Need a Permanent Address
The digital nomad movement has been growing fast. MBO Partners reports there are now 18.1 million American digital nomads. This is a jaw-dropping 147% increase since 2019 alone.
That’s approximately 11% of the American workforce working and living this lifestyle.
But there’s one catch…
Banks, government agencies, and even companies you do business with need a physical address. It’s a prerequisite.
Listing “somewhere in Bali” on official forms and documents simply won’t cut it.
PO boxes and alternative approaches like family and friend addresses become more burdensome than not with time. Virtual mailbox services like iPostal1 in Houston, TX, offer legitimate street addresses in which digital nomads can receive all of their important mail while living and working around the globe. The benefits of an online mailbox for a digital nomad extend well beyond just mail collection services.
But let’s think through this for a moment.
If you’re traveling from country to country on a regular basis, how are you going to receive that new credit card? Legal documents that need to be signed? Packages from clients or business partners?
A virtual mailbox solves all of these problems at once.
The Key Benefits of an Online Mailbox for a Digital Nomad
Let’s get into the details of why every serious digital nomad needs this service.
Access Your Mail From Anywhere
Let’s start with the most obvious benefit of an online mailbox for a digital nomad.
You can view your mail from anywhere in the world.
Your virtual mailbox provider scans the outside of your physical mail and packages and uploads the photos to your online account dashboard. You can then decide what to do with them:
- Scan the contents
- Forward to your current address
- Shred
- Store for later access
No more having to call Grandma to read the latest letter over the phone. No more missing a deadline because something was sitting in someone’s mailbox for weeks.
Maintain a Professional Image
What do your clients think when they look at a residential address on your invoices?
Let’s just say…
Not a whole lot.
A virtual mailbox gives you access to professional business addresses in major metropolitan areas and even across the globe. This immediately increases credibility in the eyes of your customers, which is especially beneficial to freelancers and small business owners still working to build up their client lists.
In addition, people trust companies and professionals that have established addresses, which can ultimately help you close more business.
Save Money on Mail Forwarding
Mail forwarding can get expensive, fast, especially when dealing with international packages.
We’re talking $50-100 per package depending on the size and weight, and where in the world you’re located.
A virtual mailbox allows you to have your documents scanned instead of forwarded. It can also consolidate multiple packages into a single shipment and allow you to only forward what you need.
This can greatly reduce your mail-related expenses over time.
Keep Your Home Address Private
Privacy is a concern more people should have in today’s society.
Opening up your home address for business leaves you open to all sorts of unsolicited visitors, marketing junk mail, and even potential security risks.
A virtual mailbox service provides a barrier between your personal and professional life. This is not only smart, but also provides a sense of safety.
How Virtual Mailboxes for Digital Nomads Actually Work
The process is simple. Let’s go over how virtual mailboxes work step-by-step:
Step 1: Choose Your Address
Choose a location for your virtual mailbox that makes the most sense for your situation. Consider things like tax implications by state and time zone. Do you also need in-person access on occasion?
Step 2: Complete USPS Form 1583
You must complete a USPS form 1583 to authorize your virtual mailbox provider to legally accept mail on your behalf. This form will also need to be notarized.
Step 3: Start Receiving Mail
Approved? Great, you can now start using your address. Incoming mail and packages get received by your virtual mailbox provider and scanned on the outside. You are then immediately notified.
Step 4: Manage Everything Online
Access your account dashboard to view, manage, and direct your mail from there on out. Most services also have mobile applications that allow you to manage your mail wherever you go.
Boom. Simple and effective. The entire system works equally well in Tokyo, Barcelona, or while you’re working on a beach somewhere in Thailand.
Choosing the Right Service for Your Lifestyle
Not all virtual mailbox providers are created equal. Before signing up for a service, keep the following in mind:
Location Options
Some virtual mailbox providers offer hundreds of locations. Others are more regional or city-specific. Choose according to where you need a presence.
Scanning Quality
Envelope scans are typically free. But the policies on scanning contents vary widely. Do you get a set number of pages per month? How about per document? Is it free? There’s typically a fee for this.
Package Handling
If you receive many packages, check storage limits and forwarding costs carefully.
These add up quickly over time if you don’t monitor them.
Check Deposit Services
Do you still get paper checks? Some virtual mailbox services offer check deposit services, which will directly deposit the funds into your bank account. This service alone can make the subscription fee worth it for many digital nomads.
Mail Storage Duration
How long will they store your mail? Some offer 30 free days. Others charge after a week. Match the storage time to your own travel schedule.
The Bottom Line
The digital nomad lifestyle offers an unparalleled sense of freedom and autonomy.
But this freedom is somewhat negated by logistics issues traditional solutions are not capable of solving.
An online mailbox takes care of one of the biggest logistical issues facing location-independent workers. No more missed documents. No more privacy violations. No more having to beg family members to open your mail.
The benefits of an online mailbox for a digital nomad are many:
- Access your mail from anywhere in the world
- Project a professional business image
- Maintain your privacy and security
- Save money on unnecessary forwarding
- Never miss an important piece of correspondence again
With 40 million digital nomads worldwide and counting, virtual mailbox services have had to evolve to meet the ever-growing and increasingly complex needs of this community.
Whether you’re new to the nomad lifestyle or a veteran who’s been on the road for years, one of the first things you should do when going fully remote is get your mail situation under control.
It’s one of those foundational systems that helps everything else run more smoothly.
Set it and forget it.
