You want only the best virtual mailbox handling your mail in New York, but recognizing important differences is no small task! As you sort through available plans, they begin to look the same. Well, they definitely are NOT. After a decade of experience with virtual addresses, what I’ve learned can help you avoid pitfalls and choose the best one the first time.
Next, you’ll find a breakdown of the most important features to look for in a New York virtual address. However, you can also skip down to our recommendations, which are compiled from the top 10 virtual mailbox companies in the country. .
Recommended New York Addresses
While you can find a full list of virtual addresses in New York below, these are the four addresses we recommend based on company reputation and available features:
**Note: The links in this article may be affiliate links, which means that at no extra cost to you, I may be compensated if you choose to use one of these virtual addresses in New York.
To learn more about choosing and setting up a virtual mailbox, use the following table of contents to navigate throughout this resource.
- How to Choose a New York Virtual Mailbox
- How to Set Up a Virtual Mailbox in New York
- Top Virtual Mailbox Providers in New York City, NY
- Top Virtual Mailbox Providers in Brooklyn, NY
- Full List of Virtual Addresses in New York
- Frequently Asked Questions
How to Choose a New York Virtual Mailbox
One of the thirteen original colonies, New York built a political, cultural, and economic dominance, earning the nickname, the “Empire State.” It is noted as a major center of education and its landscape includes portions of the Appalachian Mountains, the Great Lakes Region, and Niagara Falls.
One of the most densely populated states, New York’s southeastern portion accounts for nearly two-thirds of the population. New York City is the most populous city nationwide and well-known for being anchored by Wall street and high technology. NYC, Brooklyn, and other densely populated metropolitan areas provide great options as you choose your virtual address.
There are two primary questions to ask when choosing a New York virtual address:
- What features do I need?
- Is this for business or personal use?
Let’s explore both of these questions.
Features to Look For
When you sign up for a virtual mailbox, you opt in to incredible benefits beyond just having a real, physical mailing address. The advantages of this kind of mailbox instead of a PO box include things like scanning, mail forwarding, local pickup and mail shredding.
The below list are features considered the most valuable aspects of a virtual mailbox company:
- Scans/Opens: Your provider will scan and upload every piece of mail you receive. Each plan allots a certain amount of mail (and pages) they will scan for you monthly. After that, take note what the additional fee per page is since those fees can add up quickly!
- Mail Forwarding: The beauty of a virtual address is the ability to consolidate your mail and forward it anywhere you want. If needed, check to be sure that your address allows for international forwarding (not all of them do). You also want to know which providers they use. For example, PostScan Mail has contracts with multiple shipping providers, which usually means you pay less for shipping (see our PostScan Mail review here)
- Local Pickup: You may want the option to pickup your mail at times, especially if you choose a mailbox nearby. Some plans allow this, and some do not. Or if they do, check whether they charge a fee (usually $1-$3).
- Check Deposit: Currently, most providers offer check deposit as a feature, but it’s worth double-checking.
- Primary Hub Address: Most virtual mailbox companies contract with independent mail centers to provide address locations. The downside to this model is that they don’t have any control over quality or security. For this reason, it’s worth considering a virtual mailbox primary hub, particularly if you’re a small business.
There are obviously other features to consider, but often this boils down to your use case: are you using this address in New York for a business or for personal use?
Virtual Business Address in New York
There’s no shortage of virtual mailbox options in New York, but it’s essential that you choose the one that really fits your business needs. If you receive large volumes of mail or you need elevated security, make sure to choose an address within a well-known business district, not on the outer fringes of a metropolitan area.
It’s also a much better look for your business.
If you plan to use a virtual address for an LLC in New York (yes, you can do this), it’s critical to choose a company that has been in business for a number of years. It’s very inconvenient to have to change your business address because your virtual mailbox company went out of business!
New York has plenty of great cities to choose from for a virtual address for businesses, and digitizing your mail can save a lot of time, money and headache.
Virtual Address for Individuals in NY
Virtual mailbox services are incredibly useful for individuals and families as well. For around ten dollars a month, you can enjoy the benefits of a personal virtual addresses, especially a greater level of privacy.
You can keep your actual residence private and instead give out your virtual address.
Popular providers like iPostal1, Anytime Mailbox, PostScan Mail, and Traveling Mailbox cater to the needs of individuals and families, making it easy to find a service that suits your personal requirements.
How to Set Up Your New York Virtual Mailbox
Setting up a virtual mailbox in New York requires a few steps but overall is a very straight-forward process. This includes:
- Choose Your Address: Make sure the address you pick is in a good location. Then choose the plan that meets all of your requirements.
- USPS Form 1583: This is a government-required prerequisite for getting started. Once you sign and notarize this form, your virtual mailbox is then allowed to receive and open mail on your behalf. Fortunately, this is often included in your sign up process.
- Set Up Authorized Recipients: Most mailboxes allow for at least two authorized recipients (i.e. you and your spouse or your name and your business name). Each recipient will need to have a notarized Form 1583 on file with the company.
- Start Receiving Mail: It’s a quick process start to finish. After only about an hour, you can begin using your New York virtual address.
- Manage Your Digital Mailbox: As you begin to receive mail, your mailbox dashboard will provide you with scans of any incoming mail and give you options for what you can do with that mail. Learn more about how a virtual mailbox works.
Once you’re all set up, apply for a change of address (temporary or permanent) online or at your local US post office. Your chosen provider will then scan your mails and packages and upload them to your virtual mailbox for easy access.
Top Virtual Mailbox Providers in New York City, NY
If you want the best virtual mailbox providers in New York City, there are specific providers offering a wide range of features. iPostal1, PostScan Mail, and Anytime Mailbox offer secure mail and package services from USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL, as well as a professional business address and email notification when mail arrives.
These top virtual mailbox providers in New York City start at just $9.99 a month dependent on your mail volume and number of scans. Below is our consolidated list of the best addresses from these provider in New York City.
*This is a primary hub address
Top Virtual Mailbox Providers in Brooklyn, NY
Do you specifically want an address in Brooklyn? These same providers also start at a low monthly cost of $9.99, depending on your specific needs. Below are the addresses we recommend from these top Brooklyn providers.
For a full list of available virtual addresses in New York City or Brooklyn, sort the full list of New York addresses below.
Full List of New York Virtual Addresses
We’ve done the hard work of researching the best virtual address companies and collecting a full list of every available New York address.
Use the sort and search functions on the table below to find what you’re looking for. Because of the amount of information, it’s often better to view this table from a desktop computer as opposed to your mobile device.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled the most common questions we receive about using a virtual mailbox (in New York or anywhere), but this is just the tip of the iceberg. We have a ton of great resources to learn about virtual addresses that you can browse.
Yes, you can use a virtual address for your LLC in New York. You need to register your business with the New York Secretary of State and provide a physical address, rather than a P.O. box, as your registered address.
Virtual address works by allowing you to choose an actual physical address that is owned by a virtual address service. Mail sent to this address is received and scanned by the company before being uploaded to the cloud, giving you access to view and interact with the mail remotely. Learn more about how a virtual address works here.
New York is a popular state to register a business because they offer favorable tax incentives, particularly for corporations who do not do business in the state. For this reasons, you’ll see many international businesses set up their US base in New York.