A private mailbox (PMB) is a mailbox you rent from a private mail centre instead of from the Post Office. You get a real street address with a box number on the end, and the centre receives your letters and packages from every carrier: USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Amazon. What happens next depends on the provider: you pick items up, or they scan, hold, or forward them for you.
That street address, instead of a PO Box number, is why people switch. Below: how a PMB compares with a USPS PO Box and a UPS Store mailbox, what it costs, and how to open one.
In Out Parcel is a private mail centre in Point Roberts, WA: serving the border since 2014, with 2,000+ automated lockers and 4.9★ from 700+ reviews. We’ll show how ours works, and when another option suits you better.
What a PMB Actually Is
A PMB lives inside a private mail centre licensed by USPS to receive mail for you. The official term for that kind of business is a CMRA (Commercial Mail Receiving Agency). The UPS Store is one well-known brand; independent shops and online-first services like ours work the same way.
Three things make it a PMB rather than a PO Box:
- It’s a street address. Your address is the centre’s street address plus your box number, so checkout forms and address validation treat it like any other address.
- Every carrier can deliver to it. Only USPS delivers to a PO Box. A PMB sits in a private building, so UPS, FedEx, DHL and Amazon’s own vans can all drop off.
- The centre acts on your mail. Depending on the provider, staff log each arrival, notify you, scan letters, store parcels, and forward items on request.
People also call it a “private post office box” or, when it’s run online, a virtual mailbox. Same product. If you’re weighing the online version, our virtual PO box guide covers it in depth.
The Quick Comparison
| Private mailbox (PMB) at In Out Parcel | USPS PO Box | UPS Store mailbox (a PMB brand) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address | Street address + PMB number | PO Box number at a post office | Store’s street address + box number |
| Carriers that deliver | All: USPS, UPS, FedEx, DHL, Amazon | USPS only | All carriers |
| What you pay | No monthly fee; $4.25 per package or letter received | Annual rental: ~$60/yr (smallest box, cheapest rural office) to ~$1,350/yr (largest box, busy urban office) | Monthly rental; varies by location, often ~$10–30/mo |
| Months nothing arrives | $0 | Already paid for the year | Still paying |
| Mail scanning | Letters scanned to PDF | No (Informed Delivery shows the outside of letters only) | Varies by location |
| Forwarding | Per item, worldwide, from your portal | Nothing you can trigger per item from your phone | Varies by location |
| Pickup hours | 24/7 self-serve lockers with a 6-digit PIN | Post office hours (box lobby at best) | Varies by location |
| USPS Form 1583 | Required | Not used (PO Boxes have their own application) | Required |
A note on PO Box prices: the spread is huge. A PO Box big enough to hold a parcel typically runs ~$200–400 a year, and whatever you pay is due upfront, whether one item arrives or a hundred.
How a PMB Address Is Written
A PMB address has three parts: your name, the centre’s street address, and your box number marked “PMB.” At In Out Parcel, it looks like this:
Your Name 145 Tyee Dr, PMB (your Customer ID) Point Roberts, WA 98281
So if your Customer ID is 4321, the street line reads 145 Tyee Dr, PMB 4321. Two practical tips from the packages we handle every day:
- If a checkout has an “Apt/Suite/Unit” field,
PMB 4321can go there. - Some checkouts strip the PMB number during address validation. If yours does, put your Customer ID in the last-name field (“Jane Smith 4321”) so it still prints on the label.
The number matters because that’s how a package finds you. With it on the label, ours are logged, put in a locker, and emailed to you the same day, usually by 3:00 PM. Without it, staff match the package by hand, which can add a business day. More on this in how to address your packages.
The USPS Form 1583 Requirement
Every private mailbox in the US needs a signed USPS Form 1583. It’s the form that authorizes the mail centre to receive mail on your behalf, and the rule is the same at every provider, from a UPS Store to an online service. USPS asks for two forms of ID, at least one with a photo.
At In Out Parcel you can sign it at our counter for free in about 3 minutes, or complete it online from wherever you are. You can order the moment you register; the form is signed when you collect, not before you ship. Here’s how Form 1583 works, step by step.
What Happens to Your Mail
At a full-service PMB, every arrival gets a decision from you:
- Letters are opened and scanned to PDF so you can read them online.
- Packages can be held for pickup, forwarded anywhere in the world (you compare live FedEx, UPS and USPS rates in your portal), or consolidated into one shipment to save on postage.
- Letters you don’t need can be shredded instead of kept.
- Pickup at our facility is 24/7 from automated lockers with a 6-digit PIN, if you happen to be nearby.
That’s the line between a basic store mailbox and a full private mail forwarding service: one holds your mail until you come in, the other lets you act on it from your phone.
Who a PMB Is For
If you live in the US: a PMB gives you a second address that isn’t your home, and that every carrier can reach, which a PO Box can’t. People use one to keep their home address off online orders, to receive deliveries while travelling, or to keep business mail separate from personal mail. A local storefront PMB makes sense if you want to walk in daily. If you’d rather manage mail from your phone and only pay when something arrives, that’s where we fit. Get your free US address, with no monthly fee and $0 in the months nothing arrives.
If you live outside the US (including Canada): a US PMB is how you get a real US address at all. US stores ship to it domestically, and the mail centre scans your letters or forwards your packages to you. For Canadians near the BC border there’s a bonus: Point Roberts is reached via the Tsawwassen / Boundary Bay crossing, and pickup runs 24/7. If you’re comparing this to renting a US PO Box from Canada, read Can a Canadian get a US PO Box? first. Then create your free US address; you pay nothing until something arrives.
What a Private Mailbox Costs
Most private mailbox services charge a monthly rental that varies by location, often ~$10–30/mo, before add-ons. You pay it every month, busy or quiet.
In Out Parcel works the other way: no monthly fee · pay-per-use · $0 in the months nothing arrives · credit never expires. You pay $4.25 per package or letter received, and nothing to keep the address.
Two worked examples:
- 2 items a month: $8.50 at In Out Parcel, against ~$10–30 for a monthly mailbox. In a month where nothing arrives, $0 against the same ~$10–30.
- Against a PO Box: a mid-size PO Box at ~$250/yr is about 59 packages or letters at In Out Parcel’s $4.25 — and the PO Box still can’t take a UPS or FedEx parcel, can’t scan anything, and can’t forward to Canada.
Forwarding is charged separately at the carrier rate you choose; see the shipping and forwarding rates for the full list.
When a PO Box Is the Better Choice
A PMB isn’t always the answer. A PO Box may suit you better if:
- You only get USPS letters, and plenty of them. The smallest box at a cheap rural post office runs ~$60/yr, which is about 14 letters at $4.25. Past that, the box costs less.
- You live near the post office and don’t mind its hours.
- You don’t want a private company handling your mail. A PO Box stays inside USPS, with no Form 1583.
And a local storefront PMB beats us if you want an address in your own city. We’re one location, Point Roberts, WA. Where we win is no monthly fee, every carrier, and a full scan-and-forward toolkit run by one team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does PMB stand for?
Private Mail Box. It’s the box-number designation a private mail centre uses on your street address, as in 145 Tyee Dr, PMB 4321. It tells the mail centre which customer the item belongs to.
Is a private mailbox the same as a PO Box?
No. A PO Box is rented from USPS, sits inside a post office, and only USPS delivers to it. A private mailbox is rented from a private mail centre licensed by USPS, has a street address, and accepts every carrier.
Does USPS offer private mailboxes?
USPS rents PO Boxes, not PMBs, but it regulates PMBs: every one requires a signed USPS Form 1583, wherever you rent it. So a “USPS private mailbox” usually means a PMB at a USPS-licensed mail centre.
Can I get a US private mailbox if I don’t live in the US?
Yes. You complete Form 1583 with two forms of ID, at least one with a photo, and the address works like any US address. Mail is scanned and packages can be forwarded worldwide. For the broader options, see how to get a US mailing address.
A private mailbox with no monthly fee. A real US street address every carrier delivers to: letters scanned, packages forwarded worldwide or picked up 24/7. Pay $4.25 per package or letter received, and $0 when nothing arrives. Get your free US address. Want the full feature list first? See our virtual mailbox.