How to Compare Prices of USPS & Other Mail Boxes

The United States Postal Service (USPS) and other companies provide mailbox services for consumers. However, you must compare the price, size and additional services to determine which company provides the best value for you.

Many mailbox services base their prices on the area where you live, so you will need to call a local mailbox service location to get an accurate quote. USPS mailboxes do have some of the lowest rates, starting at $12 for six months in 2010. Remote mailbox addresses start around $10 per month and UPS charges approximately $10 per month for its cheapest box.

Before you sign an agreement with a mailbox service, factor in the size of the box. If you own a small business or anticipate large volumes of mail, it may be cheaper to get a larger box from an alternative mailbox service or to use an Internet mailbox service instead of purchasing multiple boxes from the USPS. UPS offers a large 1 foot box rental for approximately $25 per month (as of 2010).

USPS offer shipping and receiving. However, other mailbox services provide additional services that may be worth the extra cost. For example, The UPS Store and its subsidiary Mail Boxes Etc., provide you with a street address, package notification, they accept mail from all carriers and you can call in to check whether you have mail. Mailbox Forwarding provides a remote mailbox address where you can view all your mail online and forward it to any location in the world and a feature to automatically destroy mail with confidential information and use of their fax services.