Frequently Asked Questions
Is this suitable for a law firm's mail?
It's what we built it for. Every envelope is photographed and logged the day it arrives so a court mailing is visible the same day. Scans go into your password-protected portal (with optional two-factor and passkey login), not into an email inbox. Checks and signed originals can be held for pickup or forwarded — including USPS overnight — and nothing leaves the building until you choose. You can authorize up to three people from your office to pick up, each identity-verified.
Can I use this address on my letterhead, website, and State Bar record?
You can use it on your letterhead, website, business cards, and client correspondence — it's a professional office building, not a P.O. box. Whether it's acceptable as your official address of record with your bar association depends on your jurisdiction's rules, so check those before listing it. We don't act as a registered agent for service of process.
How quickly will I see a court notice or a check?
The same business day it's delivered to the building. The envelope photo appears in your portal when it's logged, and you get a 'new mail received' email at the same moment; if you ask for the contents scanned, the full document follows the same day.
Can my staff or a paralegal pick up mail for me?
Yes, and pickup is free. Schedule a time from your online mailbox and it will be ready at your location. You can authorize up to three people, such as a paralegal or assistant, to pick up on your behalf; each of them completes the same ID verification you do.
What exactly do I get with a MailScans plan?
A professional office address in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, West LA, or Philadelphia — not a P.O. box — plus a secure online portal. Every piece of mail sent to your address is received, photographed, and logged the same day. From your portal you decide, per item, whether we scan the contents, forward it, hold it for pickup, shred it, or recycle it.
Is the price really the same at every address?
Yes. There's one price list (5 plans from $19 to $249 a month) and it's identical at all of our locations. A Beverly Hills address costs exactly the same as a Philadelphia one. The plans differ only in how many scanned pages you get each month.
Is there a setup fee?
No. There is no setup fee on any MailScans plan, ever.
What counts as a 'scanned page'?
Every envelope is photographed on arrival at no charge — that doesn't count. A scanned page is one side of one sheet inside an envelope you've asked us to open and scan. A three-page letter is three pages. If you go over your plan's monthly allowance, extra pages are $1 each; the Unlimited plan has no overage.
What is a PMB number and why do I have one?
PMB stands for Private Mailbox. It's the specific box number assigned to you at your chosen location, similar to a suite number, and it goes on your mailing address (e.g., '611 Wilshire Blvd, PMB 42'). USPS requires commercial mail receiving agencies to track PMB numbers as part of CMRA compliance.
What is USPS Form 1583 and why do I have to fill it out?
CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agency) is the USPS designation for businesses like ours that accept mail on behalf of others. Federal regulations require every client to complete PS Form 1583 and provide two forms of ID before we can accept mail for them. We walk you through it with an online notary right after checkout — it's a legal requirement, not something we can waive.
How long do you keep my mail?
Every item is stored free for 30 days. After that, storage is $1 per day for letters and $10 per day for packages. The new-mail email for each item tells you the date its free storage ends, and you can have anything forwarded, shredded, recycled, or picked up at any time to stop the clock.
How much does forwarding cost?
Actual postage plus a 30% markup plus a $20 handling fee. You can select several items in your online mailbox and forward them together in one envelope or package, so you pay one postage charge instead of several.
Do you offer phone answering, meeting rooms, or office space?
Live phone answering — a real receptionist answering in your business's name — is available as an optional add-on when you check out, from $19/mo. We don't offer meeting rooms or physical office space; MailScans is built around your address and your mail.
What happens if my payment fails?
We send reminders at 1, 3, and 10 days past due. If payment still isn't received after 14 days, your plan is cancelled and any mail on file is returned to sender, per our Terms of Use. You can update your card any time from your online mailbox to bring the account current.
How is MailScans different from Anytime Mailbox, iPostal1, or Earth Class Mail?
Our addresses are in professional office buildings, not a network of third-party mail stores. Everyone pays the same price at every address, there's no setup fee, no long-term contract, and the whole thing — scanning, forwarding, pickups, billing — lives in one online mailbox.
Still deciding?
See every plan and fee on one page, compare the addresses, or call us. Plans start at $19/mo with no setup fee.
See plans and pricingBrowse the addresses · For attorneys · Contact us