Virtual Mailbox vs. PO Box vs. UPS Store Mailbox in Vancouver: Which One Do You Need?

If you need somewhere other than home to receive mail in Vancouver, you have three main choices. A Canada Post PO box is the cheapest, but it only receives Canada Post deliveries and gives you a box number, not a street address. A mailbox store such as The UPS Store gives you a real street address and accepts every courier, but you usually go in person to collect your mail. A virtual mailbox also gives you a street address and accepts every courier, and adds same-day photos of your mail, scanning and forwarding, so you can manage everything online.

The right choice depends on how often you're in Vancouver, what you receive, and what you need the address for. Here's how they compare.

Quick comparison

Canada Post PO box

A PO box is a locked box inside a post office. You get a key and collect your mail during the post office's lobby hours.

What's good about it

• Lowest cost. Small boxes cost roughly $120–$215 a year, with downtown Vancouver locations at the higher end.
• Secure. Your mail sits behind a lock inside a post office, not in a lobby or community mailbox.
• Simple. No app, no account. If you're nearby and mostly receive letters, it does the job.

Where it falls short

• Canada Post only. UPS, FedEx, Purolator, DHL and most other couriers need a physical street address and can't deliver to a PO box. Online orders sent by courier may be returned.
• Not a street address. Some banks, government forms, business registrations and online stores won't accept a PO box.
• You have to go there. There's no way to see what arrived without visiting, and parcels that don't fit leave a card for pickup at the counter during business hours.
• Availability. Popular post offices can have waiting lists.

Mailbox store (The UPS Store and similar)

A mailbox store rents you a box inside a retail shop. Your address is the store's street address plus your box number, for example "Your Name, #123, [store address]".

What's good about it

• A real street address that accepts deliveries from every carrier, including Amazon and couriers.
• 24-hour access to your box at many locations.
• Staff on site who can sign for parcels, and many stores email or text when something arrives. The UPS Store also offers Call-in MailCheck, where you phone to ask if anything's waiting.
• Mail holding and forwarding at most stores. Several UPS Store locations in Canada now also offer a virtual mailbox option.
• Many locations. The UPS Store has hundreds of stores across Canada, including several in Metro Vancouver.

Where it falls short

• Built around visiting. Most people use it by stopping in. If you're away for months, you depend on the store to forward mail, and you usually can't read a letter without having it sent to you.
• Varies by store. UPS Store locations in Canada are independently owned franchises, so prices, hours, notifications and forwarding options differ from store to store. Ask the store you're considering.
• Cost. Typically more than a PO box, often $200–$500 a year depending on box size and location.

Virtual mailbox

A virtual mailbox gives you a street address and mailbox number. Staff receive your mail, photograph it, and put it in your online account. From there you decide what happens to each item.

With Phantom Digital Mail in downtown Vancouver (329 Howe Street), that looks like this:

• A photo of every item the day it arrives, so you know what came without visiting.
• Scans on request. Ask us to open and scan a letter. Plans include 5 to 50 scans a month.
• Forwarding anywhere, with a quote you approve first. You can combine several items into one shipment to save on postage.
• Every carrier accepted, including signature-required deliveries.
• Pickup in person Monday to Friday, 9 am–5 pm, if you'd rather collect.
• Shredding for documents you don't need.

Where it falls short

• Not 24/7 for walk-ins. Pickup is during business hours, not around the clock like some mailbox stores.
• Usage-based extras. Scans beyond your plan, forwarding postage and long-term storage cost extra, so heavy users should check the fee schedule.
• ID verification. Like a PO box, you'll verify your identity before your account is fully active.

See plans and pricing →

Which one is right for you?

• You live nearby and mostly get letters from Canada Post → A PO box is the cheapest option and works well.
• You want a street address and like picking up in person, any time of day → A mailbox store with 24-hour access fits.
• You're often away, travelling, or living outside Canada → A virtual mailbox, so you can see and act on mail from anywhere. See Canadian address for non-residents.
• You run a business from home → A mailbox store or virtual mailbox, either of which keeps your home address off invoices and your website. See virtual business address in Vancouver.
• You order a lot online and miss parcels → Anything with a street address, since couriers can't deliver to a PO box.
• You need to read letters quickly but can't get there → A virtual mailbox with scanning.