If you cross the border to collect US packages, you’ve likely run into 24/7 Parcel in Blaine and Lynden — automated lockers, a PIN, email alerts, pay per package, no annual fee. It’s a capable setup, and for straightforward parcel pickup it does the job. So let’s be upfront: if all you ever need is to grab a box, more than one border shop can handle that, 24/7 Parcel included.
The reason to look at In Out Parcel as an alternative isn’t a cheaper sticker price — near the border, pay-per-use with no annual fee is the norm, not a differentiator. It comes down to three honest things: it’s a full-service virtual mailbox (not pickup-only), it uses a different, generally calmer border crossing, and it’s backed by a long service-quality track record. Here’s the fair side-by-side.
The quick comparison
| In Out Parcel | 24/7 Parcel | |
|---|---|---|
| Locker pickup | Yes — 24/7 self-serve with a 6-digit PIN | Yes — 24/7 self-serve lockers |
| Locations | One: Point Roberts, WA | Two: Blaine & Lynden, WA |
| Monthly / annual fee | None — pay per item | None published |
| Mail scanning to PDF | Yes | Not offered |
| Worldwide forwarding | Yes — packages and mail | Not offered |
| Returns to US retailers | Yes — we handle returns | Publicly declines returns |
| Letter mail | Received, held, or scanned to PDF | Parcel-focused |
| Oversized, freight & pallets | Yes — anything too big for a locker goes to our shelf | Not handled |
| On-site fitting room | Yes — try an item on before you decide | None |
| Border crossing | Point Roberts (Tsawwassen / Boundary Bay) | Peace Arch / Pacific Hwy & Lynden |
| Best for | Anyone who wants a full US virtual mailbox with optional 24/7 pickup | Straightforward parcel pickup at the Blaine/Lynden crossings |
Where 24/7 Parcel makes sense
Credit where it’s due. 24/7 Parcel is an established, well-run operation with two locations — Blaine and Lynden — which is a genuine advantage if those crossings are the closest ones for you. The Blaine corridor is the natural choice for a lot of Surrey and Langley drivers, and a second site in Lynden adds flexibility. If your trips already run through that part of the border and your only need is to drop in and grab a parcel, it’s a sensible pick — provided the busier Peace Arch and Pacific Highway crossings, which usually see longer lineups than the quiet Point Roberts crossing, aren’t a dealbreaker.
Where In Out Parcel is the full-service option
The difference shows up the moment you need anything beyond grabbing a box.
- It’s a complete virtual mailbox, not pickup-only. Alongside 24/7 locker pickup, In Out Parcel receives your letter mail, scans it to PDF so you can read it online, forwards packages and mail anywhere in the world, and handles returns to US retailers. 24/7 Parcel focuses on parcel pickup — it doesn’t offer scanning or forwarding, and publicly notes it doesn’t take returns. So if you’re ever travelling, away for the season, or just don’t feel like driving down for a single envelope, In Out Parcel can scan or forward it instead. See how it works and what a virtual mailbox actually does.
- It takes the awkward stuff, too. Oversized items, freight, and pallets are handled here — anything too big for a locker goes to our shelf for counter pickup. There’s also an on-site fitting room, so you can try clothing on or check an item before you decide to keep, return, or forward it. 24/7 Parcel is pickup-only and doesn’t take oversized items or pallets.
- A different, generally calmer crossing. In Out Parcel is in Point Roberts, reached via the Tsawwassen / Boundary Bay crossing — typically smaller and less hectic than the busy Peace Arch and Pacific Highway lanes, and because pickup is 24/7 you can cross off-peak. For Tsawwassen, Delta, and much of Richmond and Vancouver, it’s often the shorter, lower-stress trip. (We’ll always say it plainly: it’s a quieter crossing experience — nothing about customs is different.)
- A long service-quality record. In Out Parcel has served the border since 2014 and holds a 4.9★ rating from 700+ reviews. When something is unusual — an oversized item, a missed pickup, a return that needs sorting out — that track record is the part that’s hard to copy.
- No monthly fee, same as a good local shop — but on the full toolkit. You keep your US address for free and pay $4.25 per package or letter received, with $0 in the months nothing arrives. The difference is that the no-fee model here covers scanning, forwarding, and returns too — not just pickup. (See the no-monthly-fee breakdown.)
How far is it from the Lower Mainland?
If you’re weighing the drive, here’s how Point Roberts compares to the Blaine crossings from around the Lower Mainland — driving time only, before any border wait:
| From (City Hall) | Drive to In Out Parcel (Point Roberts) | Drive to 24/7 Parcel (Blaine) |
|---|---|---|
| Delta (Ladner) | ~12 km · ~17 min | ~33 km · ~28 min |
| Richmond | ~23 km · ~30 min | ~40 km · ~38 min |
| Vancouver | ~33 km · ~40 min | ~49 km · ~47 min |
| Surrey | ~33 km · ~35 min | ~26 km · ~37 min |
| Burnaby | ~39 km · ~44 min | ~40 km · ~42 min |
| Coquitlam | ~50 km · ~53 min | ~39 km · ~44 min |
Here’s the part worth knowing: for the western Lower Mainland — Delta, Richmond, and Vancouver — Point Roberts is actually a shorter drive than heading to the Blaine crossings, and as a smaller, quieter crossing it usually means a lighter border lineup on top. For Burnaby and Surrey the two options are roughly a wash on time, so the deciding factor becomes the calmer crossing, 24/7 pickup, and the full service rather than raw distance. Only from the eastern edge — Coquitlam — is Blaine the clearly shorter line, and even then you’re trading a few minutes for the full toolkit. Times vary with traffic and border wait, so check before you head out.
How to choose
- Choose 24/7 Parcel if the Blaine or Lynden crossings are closest to you and you just need reliable, self-serve parcel pickup.
- Choose In Out Parcel if you want full service — pickup plus mail scanning, worldwide forwarding, returns, and letter mail — and the Point Roberts crossing is convenient, or if you’d rather have the option to never drive down at all and have everything scanned and forwarded to you.
Both are honest pay-per-use options near the BC border. The real question is whether you want just pickup, or a full US virtual mailbox that happens to offer 24/7 pickup as a bonus. If it’s the latter — and especially if the Tsawwassen crossing suits you — get your free US address and pay only when something actually arrives.